Please check all that describe yourself. The survey participants represent a wide range of therapeutic fields.  26% naturopathic doctors,  17% medical doctors, 10% chiropractors, 10% acupuncturists, 7% nutritional consultants, 4% dentists and registered nurses, 1% veterinarians.  14% work in fields other than those presented in the survey.

When asked how much time they devote to learning more about the natural therapies they already use with their patients, 64% of survey participants responded “a few hours each week.”  31% spend a few hours each month, 4% spend a few hours each year, and 1%spend no time learning more about the natural therapies they already use in their practice.

When asked how much time they devote to learning new natural therapies to use with their patients (not including attending trade shows), 52% of survey participants responded “a few hours each week.”  39% spend a few hours each month, 8% spend a few hours each year, and 1% spend no time learning new natural therapies to use with their patients.

What tools do you use most often to learn about natural therapies?  Seminars/workshops, medical journals, and continuing education were the three most widely-used tools, at 22, 16, and 16%, respectively. The Internet 15%, colleagues 13 %. Trade publications 10%, manufacturer’s sales literature 6%. Only 2% of respondents selected “Other,” and mostly cited books as these other resources.

When asked, if they attend trade shows, 34% of survey participants indicated that they did not.  Of the 66% of respondents who do attend trade shows, 22% attend ANMA, 17% attend AANP, and 7% attend Cam Expo; the remaining 20% attend other trade shows which were not specified on the survey.

Of those respondents who indicated that they did not attend trade shows, 44% cited that they are “not aware of them.”  32% felt that trade shows are too costly, 17% felt that they are “not worthwhile,” and 7% think that the locations in which they are held are too far a distance to travel.

When asked, How likely are you to attend a free two-day natural medicine seminar in your area if you thought it would enable you to serve your patients better?, 37% responded that they would be “very likely” to attend and 36% said that they “would attend.”  19% were “somewhat likely” to attend, and 8% responded that they “would not attend.”

63% of survey participants responded that yes, they would be more likely to attend a free two-day natural medicine seminar if it was scheduled in conjunction with a trade show they were attending; 37% declined this hypothetical opportunity.

When asked if they would attend a free two-day natural medicine seminar during the week, 46% responded Yes.  11% responded with a direct No, while 43% said “No, I would prefer attending on a weekend.”

58% of survey participants collaborate occasionally with other practitioners in the treatment of their patients.  30% often collaborate, while 12 % claimed to rarely do so.  No respondents cited that they do not collaborate at all with other practitioners.

When asked, with what types of practitioners are you most likely to consult or collaborate, 23% cited medical doctors and 18% chiropractors. Integrative (allopathic/naturopathic) doctors 16% and acupuncturists 11%. 10% of respondents cited naturopathic doctors and 9% cited nutritional consultants.  Dentists, veterinarians, and registered nurses were the types of practitioners with which respondents were least likely to collaborate, all under 5% each.  5% of survey participants cited “other” practitioners, such as physical therapists, as those with which they would collaborate.

When asked which categories of products they prescribed for patients, 3% said natural supplements, 28% vitamins, 26% “natural medicines.  Only 15% of responses were for “allopathic medicines.”

Of the four product categories of products presented to survey participants, the following were described as “used most.”  38% natural supplements, 28% vitamins, 2% natural medicines, and 7% use allopathic medicines.

Do you sell products to your patients? 85% of survey participants sell products to their patients.  Of these products, 34% are natural supplements, 30% vitamins, 25% natural medicines, and 5% are allopathic medicines.

When asked, how familiar they are with the concepts of Pleomorphism, 36 % of respondents answered that they had heard of it, 28 % understand it, and 9 % apply it in their practice.  24% are not at all familiar with the concept, and 3% don’t believe in Pleomorphism principles.