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Education of non-medical practitioners in Germany—an analysis of course subjects of specialized schools

Ausbildung von Heilpraktikern in Deutschland – Analyse der Ausbildungsinhalte von Heilpraktikerschulen

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An Erratum to this article was published on 13 January 2022

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Summary

In Germany, non-medical practitioners (NMPs; in German: Heilpraktiker) offer a broad range of complementary and alternative (CAM) methods. Our aim was to characterize schools for NMPs in Germany in terms of basic (medical) training and advanced education. We found 165 schools for NMPs in a systematic web-based search. As the medical board examination NMPs must take before building a practice exclusively tests their knowledge in conventional medicine, schools hardly include training in CAM methods. Only few schools offered education on CAM methods in their NMP training. Although NMP associations framed requirements for NMP education, 83.0% (137/165) of schools did not meet these requirements. Patients and physicians should be aware of the lack of training and consequent risks, such as harm to the body, delay of necessary treatment, and interaction with conventional drugs. Disestablishing the profession of NMPs might be a reasonable step.

Zusammenfassung

In Deutschland bieten Heilpraktiker ein breites Spektrum an komplementär- und alternativmedizinischen (CAM) Behandlungsmethoden an. Unser Ziel lag darin, deutsche Heilpraktikerschulen bezogen auf Ausbildungs- und Weiterbildungsangebote zu charakterisieren. Über eine Websuche haben wir 165 Heilpraktikerschulen gefunden. Da Heilpraktikeranwärter zunächst eine Prüfung vor dem Gesundheitsamt ablegen müssen, in der ausschließlich schulmedizinisches Wissen getestet wird, konzentriert sich das Ausbildungsangebot stark auf diese Inhalte und CAM-Methoden sind selten Bestandteil einer Heilpraktikerausbildung. Obwohl Heilpraktikerverbände Ausbildungsrichtlinien vorgeben, werden diese von 83 % (137/165) der Schulen nicht erfüllt. Patienten und Behandelnde sollten sich der mangelnden Ausbildung und der daraus entstehenden Risiken wie körperlichen Schäden, verspäteter Therapie und Arzneimittelinteraktionen bewusst sein. Daher könnte die Abschaffung des Heilpraktikerberufs ein sinnvoller Schritt sein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ortenauklinikum Offenburg, Ebertplatz 12, 77654, Offenburg, Germany

    Lea Hoffmeister & Karsten Muenstedt

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany

    Jutta Huebner & Christian Keinki

Authors
  1. Lea Hoffmeister
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  2. Jutta Huebner
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  3. Christian Keinki
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  4. Karsten Muenstedt
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Correspondence to Jutta Huebner.

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L. Hoffmeister, J. Huebner, C. Keinki, and K. Muenstedt declare that they have no competing interests.

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Hoffmeister, L., Huebner, J., Keinki, C. et al. Education of non-medical practitioners in Germany—an analysis of course subjects of specialized schools. Wien Med Wochenschr (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-021-00896-w

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