[Alternative treatments in XXXX ; extent and background of utilization].

@entity5 @entity1 @entity694 @entity148
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of use of alternative @entity5 therapies, as well as the characteristics of the @entity1 who use these therapies, and their experiences with them. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Outpatient departments of several hospitals in North-Holland. METHOD: In total, 1091 @entity1 were asked to participate in the study; 949 @entity1 agreed (87%): 535 @entity1 (56%) and 414 @entity1 , with an average age of 62 years. The sample was stratified by diagnosis: 233 breast, 183 lung, 278 stomach/ @entity694 and 255 @entity1 with various other @entity5 diagnoses. A structured face-to-face interview and several written questionnaires were used. RESULTS: 2XOf the 949 @entity1 , 9.4% were currently using an alternative therapy in addition to conventional treatment, and 5.8% had used an alternative treatment in the past but had subsequently stopped. @entity1 using alternative therapies were relatively younger and more highly educated than @entity1 who chose not to use these therapies. Use of alternative therapies was more frequent among @entity1 undergoing palliative treatment and @entity1 who were actively dealing with the problems surrounding their disease. Only a minority of the @entity1 believed they could be cured by the alternative therapy; the majority hoped it would help to slow the progression of their disease or strengthen their resistance. CONCLUSION: The motivation for seeking alternative treatment more often appears to be fear and uncertainty rather than belief in the efficacy of the treatment. For many @entity1 the use of alternative therapies represents a means of dealing with the @entity148 and stress surrounding their disease.
