Table 2.
Characteristics of Patients Compared with Number of Physiological Systems Considered by the Participants to be Important in Management of the Patient's Health (n = 854)
| All patients (n = 852) | None (n = 36) | One (n = 292) | Two (n = 174) | Three (n = 162) | Four or more (n = 186) | Cramer's V | p | IRR | 95% CI | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (n = 851) | |||||||||||
| Female | 618 (72.6) | 26 (70.3) | 198 (67.8) | 136 (78.2) | 113 (69.8) | 145 (78.0) | .1058 | .049 | – | ||
| Male | 233 (27.4) | 11 (29.7) | 94 (32.2) | 38 (21.8) | 49 (30.3) | 41 (22.0) | |||||
| Age category (n = 835) | |||||||||||
| Young child (0–4 years) | 21 (2.5) | 3 (8.3) | 10 (3.5) | 4 (2.3) | 3 (1.9) | 1 (0.6) | .1009 | .005 | Ref | – | – |
| Child (5–11 years) | 21 (2.5) | 1 (2.8) | 16 (5.6) | 2 (1.2) | 1 (0.6) | 1 (0.6) | .95 | .65–1.40 | .794 | ||
| Adolescent (12-17 years) | 10 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (2.1) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.3) | 1 (0.6) | 1.2 | .8–2.0 | .455 | ||
| Working age (18–65 years) | 678 (81.2) | 31 (86.1) | 218 (76.0) | 143 (83.6) | 132 (83.0) | 154 (84.6) | 1.3 | 1.0–1.8 | .042 | ||
| Elderly (65 years and older) | 105 (12.6) | 1 (2.8) | 21 (12.3) | 21 (12.3) | 21 (13.2) | 25 (13.7) | 1.4 | 1.0–1.8 | .046 | ||
| Visit (n = 852) | |||||||||||
| First | 281 (33.0) | 11 (29.7) | 110 (37.4) | 52 (30.2) | 44 (27.5) | 64 (33.9) | .0812 | .229 | – | ||
| Follow up | 571 (67.0) | 26 (70.3) | 184 (62.6) | 120 (70.0) | 116 (72.5) | 125 (66.1) | |||||
| Chronicity (n = 844) | |||||||||||
| Acute | 165 (19.5) | 8 (22.9) | 82 (28.4) | 36 (20.7) | 21 (13.2) | 18 (9.6) | .1512 | <.001 | Ref | – | – |
| Chronic | 633 (75.0) | 26 (74.3) | 186 (64.4) | 128 (73.6) | 129 (81.1) | 164 (87.7) | 1.2 | 1.1–1.3 | .003 | ||
| Unsure | 46 (5.5) | 1 (2.9) | 21 (7.3) | 10 (5.8) | 9 (5.7) | 5 (2.7) | 1.0 | .8–1.3 | .767 | ||
| Primary reason for visit (n = 854) | |||||||||||
| Musculoskeletal condition | 158 (18.4) | 13 (33.3) | 56 (19.0) | 37 (21.3) | 29 (17.8) | 23 (12.2) | .1170 | .019 | .90 | .8–1.0 | .051 |
| Gastrointestinal condition | 104 (12.1) | 6 (15.4) | 37 (12.6) | 23 (13.2) | 15 (9.2) | 23 (12.2) | .0477 | .745 | – | – | – |
| Mental health condition | 93 (10.8) | 3 (7.7) | 38 (12.9) | 23 (13.2) | 18 (11.0) | 11 (5.8) | .0946 | .104 | – | – | – |
| Wellness and condition | 57 (6.6) | 1 (2.6) | 27 (9.2) | 7 (4.0) | 12 (7.4) | 10 (5.3) | .0885 | .151 | – | – | – |
| Female reproductive condition | 51 (5.9) | 1 (2.6) | 17 (5.8) | 6 (3.5) | 12 (7.4) | 15 (7.9) | .0738 | .321 | – | – | – |
| Skin condition | 44 (5.1) | 3 (7.7) | 9 (3.1) | 13 (7.5) | 9 (5.5) | 10 (5.3) | .0774 | .273 | – | – | – |
| Respiratory condition | 43 (5.0) | 0 (0.0) | 22 (7.5) | 8 (4.6) | 5 (3.1) | 8 (4.2) | .0930 | .115 | – | – | – |
| Fertility condition | 43 (5.0) | 0 (0.0) | 11 (3.7) | 12 (6.9) | 9 (5.5) | 11 (5.8) | .074 | .319 | – | – | – |
| Neurological condition | 43 (5.0) | 1 (2.6) | 16 (5.5) | 10 (5.8) | 5 (3.1) | 11 (5.8) | .5024 | .670 | – | – | – |
| Endocrine condition | 40 (4.7) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (2.0) | 7 (4.0) | 14 (8.6) | 13 (6.9) | .1293 | .006 | – | – | – |
| Cancer-related condition | 39 (4.5) | 1 (2.6) | 13 (4.4) | 4 (2.3) | 4 (2.5) | 17 (9.0) | .1214 | .013 | – | – | – |
| Cardiovascular condition | 36 (4.2) | 2 (5.1) | 11 (3.7) | 5 (2.9) | 4 (2.5) | 14 (7.4) | .0908 | .132 | – | – | – |
| Weight management | 34 (4.0) | 2 (5.1) | 11 (3.7) | 6 (3.5) | 6 (3.7) | 9 (4.8) | .0275 | .957 | – | – | – |
| Autoimmune condition | 31 (3.6) | 2 (5.1) | 7 (2.4) | 7 (4.0) | 9 (5.5) | 6 (3.2) | .0632 | .488 | – | – | – |
| Urogenital condition | 21 (2.4) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (2.4) | 4 (2.3) | 6 (3.7) | 4 (2.1) | .0498 | .712 | – | – | – |
| Ageing or cognition condition | 10 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.0) | 1 (0.6) | 4 (2.5) | 2 (1.0) | .0630 | .491 | – | – | – |
| Infectious condition | 7 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.7) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.2) | 2 (1.0) | .034 | .911 | – | – | – |
| Health care team (n = 854) | |||||||||||
| General practitioner | 369 (43.2) | 14 (40.0) | 101 (34.5) | 78 (44.8) | 81 (47.0) | 95 (50.3) | .1372 | .003 | 1.1 | 1.0–1.2 | .020 |
| Specialist doctor | 237 (27.8) | 9 (25.7) | 55 (18.8) | 52 (29.9) | 54 (33.1) | 67 (35.5) | .1538 | <.001 | 1.1 | 1.0–1.2 | .034 |
| Allied health practitioner | 106 (12.7) | 2 (5.7) | 31 (10.6) | 26 (14.9) | 23 (14.1) | 24 (12.7) | .0669 | .431 | – | – | – |
| Other complementary medicine practitioner | 93 (10.9) | 3 (8.6) | 23 (7.9) | 20 (11.5) | 23 (14.1) | 24 (12.7) | .0797 | .246 | – | – | – |
| No other health practitioner | 282 (33.0) | 14 (40.0) | 119 (40.6) | 53 (30.5) | 43 (26.4) | 53 (28.0) | .1294 | .006 | – | – | – |
| Specific systems considered | |||||||||||
| Gastrointestinal system | 348 (40.8) | 0 (0.0) | 48 (16.4) | 63 (36.2) | 99 (60.7) | 138 (73.0) | .4912 | <.001 | |||
| Endocrine system | 203 (23.8) | 0 (0.0) | 21 (7.2) | 41 (23.6) | 46 (28.2) | 95 (50.3) | .3909 | <.001 | |||
| Musculoskeletal system | 151 (17.7) | 0 (0.0) | 21 (7.2) | 26 (14.9) | 36 (22.1) | 68 (36.0) | .2989 | <.001 | |||
| Female reproductive system | 134 (15.7) | 0 (0.0) | 11 (3.8) | 30 (17.2) | 29 (17.8) | 64 (33.9) | .3175 | <.001 | |||
| Mental health | 132 (15.5) | 0 (0.0) | 29 (9.9) | 30 (17.2) | 27 (16.6) | 46 (24.3) | .1722 | <.001 | |||
| Cardiovascular system | 108 (12.7) | 0 (0.0) | 12 (4.1) | 11 (6.3) | 27 (16.6) | 58 (30.7) | .3223 | <.001 | |||
| Integumentary system | 79 (9.3) | 0 (0.0) | 9 (3.1) | 6 (3.5) | 15 (9.2) | 49 (25.9) | .3182 | <.001 | |||
| Autoimmune condition | 74 (8.7) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (1.0) | 5 (2.9) | 18 (11.0) | 48 (25.4) | .3428 | <.001 | |||
| Respiratory system | 71 (7.3) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (2.4) | 5 (2.9) | 15 (9.2) | 44 (23.3) | .3044 | <.001 | |||
| Ageing and cognition | 69 (8.1) | 0 (0.0) | 9 (3.1) | 10 (5.8) | 13 (8.0) | 37 (19.6) | .2368 | <.001 | |||
| Neurological system | 67 (14.3) | 0 (0.0) | 13 (4.4) | 12 (6.9) | 15 (9.2) | 27 (14.3) | .1498 | .001 | |||
| Urogenital system | 41 (4.8) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.4) | 1 (0.6) | 12 (7.4) | 24 (12.7) | .2277 | <.001 | |||
| Cancer | 29 (3.4) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (2.4) | 3 (1.7) | 0 (0.0) | 19 (10.1) | .2021 | <.001 | |||