Background – Despite homeopathy being the most prevalent complementary health care system in India, little has been known about the appreciation or aptitude for research among its over 17,000 interns across the country.
Aims – The current study was conducted by the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) in association with the National Commission for Homoeopathy to evaluate the status of knowledge, awareness, attitude and practical activity in research, as well as perceived barriers to conducting research, among homeopathy interns in India.
Methods – An online cross-sectional survey was performed for a period of 1 month from mid-December 2023 to mid-January 2024 among the interns of the nation's 261 homeopathy medical institutes. The questionnaire was developed based on similar earlier studies on graduates in medicine. Responses from 2,381 interns were analyzed.
Results – The sample demographic consisted mostly of the 21-25 years age group (92%), females (71%), private institutions (84%) and located in urban areas (43%). The largest numbers of respondents were from the states of Maharashtra (28%), Gujarat (17%) and Tamil Nadu (13%). There was some regional variation in Knowledge & Awareness scores, but no significant difference was seen across age groups, gender, type of institute or locality of institute. More than half (56%) of the interns strongly disagreed with a requirement for research in homeopathy. Nearly half of the interns believed that research promotes critical thinking and recognized that research can be a good career option. Only a small number of interns had regularly participated in the CCRH's Short-Term Studentship in Homeopathy program. Many interns at least sometimes attended research workshops/seminars or participated as the subjects of research. Lack of familiarity with the necessary skills was identified as the chief barrier toward research participation.
Conclusion – The study revealed interns' good awareness, moderate knowledge of research principles and a diverse attitude to homeopathy that included a negative majority view of the need for research. Improving the quality and the importance of research-related education for interns in homeopathy, together with schooling in relevant research methods and skills, can be addressed with tailored interventions by India's education and research authorities.