Table 2 Comparison of attitudes to health and CAM scores of users and non-users of self-management
From: Use of complementary and alternative medicine and self-tests by coronary heart disease patients
| Scale |
Self-management users N = 123 |
Non-users of Self-management N = 299 | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | SD | Mean | SD | ||
| 1. Attitude towards alternative medicine (max score 25): | |||||
| -I think most alternative therapies do not work. | 15.08 | 2.94 | 14.78 | 2.40 | 0.3 |
| -I would recommend alternative medicines to anyone of my friends who might get ill | |||||
| -I would never use the services of alternative therapists. | |||||
| -I trust most alternative therapists. | |||||
| -I think most alternative therapists are quacks | |||||
| 2. Dissatisfaction with medical outcomes (max score 30): | |||||
| -I feel confident that doctors are able to cure most illnesses. | 13.44 | 3.78 | 12.85 | 3.36 | 0.1 |
| -Doctors can rarely do much for sick people. | |||||
| -Many times doctors don't help their patients get well. | |||||
| -I have very little confidence in the ability of most GPs to give the correct diagnosis. | |||||
| -Doctors often over-prescribe drugs | |||||
| -I think conventional medicine is unable to treat a lot of illnesses. | |||||
| 3. Dissatisfaction with medical encounter (max score 35): | |||||
| -Most doctors pay a lot of attention to the individual needs of their patients. | 18.75 | 5.04 | 17.57 | 4.45 | 0.03 |
| -Most doctors have a lot of respect for their patients. | |||||
| -Most doctors listen carefully to their patients during consultations. | |||||
| -Most doctors do not give enough explanations to their patients. | |||||
| -Most doctors spend too little time with their patients. | |||||
| -Doctors have too much power over their patients. | |||||
| -Most doctors are too authoritative in their relationship with their patients | |||||
| 4. Natural remedies (max score 30): | |||||
| -I prefer natural remedies to chemical drugs | 15.85 | 2.64 | 15.66 | 2.56 | 0.5 |
| -Most prescription drugs have negative side effects. | |||||
| -Additives such as preservatives and artificial colouring are harmful to health. | |||||
| -Most prescription drugs obtained from pharmacies are effective. | |||||
| -I think it is necessary for people who are ill to take medicines that doctors prescribe. | |||||
| -Without medications that doctors prescribe, illnesses can never be cured. | |||||
| 5. Holism (max score 20): | |||||
| -Health is more than just keeping your body fit | 15.09 | 1.96 | 14.55 | 1.70 | 0.009 |
| -Health is about harmonising your body, mind and spirit. | |||||
| -Imbalances in a person's life are the major causes of illnesses | |||||
| -Treatments should concentrate only on symptoms rather than the whole person. | |||||
| 6. Rejection of authority (max score 25): | |||||
| -Health practitioners should treat their patients as equals | 18.53 | 2.32 | 17.80 | 2.01 | 0.003 |
| -Patients should be able to have an input in what remedies health practitioners prescribe. | |||||
| -Patients should have some say over what goes on during consultations. | |||||
| -Health practitioners should act as authority figures in their relationship with patients. | |||||
| 7. Individual responsibility (max score 15): | |||||
| -Achieving good health requires a change of lifestyle. | 11.28 | 1.93 | 11.69 | 1.67 | 0.03 |
| -Achieving good health requires hard work and commitment | |||||
| -We are what we are because of the choices we make. | |||||
| 8. Consumerism (max score 5): | |||||
| -It's good that nowadays we have so many different types of therapies to choose from. | 3.84 | 0.70 | 3.88 | 0.73 | 0.6 |