Vincent C, Furnham A, Willsmore M
Department of Psychology, University College London, UK.
Health Educ Res. 1995 Dec;10(4):395-405. doi: 10.1093/her/10.4.395-a.
A total of 216 patients attending either the British School of Osteopathy, a large acupuncture centre (City Health Centre), the Royal Homeopathic Hospital or a large general practice in South London completed a questionnaire on the perceived efficacy of orthodox and complementary medicine. The questionnaire covered 1) demographic information and experience of complementary medicine; 2) the Health Locus of Control scale; (3) attitudinal variables: belief in the importance of a scientific base to medicine, the importance of psychological factors in illness and the possible side effects of modern medicine; and 4) ratings of the perceived efficacy of acupuncture, osteopathy, homeopathy, herbalism and orthodox medicine for 16 illnesses, divided into four categories: major, minor, chronic and psychological. Whilst there was no difference between the four groups, health locus of control beliefs showed the acupuncture patients believed less in the scientific basis of orthodox medicine and more in its harmful effects compared with all other groups. Again, acupuncture patients more than any other group tended to believe in the efficacy of that therapy to 'cure' major, minor, chronic and psychological problems. Beliefs in the efficacy of complementary therapies were associated with a belief in importance of psychological factors in illness and concerns about the harmful effects of orthodox medicine. Results are discussed in terms of three things: differences between lay and professional medical beliefs; the health education implications for this research, and the role of complementary therapies in general practice and health promotion.
共有216名患者参与了一项关于传统医学和补充医学疗效认知的问卷调查。这些患者分别来自英国整骨疗法学校、一家大型针灸中心（城市健康中心）、皇家顺势疗法医院或伦敦南部的一家大型全科诊所。问卷涵盖了以下几个方面：1）人口统计学信息和补充医学体验；2）健康控制点量表；3）态度变量：对医学科学基础重要性的信念、心理因素在疾病中的重要性以及现代医学可能的副作用；4）对针灸、整骨疗法、顺势疗法、草药疗法和传统医学对16种疾病疗效的评分，这些疾病分为四类：重大疾病、轻微疾病、慢性疾病和心理疾病。虽然这四组之间没有差异，但健康控制点信念显示，与其他所有组相比，针灸患者对传统医学科学基础的信任度较低，对其有害影响的信任度较高。此外，与其他任何组相比，针灸患者更倾向于相信该疗法对“治愈”重大、轻微、慢性和心理问题的疗效。对补充疗法疗效的信念与对心理因素在疾病中的重要性的信念以及对传统医学有害影响的担忧有关。研究结果从三个方面进行了讨论：外行与专业医学信念之间的差异；本研究对健康教育的启示，以及补充疗法在全科医疗和健康促进中的作用。
