Results of national survey announced as inaugural event concludes
The inaugural Australia-wide initiative Natural Medicine Week, 20 to 27 May, has wrapped up with the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society (ATMS) calling the venture a great success and releasing new key findings from a national survey into consumer behavior around natural medicine.
Results of the 2016 Natural Medicine Week survey into consumer use of natural medicine include:
- 93.85% of participants have consulted a natural medicine practitioner
- 96.61% of participants describe natural medicine as “effective or very effective”
- 83.33% of participants “agree or strongly agree” with the statement that ‘It is important that a natural medicine practitioner is an accredited member of an association’
- Participants said the most important factor when seeking a natural medicine practitioner is that “they are a trusted and accredited practitioner”
Charles Wurf, CEO of ATMS, says these results speak to both the rise in uptake of natural medicine treatments by the general public, and the growing importance of associations, such as ATMS, in helping to safeguard these consumers and maintain their health and wellbeing.
“Our members are qualified, accredited, professional practitioners of natural medicine who work Australia-wide to help Australians achieve good health. The exceptional results of the first Natural Medicine Week and our survey into natural medicine use in Australia both clearly demonstrate that the interest and number of Australians turning to natural medicine is increasing, and as such, access to these treatments from qualified practitioners should not become more restricted but instead supported. Current research into the efficacy of natural medicine is growing and we support the need to establish and maintain high professional standards across all natural medicine modalities, for both the protection and benefit of consumers and the advancement of the industry. This is why accredited, educated and effective practitioners need to be at the centre of any discussions around the efficacy and safety of natural medicine treatments,” said Mr Wurf.
The survey, which was a small sample of the type of consumer survey that needs to be actioned in Australia, was only one aspect of Natural Medicine Week, with consumers also visiting a host of events throughout the country including clinic open days, educational sessions and more with positive feedback received from practitioners and the public alike.
A week-long initiative, the first of its kind in Australia, the inaugural Natural Medicine Week took place 20 to 27 May 2016 and will be back again in May 2017, with dates to be announced. Natural Medicine Week represents a vast range of natural medicine modalities across ingestive, bodywork and massage, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
For more information, please visit www.naturalmedicineweek.com.au