Consumer Decision Factors for Initial and Long-Term Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Guided by the conceptual framework of the consumer decision-making model, the present study compared the factors associated with initial and long-term use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers. A survey was completed by 239 people recruited from the offices of physicians and CAM practitioners. Conventional medicine clients (n = 54), new or infrequent clients (n = 73), and established CAM clients (n = 112) were compared to identify the decision factors for initial and long-term CAM use. Consistent with the components of this model, we found support for the roles of external influences (age, social recommendations), decision process factors (symptom severity, egalitarian provider preference), and post-decision factors (dissatisfaction with conventional care) depending on whether the pattern of CAM use was new or infrequent or established. Overall, this study provides preliminary support for the utility of the consumer decision-making model as an integrative framework for understanding the roles of correlates of CAM use.