Different concepts of health A qualitative comparison of the biomedical-mechanistic concept and the holistic-energetic concept

This study examined four research questions: 1. What prompts patients to choose a particular medical approach when they fall ill? 2. What are the differences between the biomedical-mechanistic approach and the holistic-energetic approach? 3. How do the two systems coexist in Austria? 4. What might the future integration of both systems in Austria look like? Research question 1 was clarified on the basis of the literature. In particular, patients' feeling that they are not seen as individuals with unique conditions by practitioners of the biomedical-mechanistic approach appears to be prompting an increasing number of people to seek out alternative treatments. Regarding research question 2, 16 hypotheses were formulated on the basis of the literature and tested qualitatively. Accordingly, the two approaches do not differ as greatly in many respects as the relevant literature might suggest; nevertheless, clear distinctions can be made. Research questions 3 and 4 were also investigated qualitatively. Topics such as health insurance funds, the pharmaceutical industry, scientific rigour and prevention were addressed in the process.