Soc Sci Med. 2002 Oct; 55(8): 1285-96.

Homeopath & patient--a dyad of harmony?

Frank R.

Facultaet für Soziologie, University of Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany. rog.frank@t-online.de

Within the last 20 yr, heterodox medicine has become increasingly popular in western societies. Critics and advocates argue that the physician-patient relationship is a key factor to this success. This study which is based on 20 semi-structured interviews with homeopathic physicians in Berlin questions the notion of a purely consensual interaction. While we can find a certain degree of partnership between homeopathic physicians and their patients, there is a significant amount of negotiation and disagreement as well: The arenas are the revelation of the prescribed homeopathic remedy, patients' expectations, the physicians' fees and differing views on the appropriate duration of consultation. Consequently, a rather complex picture of the physician-patient interaction emerges which challenges the notion of a purely harmony- and consumer-oriented consultation in heterodox medicine. It does not seem possible straightforwardly to apply any of the existing theoretical models to the physician-patient relationship.