Supplementary Material for: Job Profile of Non-Medical Practitioners: A Cross- Sectional Study from the Health Service Perspective Kattge S. Goetz K. Glassen K. Steinhäuser J 10.6084/m9.figshare.5418601.v1 https://karger.figshare.com/articles/preprint/Supplementary_Material_for_Job_Profile_of_Non-Medical_Practitioners_A_Cross-_Sectional_Study_from_the_Health_Service_Perspective/5418601 <div>Background: The demand for complementary and alternative</div><div>medicine (CAM) is rising. The German ‘Heilpraktiker’</div><div>is a non-medical naturopathic practitioner (NMNP)</div><div>providing CAM. Their numbers are rising constantly;</div><div>however, little is known about their practices and reasons</div><div>for consultation and on what kind of treatment they</div><div>offer. Methods: All 1,096 NMNPs in the German federal</div><div>state of Schleswig-Holstein were invited to participate in</div><div>a questionnaire study to gain first insights into their</div><div>nearly unexplored group setting. Results: A total of 262</div><div>NMNPs responded to the itemized questionnaire; 60 answered</div><div>the questionnaire suggested for non-responders.</div><div>Out of the 262 NMNPs, 211 (81%) were female. The average</div><div>age was 53 years. Analyzing the most frequent reasons</div><div>for consultation, 68.2% were found to be general</div><div>and unspecified reasons, followed by psychological</div><div>causes (64.1%) and musculoskeletal complaints (53.1%).</div><div>About 68% of the participants treat conditions of pain.</div><div>The most commonly used group of methods was found</div><div>to comprise para-medicinal procedures. Conclusions:</div><div>Our analysis gives first insights into the occupational</div><div>profile of the German NMNPs, their scope of activities</div><div>and treatment methods. It is a first step towards health</div><div>service research that might provide a basis for further</div><div>studies.</div> 2017-09-19 06:57:26 Naturopathy Natural medicine Complementary medicine Alternative medicine Alternative methods Referral and consultation Non-medical practitioner