Patient demographics, medical factors, treatment modalities and satisfaction at five traditional Chinese medicine practices: A cross-sectional study.

1BACKGROUNDTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is increasingly integrated into healthcare and insurance systems, therefore, it is essential to understand its current status and patients perspectives. METHODSThis cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1st to December 31st, 2023, across five TCM practices in Switzerland. All patients attending their sixth therapy session were invited to complete an electronically anonymized questionnaire covering patient demographics, treatment experiences, and satisfaction. RESULTSA total of 461 patients participated in the survey, with the majority being female (60.1%) and aged 50 years or older (57.4%). Among them, 54.0% reported multiple health conditions, with 32.9% having musculoskeletal disorders and 31.8% suffering from chronic pain as the main reasons for seeking therapy. Most patients received weekly TCM treatments (91.3%), with 50.7% also undergoing conventional therapies. Of the respondents, 50.0% reported full coverage for their TCM therapy costs. TCM was mainly accessed through personal recommendations (44.5%), and 92.2% experienced wait times under 10 minutes. Acupuncture was the predominant treatment (95.7%), with 35.8% receiving additional dietary advice. Overall satisfaction reached 96.5%, and 99.5% expressed intent to continue TCM. Full compared to no TCM expense coverage was positively associated with treatment satisfaction (odds ratio = 2.42, 95% CI [1.10 to 5.31], p = 0.028), while other medical factors showed no significant impact on satisfaction. CONCLUSIONThis study indicates that women, patients over 50 years, and those with multiple health conditions, especially musculoskeletal and pain conditions, are more likely to seek regular integrated TCM treatment. Patients reported high satisfaction with TCM, and treatment satisfaction was positively associated with full compared to no health insurance coverage. Future research should include more TCM practices and patients to further generalize these findings and precisely assess the impact of insurance coverage on TCM satisfaction to meet patient needs better.