Crothers D: Patient characteristics and practice patterns of physicians using homeopathy. Arch Fam Med

Background: The use of homeopathy is growing in the United States, but little is known about practice pat-terns of physicians using homeopathy and the patients who seek homeopathic care. Materials and Methods: Data for consecutive pa-tient visits to 27 doctors of medicine and doctors of os-teopathy using homeopathy in 1992 were collected and compared with the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey of 1990. Results: Patients seen by the homeopathic physicians were younger, more affluent, and more likely to present with long-term complaints. Physicians using homeo-pathic medicine surveyed spent more time with their pa-tients, ordered fewer tests, and prescribed fewer phar-maceutical medications than physicians practicin