Patient Experiences of Integrative health CarE [PEICE]: A cross-sectional study

Background

Although consumer demand and practitioner interest in integrative health care (IHC) have amplified over the past few decades, the patient experience of IHC still remains poorly understood. This study aimed to explore patient’s experiences of receiving care within an IHC setting in Australia.

Methods

Adults that had accessed an IHC setting within the past 12 months were invited to participate in a national, cross-sectional study. Individuals meeting the inclusion criteria were asked to complete the 57-item Integrative Healthcare Experience Tool (iHEET), online.

Results

A total of 327 participants completed the iHEET (82.3 % female; 92.9 % aged 30 years or older). Participants reported a generally favourable experience of IHC, as indicated by an overall IHC experience score of 4.19 ± 0.90 (mean ± SD). Mean experience subscores were high for 8 of the 12 IHC experience domains (i.e. respectful, personalised, patient-centred, holistic, interdisciplinary, evidence-based, communicative, wellness-focussed), and moderate for 4 of the 12 domains (i.e. non-hierarchical, collaborative, coordinated, accessible).

Conclusion

The findings of this novel study suggest IHC practice in Australia closely aligns with the philosophy and framework of IHC, and is mostly congruent with what patients want from an IHC service. Notwithstanding, there are several areas where IHC services could improve in order to optimise the patient experience. These areas include providing care that is more visibly collaborative and coordinated, and enabling equitable access to services for diverse patient populations.