Does dissatisfaction with physicians lead patients to alternative practitioners?

• Published in: Complementary therapies in clinical practice 2020-05, Vol.39, p.101109-101109, Article 101109
• Main Authors: Guillaud, Albin, Allenet, Benoît, Pinsault, Nicolas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative medicine; Back pain; Complementary therapies; Cross-sectional studies; Decision making; Discontent; Family physicians; France; Health behavior; Health care; Health personnel; Life Sciences; Low back pain; Nursing; Patient satisfaction; Primary care
• ISSN: 1744-3881; 1873-6947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101109

To test the dissatisfaction hypothesis by focusing on the use of CAM practitioners by low back pain patients. Moreover, we have distinguished between the complementary use and the alternative use of a CAM practitioner to medical care. We conducted a cross-sectional study of a sample of 2,056 adults living in metropolitan France. The likelihood of the alternative use of a CAM practitioner decreased with increasing satisfaction with the general practitioner (OR: 0.990, 95% CI 0.984–0.996). The likelihood of the complementary use of a CAM practitioner (excluding osteopaths) decreased with increasing satisfaction with medical care (OR: 0.984, 95% CI 0.972–0.996). Our results support the dissatisfaction hypothesis to explain the use of CAM practitioners for low back pain, whether this use is alternative or complementary to medical care. However, concerning the complementary use, our study shows that this hypothesis is invalid for osteopaths. •Dissatisfaction with physicians partially explains the use of CAM practitioners.•It explains only a small part of the alternative use without any medical care.•It doesn't explain the complementary use of osteopaths in addition to medical care.•However, it largely explains the complementary use of other CAM practitioners.•Further research is needed to test which aspects of dissatisfaction are involved.