Alternative Approaches to Health Care

Abstract

This article explores alternative medicine choices within the context of the purchaser/provider separation. The changes that draw attention to the desires of patients may require managers to rethink their contracting process. The problems relating to alternative medicine choice are discussed and include the resistance of the medical profession, the lack of hard scientific evidence of benefit, the acceptability of some alternative medicine practices, the perceived acceptance of alternative medicine, should it become an integral component of service provision and the issue of management control. The response to alternative medicine in other European countries is briefly mentioned.

Citation

Smith, I.J. (1991), "Alternative Approaches to Health Care", Journal of Management in Medicine, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 13-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000001319