Are the CAM practitioner competitors or co-workers of the general practitioner?
In Germany apart from Heilpraktiker (=state-licences, non-medical CAM practitioners), some general practitioner provide CAM in their practices. In a recent study about the role of CAM (Stefanie Joos) was investigated. The majority of participating GPs had integrated one or more CAM therapies into their everyday practice. The paper aimed to explore the attitudes of GPs about the role of CAM in Germany, in relation to the healthcare system, quality of care, medical education and research. And they concluded that Heilpraktiker are partly seen as competitors and partly as co-workers filling the gap by providing services that focus on humanity, time and empathising with patients who often complain about the contemporary medical system.