Background:

Patient satisfaction has been considered an identifier of the quality of health care services in health settings. The more satisfied patients are with the care they are receiving, the more likely they return for follow up and the higher the retention rate.

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of patient satisfaction in a teaching naturopathic clinic in Western Canada, and to determine factors affecting patient retention.

North American naturopathic medicine is a distinct form of practice that is woven into the larger fabric of integrative medicine; in a number of US states and Canadian provinces, naturopathic doctors enjoy a wide scope of practice, including the ability to make diagnoses, order tests, use medical technology, write prescription drugs, and perform minor surgeries. However, the basic premise of naturopathic medicine and its guiding principles—considering the whole person and supporting healthy lifestyle behaviors—is the unifying approach in clinical practice.

Naturopathic medicine is a “whole systems” form of medicine that emphasizes prevention and individualized treatment of disease with lifestyle changes and natural therapies. This international and multisite naturalistic pilot study aims to evaluate how 12 weeks of individualized naturopathic care affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients at 2 naturopathic teaching institutions by measuring Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health Scale (GHS) scores.