ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:
To compare the characteristics of Victorian general practitioners who practise and do not practise complementary therapies.

METHOD:
A self administered postal survey sent to 800 Victorian GPs.

RESULTS:
The response rate was 64%. There were no statistically significant differences between complementary therapy practitioners and nonpractitioners in the number of patients seen per week, urban versus rural location, solo versus group practice or Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. In some complementary therapies, practising GPs tended to be male, full time and older.

DISCUSSION:
Victorian GPs who practise complementary therapies are on the whole not from the fringes of the medical community. The reasons why GPs include complementary therapies in their practice cannot be answered by this study.