AI Article Synopsis

  • A study in Switzerland examined the professional profiles of non-physician licensed therapists, including acupuncturists, osteopaths, and naturopaths, to understand their demographics and roles in healthcare.
  • Data was collected through an online survey from 1,549 registered therapists, with a 27.5% response rate, primarily consisting of women with an average age of 46.
  • Results showed significant differences in workload and consultation characteristics between the professions, with acupuncturists and naturopaths preferring insurance coverage for their services more than osteopaths.

Article Abstract

Objective: More than 27,000 complementary medicine (CM) therapists are registered in Switzerland, but limited data are available on their occupational profile and role in the healthcare system. Herein we aimed to gain a better understanding of the professional profile of non-physician licensed therapists, focusing on acupuncture, osteopathy, and European naturopathy.

Design: This cross-sectional study was based on an online anonymous survey conducted from March to June 2017.

Setting And Participants: All 1549 non-physician registered osteopaths, acupuncturists, and naturopaths in the French-speaking part of Switzerland were asked to complete the survey.

Main Outcome Measures: We measured the therapists' demographics, training and practice characteristics, and workload.

Results: A total of 426 therapists returned the questionnaire (response rate: 27.5%). The mean age of the respondents was 46.0 years (SD 11.6) and most were women (67.8%). CM represented the main professional activity for a majority of therapists (82.8%), most of whom were independent (86.3%). The length and number of consultations per month varied across professions. Multivariate analysis showed that acupuncturists and naturopaths performed significantly fewer consults per month than osteopaths did. However, consultation length was significantly longer for acupuncturists and naturopaths than for osteopaths. Acupuncturists (71.6%) and naturopaths (64.4%) were significantly more favorable than osteopaths (27.7%) to have consultation costs covered by basic health insurance. Professional profiles differed between osteopaths, on the one hand, and naturopaths and acupuncturists, on the other, mainly regarding workload, treatment duration, and main reasons to consult.

Conclusions: This first study to investigate a variety of therapist profiles in Switzerland provides useful information about their activities and role within the Swiss healthcare system. Although all three professions are encompassed under the same umbrella term (CM), our study showed that they have specific work cultures and areas of intervention in the healthcare system.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6808505PMC
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0224098PLOS

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