Satisfied naturopathic practitioners? Results from a job satisfaction survey in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Characteristics of complementary medicine therapists in Switzerland: A cross-sectional study

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.

The Phenomena of Naturopathic Practitioner: Predictors of a High Patient Throughput

Objective. The aim of the current study was to evaluate which factors predicted a high patient throughput to add more evidence to the phenomena of naturopathic practitioners. Methods. The cross-sectional study was based on a questionnaire with a sample of 1,096 naturopathic practitioners in the German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein. Besides, sociodemographic data and practice characteristics topics like job satisfaction and feeling for the job were evaluated. This was supplemented with an evaluation of patient traits which were perceived as challenging. Descriptive statistics and binary regression analysis were computed to identify potential predictors to a high patient throughput. Results. A response rate of 29.4% (322/1096 participants) was observed for the study. In general, our sample of the naturopathic practitioners was very satisfied with their job (mean = 6.38). Naturopathic practitioners described that 40% of their patients are challenging. The highest rate was for “aggressive patients.” A high patient throughput was predicted with a higher satisfaction rate with the “opportunity to use abilities” and more direct contact with the patient. Conclusions. Therapeutic freedom and time with patients are important factors which are accountable for a high patient throughput. Moreover, our study provides evidence for the understanding of the phenomena of naturopathic practitioners.