M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / In South Africa the total market value for complementary health products in 2003 was R1 ,928,661 ,375. Homoeopathy constituted 4% of this total, thus the market value was R61 million for 2003. According to Discovery Health, South Africa's largest healthcare medical scheme, in 2006 R12,59 million was spent on homoeopathic medication. Although Complementary and Alternative Medicines are used mainly by the higher socio economic groups, research into the development and strengthening of the use of homoeopathy across all markets is needed for the further growth of the profession. One of the most common and effective methods of obtaining market related data is through market research using the survey method. The South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) explored a non-racial measurement to describe the South African· market. The liVing Standards Measure (LSM) that is used measures social class, or living standard, regardless of race, income or education. In South Africa, there are 10 SAARF Universal LSM® groups (SU-LSM® groups). LSM group 1 being the lower "income groups" arid 10 being the highest. The aim of this study was to investigate the current perceptions of South African Advertising Research Foundation Universal Standards Measure® Groups 7 and 8 towards Homoeopathy in South Africa by looking specifically at their awareness of Homoeopathy, usage of the medicines, expected treatment outcomes and cost expectations. This study forms part of a 3 part study to establish the perceptions of the South African public towards homoeopathy using a survey in the form of a questionnaire. The sample group for this part of the study consisted of a total of 480 respondents completing interviews conducted across South Africa. Field workers employed by Research Surveys (Ply) Limited, a professional market research company, conducted the interviews under the supervision of the researcher. Participation in the study was voluntary and participants could withdraw at any time and for any reason. Respondents could remain anonymous, identifying data was only made available to the researcher to edit the surveys and complete the tests for honesty and reliability. The final results of the study were available to participants on request. Data was analysed using computerised cross-tabulation routines. Results were crosstabulated by age, language, monthly household income, personal monthly income, gender, race, area, life cycle, formal/informal dwelling (black sample) and by Living Standard Measures. Data for LSM Groups 7 and 8 were presented in the form of column graphs. Analyses of the results showed that the consumers in LSM Groups 7 and 8 view homoeopathy as fairly effective for certain conditions, that they would rather see a medical practitioner and are likely not to see a Homoeopath in the future. These perceptions do not seem to be related to perceived cost of treatment. It is also clear from the results that consumers in LSM Groups 7 and 8 are in the most part uncertain about homoeopathy with regard to awareness, usage and Homoeopathy as a product/service in general. The results of this research could be used to develop a consumer-based marketing strategy for homoeopathy specifically aimed at the upper income groups.

Mini-dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology in partial compliance with the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Technology: Homeopathy, 2008. / A survey method was employed to investigate the perceptions of nurses in eThekwini towards homeopathy. The aim of this study was to answer the following questions: What does the nursing community in the eThekwini region know of homeopathy? Does homeopathy have a role to play in a hospital setting in the context of South Africa? The study population was all nurses with 5 years experience or more working in hospitals in the eThekwini region. The sample was drawn from 6 public and 5 private hospitals and included staff nurses and professional nurses. A total of 330 questionnaires were distributed and a total of 200 questionnaires were returned (60.6%). A total of 93 nurses (46.5%) responded from the public sector and 107 nurses (53.5%) from the private sector. The study was carried out using a questionnaire as a measuring tool. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics using frequency tables and bar charts. The Pearson’s Chi Square Test was used on selected data. The majority of respondents were female (94%) and were between the ages of 26-35 and 36-45 years. Most of the respondents had been practising for 6-10 years and 11-15years. 19% of the total number of respondents had never heard of homeopathy and 10% indicated that they were quite familiar with the homeopathic profession. Of those respondents who had never heard of homeopathy, 71.1% were in the public sector and 28.9% in the private sector. Of those respondents who answered that they were quite familiar with homeopathy, 14.3% were in the public sector and 85.7% in the private sector. With regards to legitimacy of homeopathy most nurses working in the private hospitals (60.1%) perceived homeopathy to be a legitimate form of health care as compared to nurses working in public hospitals (39.9%). Generally, both groups considered communication and co-operation with homeopaths to be very poor. In total 79.49% of respondents said it would be beneficial to improve communication between the professions. The majority of respondents (70.06%) perceived that homeopathy does have a role to play in a hospital setting. Only 29.94% of respondents perceived that homeopathy had no role to play in a hospital setting. This indicates that many respondents perceive that integrated medicine is needed in a hospital setting. This study reveals that the respondents had a positive view of homeopathy in general, and were open to learning more about it, and to cooperate with homeopaths. The finding that knowledge of homeopathy is low, and communication between the two professions is poor, can be addressed through suitable publicity and education programmes. / M

Mini-dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology in partial compliance with the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Technology: Homeopathy, 2008. / A survey method was employed to investigate the perceptions of nurses in eThekwini towards homeopathy. The aim of this study was to answer the following questions: What does the nursing community in the eThekwini region know of homeopathy? Does homeopathy have a role to play in a hospital setting in the context of South Africa? The study population was all nurses with 5 years experience or more working in hospitals in the eThekwini region. The sample was drawn from 6 public and 5 private hospitals and included staff nurses and professional nurses. A total of 330 questionnaires were distributed and a total of 200 questionnaires were returned (60.6%). A total of 93 nurses (46.5%) responded from the public sector and 107 nurses (53.5%) from the private sector. The study was carried out using a questionnaire as a measuring tool. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics using frequency tables and bar charts. The Pearson’s Chi Square Test was used on selected data. The majority of respondents were female (94%) and were between the ages of 26-35 and 36-45 years. Most of the respondents had been practising for 6-10 years and 11-15years. 19% of the total number of respondents had never heard of homeopathy and 10% indicated that they were quite familiar with the homeopathic profession. Of those respondents who had never heard of homeopathy, 71.1% were in the public sector and 28.9% in the private sector. Of those respondents who answered that they were quite familiar with homeopathy, 14.3% were in the public sector and 85.7% in the private sector. With regards to legitimacy of homeopathy most nurses working in the private hospitals (60.1%) perceived homeopathy to be a legitimate form of health care as compared to nurses working in public hospitals (39.9%). Generally, both groups considered communication and co-operation with homeopaths to be very poor. In total 79.49% of respondents said it would be beneficial to improve communication between the professions. The majority of respondents (70.06%) perceived that homeopathy does have a role to play in a hospital setting. Only 29.94% of respondents perceived that homeopathy had no role to play in a hospital setting. This indicates that many respondents perceive that integrated medicine is needed in a hospital setting. This study reveals that the respondents had a positive view of homeopathy in general, and were open to learning more about it, and to cooperate with homeopaths. The finding that knowledge of homeopathy is low, and communication between the two professions is poor, can be addressed through suitable publicity and education programmes.

Mini-dissertation in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, in the Department of Homoeopathy at the Durban University of Technology, 2008. / Within healthcare, patient satisfaction is a combination of need, expectation and the experience of care being provided. Patient satisfaction is an intermediate outcome, and is an important measure of the quality of the overall care provided. Healthcare which does not satisfy the patient is usually less effective, because less satisfied patients tend not to comply with instructions, they take longer to follow up with appointments and they have a poor understanding of their medical condition (Wilkin, Hallam and Dogget, 1994; AI-Assaf, 1998). The provision of overall quality healthcare for patients is a key motivation for many service providers. Therefore, determining the level of patient satisfaction forms a very important part of managing and fulfilling the patients' healthcare needs (Smith, 2001a). Furthermore, surveys of patient satisfaction form an essential role in assessing public opinion of the service provided. Thus, the evaluation of the service provided by a clinic can be reflected in the degree of satisfaction perceived by individuals receiving the services as elicited by a patient perception survey. This study assess patient’s perception of the service provided at the Homoeopathic Day Clinic (HDC) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The use of a self-administered questionnaire to establish patient satisfaction was applied. No names were required and all data has been kept strictly confidential. This information will subsequently be used to improve the quality of the service offered at this facility and increase the degree of patient satisfaction experienced. The sample group of the first 100 patients that consulted the HDC at the DUT between July and November 2007 that voluntarily participated in this study were included in the study by means of convenience sampling.In this study there is generally a high degree of satisfaction with the healthcare and services provided. Areas of particularly high satisfaction are related to patients’ arrival to the clinic where they were both promptly and politely greeted, as well as in relationship to the approachability/friendliness of the Homoeopathic student, and the instructions given on how to take the medicine. Areas that revealed lower degrees of satisfaction are advertising, both in media and by signage, as well as the accessibility of the clinic for disabled patients.

Mini-dissertation in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, in the Department of Homoeopathy at the Durban University of Technology, 2008. / Within healthcare, patient satisfaction is a combination of need, expectation and the experience of care being provided. Patient satisfaction is an intermediate outcome, and is an important measure of the quality of the overall care provided. Healthcare which does not satisfy the patient is usually less effective, because less satisfied patients tend not to comply with instructions, they take longer to follow up with appointments and they have a poor understanding of their medical condition (Wilkin, Hallam and Dogget, 1994; AI-Assaf, 1998). The provision of overall quality healthcare for patients is a key motivation for many service providers. Therefore, determining the level of patient satisfaction forms a very important part of managing and fulfilling the patients' healthcare needs (Smith, 2001a). Furthermore, surveys of patient satisfaction form an essential role in assessing public opinion of the service provided. Thus, the evaluation of the service provided by a clinic can be reflected in the degree of satisfaction perceived by individuals receiving the services as elicited by a patient perception survey. This study assess patient’s perception of the service provided at the Homoeopathic Day Clinic (HDC) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The use of a self-administered questionnaire to establish patient satisfaction was applied. No names were required and all data has been kept strictly confidential. This information will subsequently be used to improve the quality of the service offered at this facility and increase the degree of patient satisfaction experienced. The sample group of the first 100 patients that consulted the HDC at the DUT between July and November 2007 that voluntarily participated in this study were included in the study by means of convenience sampling.In this study there is generally a high degree of satisfaction with the healthcare and services provided. Areas of particularly high satisfaction are related to patients’ arrival to the clinic where they were both promptly and politely greeted, as well as in relationship to the approachability/friendliness of the Homoeopathic student, and the instructions given on how to take the medicine. Areas that revealed lower degrees of satisfaction are advertising, both in media and by signage, as well as the accessibility of the clinic for disabled patients.

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) describes a group of natural healthcare interventions that may be employed in conjunction with (Complementary) or instead of (Alternative) conventional medical treatments (Barnes and Bloom, 2008).The prevalence of CAM use in industrialised countries has shown a significant increase in recent decades, amongst consumers and professionals alike, and is being utilised by up to 50% of adults in developed communities (Astin et al., 1998). The general public are starting to take their health and well-being into their own hands by investing in CAM products and consulting with various CAM practitioners. This study is designed to gain valuable insight into the subjective experience of typical CAM users in Johannesburg. Such information may raise awareness within the current CAM climate and may be of value in formulating future marketing and educational strategies for the various CAM professions. Several global surveys have been done to determine patterns and prevalence of CAM use. In South Africa, such studies have been conducted in Cape Town (Du Plessis and Pellow, 2013) and in Durban (Singh et al., 2004). The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) is the regulatory body of CAM in South Africa. It currently regulates and registers 11 CAM professions, namely Homoeopathy, Chiropractic, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Unani-Tibb, Osteopathy, Naturopathy, Phytotherapy, Therapeutic Aromatherapy, Therapeutic Massage and Therapeutic Reflexology. Most CAM products are freely available in various retail outlets. The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes and perceptions of Complementary and Alternative Medicine users in Johannesburg health shops. This will be evaluated by means of a questionnaire survey.

The purpose of this study was to determine the profile of parents with children in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres using Over the Counter (OTC) homeopathic remedies, specific to the Pretoria East region. Secondary objectives included determining the extent of use of OTC homeopathic remedies, the perceptions of parents regarding homeopathy and natural remedies as well as the positioning of homeopathy. The research was designed around descriptive and exploratory methods using quantitative research techniques. Aspects such as demographic information and the general health of families, attitudes, perceptions and opinions specific to homeopathy, natural remedies and conventional medicine, as well as details on remedy usage and brands, were addressed. From the findings of the study a clear profile could be identified. Further to the profile, the perceptions of respondents regarding OTC homeopathic remedies as well as reasons for using these remedies are discussed. The positioning of OTC homeopathic remedies was done based on spider graphs, exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling. Several recommendations were made to the homeopathic industry, the Ministry of Health, medical professionals, Medical Aid Schemes, pharmacists and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the Department of Social Development. The study concludes with details specific to the limitations of the study and further research suggestions. / Economics / M.A. Commerce (Business Management)

The purpose of this study was to determine the profile of parents with children in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres using Over the Counter (OTC) homeopathic remedies, specific to the Pretoria East region. Secondary objectives included determining the extent of use of OTC homeopathic remedies, the perceptions of parents regarding homeopathy and natural remedies as well as the positioning of homeopathy. The research was designed around descriptive and exploratory methods using quantitative research techniques. Aspects such as demographic information and the general health of families, attitudes, perceptions and opinions specific to homeopathy, natural remedies and conventional medicine, as well as details on remedy usage and brands, were addressed. From the findings of the study a clear profile could be identified. Further to the profile, the perceptions of respondents regarding OTC homeopathic remedies as well as reasons for using these remedies are discussed. The positioning of OTC homeopathic remedies was done based on spider graphs, exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling. Several recommendations were made to the homeopathic industry, the Ministry of Health, medical professionals, Medical Aid Schemes, pharmacists and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the Department of Social Development. The study concludes with details specific to the limitations of the study and further research suggestions. / Economics / M.A. Commerce (Business Management)