Patient Satisfaction Towards Traditional Healing Practices: A Review

(An ICSSR Funded Research Project)

Dr. U. Bhojanna1, Dr. G V M Sharma2, Dr. P. Archana3

Professor, Department of MBA & Research Centre¹˒²

Associate Professor, Department of MBA & Research Centre³

RNS Institute of Technology, Bengaluru

bhojanna4@gmail.com, gvmsharma@gmail.com, archanarakesh01@gmail.com

Abstract
Traditional healing systems — including traditional bone setters, faith healers, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy (AYUSH) practitioners, and community folk healers — continue to serve as a first point of contact for a substantial share of India's population, particularly in rural and semi-urban Karnataka. This paper reviews published literature on patient satisfaction with traditional healing to synthesise what is known about why patients choose these systems, how satisfied they report being, and what factors drive or undermine that satisfaction. Drawing on studies from Karnataka, other Indian states, and comparable international settings, the review finds that accessibility, affordability, trust, cultural congruence and practitioner experience are the most consistently reported drivers of satisfaction, while delayed referral and treatment-related complications are the most consistently reported threats to it. Reported satisfaction levels vary widely across studies and practice types, ranging from about 64 percent among patients of traditional bone setters to over 90 percent among patients of AYUSH facilities, indicating that satisfaction is highly context- and practice-specific rather than uniform across 'traditional healing' as a category. The review concludes by identifying gaps in standardised, validated satisfaction measurement for traditional healing in Karnataka and by outlining implications for policy, regulation, and integration with the formal health system.

Keywords: Patient satisfaction; traditional healing; traditional bone setters; AYUSH; Karnataka; indigenous medicine; healthcare-seeking behaviour