Abstract
Respiratory tract conditions affect the lungs and supporting respiratory tract structures, which may result in breathing difficulties. Chronic respiratory tract conditions are rapidly becoming the leading cause of fatalities in the modern era. Conventional treatment approaches use different kinds of medication for respiratory tract conditions such as bronchodilators and corticosteroids, which are very effective but may yield vast amounts of side effects. Patient satisfaction surveys are important indicators when assessing the standard of health care provided by health care practitioners. A study conducted at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Homeopathic Health Centre (HHC) in 2020, showed that 95% of the patients were satisfied with the treatment received at the UJ HHC for their musculoskeletal pain. No studies have been conducted on patient satisfaction related to management of respiratory tract conditions at the WeCare Community Health Centre (WCC) which is a UJ Satellite Community Health Centre. The aim of this research study was to determine patient satisfaction of the homeopathic management for respiratory tract conditions at the WCC, from 1 August 2020 – 31 March 2021, using a 22-item patient satisfaction questionnaire administered via telephonic interview. A quantitative descriptive exploratory research design was used in this study. Data collection occurred through secure telephone interviews with patients that visited the WCC, with regards to respiratory tract conditions. Upon obtaining the necessary approval from the clinic co-ordinator of the WCC and Head of Department of Complementary Medicine, all the file numbers of patients that reported with respiratory tract conditions were retrieved from the WCC data capturing forms. Patient files without contact details and patients that did not sign the WCC consent forms were excluded. Thereafter, the files were physically extracted from the filing room. The researcher contacted each patient telephonically, in a private setting at the WCC, and obtained verbal consent from the patients to participate in the study and for audio to be recorded. The study transpired over a period of four weeks from 28 May 2021 to 28 June 2021 allowing for 8 participants to be interviewed daily between the hours of 12:00 to 15:30. All information received from the participants was physically documented onto hard copy questionnaires during the interviews. Upon completion, the questionnaires were stored in a lockable cabinet in a secure...
M.Tech. (Homoeopathy)