Abstract
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are a global health concern and contribute significantly to rising health care costs and disability in the South African population. MSK conditions can be managed through several different interventions such as weight management, exercise, following a healthy diet, the use of pharmacological therapies such as analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and surgery; however, despite these various treatment options, pain management remains a significant challenge. Many patients turn to complementary medicine, such as homeopathy, as an alternative treatment option. A patient satisfaction survey is a helpful tool that can be used to determine the overall perceived quality of care received from health care providers. A patient satisfaction survey conducted at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Homeopathy Health Centre (HHC) in 2019 showed that the majority of patients were very satisfied with the homeopathic management of their MSK condition. There have been no studies to date on patient satisfaction with the homeopathic management of MSK conditions at the University of Johannesburg WeCare Wellness Community Health Centre (UJ WCC).
The aim of this study is to determine patient satisfaction on the homeopathic management of MSK conditions at the UJ WCC by means of a questionnaire.
This was a quantitative descriptive study. The research population consisted of patients who consulted at the UJ WCC for the treatment of MSK conditions from 1st August 2020 to 31st October 2021. Once permission was obtained from the Head of Department of Complementary Medicine and the Clinic coordinator, file numbers of all the participants who met the inclusion criteria were obtained from the UJ WCC database. The researcher conducted either face-to-face or telephonic interviews with participants in a private room at the UJ WCC. For face-to-face interviews, participants gave consent to participate in writing. For telephonic interviews, participants were sent an electronic form to complete, giving consent to participate and be audio recorded prior to their participation in the study. The questionnaire took approximately 10 minutes to complete, and all answers from the participants were captured directly onto a hard copy of the questionnaire by the
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researcher, which was stored in a lockable cabinet in a secure place at the UJ WCC. The data was captured electronically and analyzed through the use of frequencies and percentages. Descriptive statistics were used on the scores of the scales, with the assistance of a statistician from STATKON.