A qualitative study of patient's views on the consultation at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital, an NHS integrative complementary and orthodox medical care unit

We investigated consultations at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital (GHH), by the use of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 14 patients. Interviews (lasting 1-2 h) were taped and transcribed verbatim. Analysis was based on a grounded theory approach. Two main categories of themes emerged: (1) those outside the consultation, related to expectations, initially formed from experiences of family and friends, but then strengthened by ongoing attendance at GHH; and (2) themes inside the consultation including length of consultations, the whole-person approach, being treated as an individual, and telling and having their story listened to in depth. Equality of relationship, mutual respect, and sharing decisions were also prominent themes. In conclusion, patients attending the GHH highly value the holistic approach, and view time, empathy, and the therapeutic relationship as being of key importance. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.