Etat des lieux de l'homéopathie en Belgique - KCE

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96 Homeopathy KCE Reports 154 6.3 HOMEOPATHY IN BELGIUM: USERS, PRACTITIONERS AND PRACTICES 6.3.1 Increasing use of non-conventional forms of medicine The national survey on individuals’ health care behaviour and consumption, conducted by the Belgian Scientific Institute of Public Health ((WIV-ISP) every four years, had already highlighted the success with the general public of alternative (or nonconventional) forms of medicine. In 2001, 11% of respondents had consulted an ‘alternative therapist’ in the past 12 months, and 12% in 2008. More particularly, 6% of the sample group had consulted a homeopath in 2001 and 2004, and 4% in 2008 119 . According to a KCE study conducted in 2009 among a representative sample of Belgian adults, one-third of respondents had already consulted an alternative therapist at least once in their lifetime and, during the past 12 months, 7% had consulted an osteopath, 6% a homeopath, 3% an acupuncturist and 2% a chiropractor. This is quite a significant number. 6.3.2 Who are the patients? The general patient base of homeopaths covers all stages of life. Some homeopaths seem to be more specialised in a female patient base (46%), while nearly half have a mixed patient base (49%). According to the patients interviewed, they use the services of homeopaths for back problems (31%), neck pain (14%), allergies (11%) and fatigue (9%). The perception of therapists differs slightly in this respect, as they say their services are used mainly for ailments of the upper respiratory tract (in general) and problems of depression and anxiety. On the whole, homeopaths are required to treat patients for general indications that might have prompted them to consult a conventional general practitioner instead. Figure 1: Frequent and very frequent causes for complaint encountered by homeopaths (according to therapists, n = 144) Upper respiratory tract infection Depression and anxiety Insomnia Acute otitis Low back pain Chronic fatigue Lower respiratory tract infection Diarrhea Asthma Warts Allergy Premenstrual syndrome Skin disease Pregnancy Fibromyalgia Cancer side effects Conjunctivitis ADHD Venous insufficiency Enuresis Obesity HIV Dementia 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Besides the type of indications for which a homeopath is consulted, regular patients say they are seeking an alternative type of medicine that is more natural, less aggressive and more customised.
KCE Reports 154 Homeopathy 97 6.3.3 Who are the practitioners? In Belgium, there are currently around 340 practising homeopaths who are affiliated with a professional association. Nearly half are aged between 40 and 59 and a little over a quarter are women (28%). In 75% of cases, their initial training is in medicine and 3.5% are nursing graduates. Nearly one-fifth of affiliated homeopaths have no (para)medical training. However, as we have already mentioned, we have no information on the exact number of practitioners or occasional users of homeopathy. In fact, according to professional associations, affiliated homeopaths represent only 10% of practitioners and they are mainly ‘unicists’ (practising classical homeopathy), which seems to be a minority trend in the profession at present. In Flanders, more homeopaths are affiliated with one of the two professional associations than in Wallonia or Brussels. Figure 2: Geographical distribution of homeopaths (n = 139) Flanders Wallonia Brussels The majority of affiliated homeopaths work alone (78%) and, when they are in group practice, they work chiefly alongside physicians or homeopaths. On average they have practised homeopathy for 17 years and combine it with general practice (71%) and/or acupuncture (24%), with half devoting 80% of their time to homeopathy. Therapists use a variety of homeopathic approaches: ‘classicist–unicist’ homeopaths are loyal to Hahnemann’s teachings and seek a single remedy tailored to each individual patient. They represent the great majority of homeopaths affiliated with a professional association (75%). ‘Complex–pluralist’ homeopaths (13% of the homeopaths interviewed) prescribe a combination of ‘contextual’ and ‘fundamental’ remedies. Finally, clinical homeopaths (20% of our sample group) favour the use of homeopathic remedies designed to act on a specific organ or system. These remedies may or may not be delivered in complex form and usually in low dilution. Belgian homeopaths may join two professional associations: Unio Homeopathica Belgica (UHB), which has just over 300 members (early 2011) including physicians, veterinarians, dentists and pharmacists who have graduated from a school recognised by the ‘faculty of homeopathy’. Liga Homeopathica Classica (LHC) has 40 members, all ‘classical’ physician and non-physician homeopaths (half of whom have no medical training). Both of these professional associations uphold ‘classical’ homeopathy.
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