BACKGROUND: Although anthroposophic medicine has been used for more than 80 years and global interest in complementary treatments is increasing, a comprehensive and long-term description of everyday anthroposophic care is still lacking. Our study aims to evaluate how anthroposophic medicine is practised under everyday conditions. METHODS: A total of 38 primary-care physicians in Germany participated in this prospective, multi-centre observational study. Prescriptions, diagnoses, and non-pharmacological therapies were reported for each consecutive patient. RESULTS: In 2005, 95,116 prescriptions for 32,839 patients (56.2% children, 57.3% female) were recorded. The median duration of consultation depended on physician specialization (general practitioners: 9.5 min; paediatricians: 8.1 min). The most frequent single diagnoses were acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), otitis media, and bronchitis in children; hypertension, breast cancer, and depressive episodes in adult females; and hypertension, URTI, and asthma in adult males. Anthroposophic remedies accounted for 41.8% of all drugs prescribed. The odds ratio (OR) for receiving an anthroposophic remedy was very high for cancer (OR = 4.5; 95% CI: 4.2-4.8) and >1 for dorsopathies (OR = 1.5; CI: 1.3-1.6), otitis media (OR = 1.3; CI: 1.2-1.3), and URTI (OR = 1.1; CI: 1.1-1.2). Of the 5,289 therapeutic procedures prescribed, 27% were anthroposophic. CONCLUSION: A broad range of anthroposophic remedies and non-pharmacological therapies are prescribed for a specific set of diseases in everyday anthroposophic practice. Particularly, patients <60 years received anthroposophic care. Our findings will help in the planning and implementation of further studies. (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.
BACKGROUND: Although anthroposophic medicine has been used for more than 80 years and global interest in complementary treatments is increasing, a comprehensive and long-term description of everyday anthroposophic care is still lacking. Our study aims to evaluate how anthroposophic medicine is practised under everyday conditions. METHODS: A total of 38 primary-care physicians in Germany participated in this prospective, multi-centre observational study. Prescriptions, diagnoses, and non-pharmacological therapies were reported for each consecutive patient. RESULTS: In 2005, 95,116 prescriptions for 32,839 patients (56.2% children, 57.3% female) were recorded. The median duration of consultation depended on physician specialization (general practitioners: 9.5 min; paediatricians: 8.1 min). The most frequent single diagnoses were acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), otitis media, and bronchitis in children; hypertension, breast cancer, and depressive episodes in adult females; and hypertension, URTI, and asthma in adult males. Anthroposophic remedies accounted for 41.8% of all drugs prescribed. The odds ratio (OR) for receiving an anthroposophic remedy was very high for cancer (OR = 4.5; 95% CI: 4.2-4.8) and >1 for dorsopathies (OR = 1.5; CI: 1.3-1.6), otitis media (OR = 1.3; CI: 1.2-1.3), and URTI (OR = 1.1; CI: 1.1-1.2). Of the 5,289 therapeutic procedures prescribed, 27% were anthroposophic. CONCLUSION: A broad range of anthroposophic remedies and non-pharmacological therapies are prescribed for a specific set of diseases in everyday anthroposophic practice. Particularly, patients <60 years received anthroposophic care. Our findings will help in the planning and implementation of further studies. (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Authors: Jürgen Heinz; Wolfgang Fiori; Peter Heusser; Thomas Ostermann Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2013-01-31 Impact factor: 2.629
Authors: Elke Jeschke; Thomas Ostermann; Manuela Tabali; Horst C Vollmar; Matthias Kröz; Angelina Bockelbrink; Claudia M Witt; Stefan N Willich; Harald Matthes Journal: BMC Geriatr Date: 2010-07-21 Impact factor: 3.921
Authors: Elke Jeschke; Thomas Ostermann; Horst C Vollmar; Manuela Tabali; Harald Matthes Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2012-12-06 Impact factor: 2.629