Homeopathy Use, Health and Disclosure in the UK Population – UK Survey

What is this project about?

A cross-sectional survey is administered online to the UK population. This study aims to 1) obtain up-to-date data regarding the prevalence and characteristics of homeopathy practice and product use by the UK population and 2) determine the predictors of homeopathy use, using reliable and reproducible instruments and methodology.

Participants (n=1500) will be asked to provide information about their use of health services and products over the previous 12 months, including both Conventional Medicine and Homeopathy. Treatment details will be measured through a survey item listing pharmaceutical (prescription and non-prescription) and non-pharmaceutical treatments.

Research group

• Dr Esther van der Werf (project Lead), Homeopathy Research Institute, London, UK
• Dr Amy Steel (Associate Professor and co-Director ARCCIM, Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
• Dr Hope Foley (Researcher ARCCIM, Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
• Prof Jon Adams (Professor and co-Director ARCCIM, Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

Lead researcher

Dr Esther van der Werf MSc PhD Dip IACH (Hom)
Clinical Research Lead
Homeopathy Research Institute

Esther has an MSc in Epidemiology and MSc in Health Policy & Management from Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In 2006 she obtained her PhD on epidemiology and the urinary tract from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Esther is a qualified classical homeopath, trained in homeopathy at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy (Professor George Vithoulkas, Greece).

She has more than 20 years’ experience of clinical research and project management and subsequently worked as an epidemiologist at University of Medical Centre Utrecht and University of Applied Sciences Leiden in the Netherlands. In 2015 Esther joined the Centre of Academic Primary Care of the University of Bristol, UK, to continue her research on Integrative Medicine and infectious diseases. From August 2018 until August 2019, she initiated and led the research group on Integrative Medicine at the School of Medicine of Taylor’s University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, followed by 2 years leading the Integrative Medicine research department at Louis Bolk Institute in The Netherlands.

Why is this project important?

This research is to find out about the patterns of homeopathy use in the UK population. It is also designed to explore the patient experience and communication surrounding homeopathy use in the UK.