Complement Ther Med. 2000 Mar; 8(1): 21-5.

Homoeopathy in primary care: self-reported change in health status.

Attena F, Del Giudice N, Verrengia G, Granito C.

Istituto di Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, FacoltÃ di Medicina, Seconda UniversitÃ degli Studi di Napoli, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: In recent years numerous clinical trials have been carried out to evaluate homoeopathic therapy. Another approach to evaluating homoeopathy is to investigate its impact in primary health care, that is on outpatients to a homoeopathic centre. METHODS: 609 patients on their first visit to a homoeopathic clinic from June 1995 to May 1997 received a telephone call 1 year later in which they were asked to rate their general health compared with 1 year ago. RESULTS: 1 year after first examination 73.5% of patients reported a marked or moderate improvement in their health status. Marked improvement was significantly higher in subjects who stated they were satisfied with the care received, in females, in the 0-15-year-old age group and in patients who completed therapy. CONCLUSIONS: For conditions which are not life-threatening, homoeopathy seems to meet patients' needs in primary health care.