HEALTH SERVICE RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Wahner-Roedler DL, Vincent A, Elkin PL, Loehrer LL,
Cha SS, Bauer BA.
Physicians' attitudes towards complementary and alternative
medicine and their knowledge of specific therapies: a survey at an academic
medical center.
Mayo Clinic liberty.catherine@mayo.edu
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to
evaluate the attitudes of physicians at an academic medical center toward
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies and the physicians'
knowledge base regarding CAM therapies.
METHODS: A link to an anonymous, Web-based survey
consisting of 53 questions was e-mailed to 660 internists at a large
Midwestern academic medical center, in January 2004. Physicians were
asked about their attitudes toward CAM in general and their knowledge
regarding specific CAM therapies. The level of evidence a physician
would require before incorporating such therapies into clinical care
was also assessed.
RESULTS: Of the 223 physicians responding to
the survey, 76% had never referred a patient to a CAM practitioner.
However, 44% stated that they would refer a patient if a CAM practitioner
were available at their institution. Fifty-seven percent of physicians
thought that incorporating CAM therapies would have a positive effect
on patient satisfaction, and 48% believed that offering CAM would attract
more patients. Most physicians agreed that some CAM therapies hold promise
for the treatment of symptoms or diseases, but most also were not comfortable
counseling their patients about most CAM treatments. On average, physicians
felt knowledgeable and comfortable counseling patients about 3 (range,
0-13) of 13 listed treatments/techniques and about 2 (range, 0-10) of
10 listed herbs. Physicians' responses were not significantly different
on the basis of any characteristic. Physicians were unfamiliar with
3 of 13 listed treatments/techniques, with no significant difference
in responses. Physicians were unfamiliar with 2.7 of 10 herbs; men were
unfamiliar with 2.9 and women with 1.9 (p= .009). No other characteristic
affected the response. Of the treatments indicated, biofeedback was
the one most physicians (47%) were familiar with and felt comfortable
counseling their patients about, followed by massage (41%), chiropractic
and relaxation therapy (38% each). Energy healing was the least familiar
CAM treatment to the surveyed physician group. Of the herbs listed,
St John's wort, saw palmetto, and garlic were most familiar to the physicians
and those they felt most comfortable counseling patients about. The
majority of surveyed physicians found it difficult to find reliable
information regarding the use of CAM treatments and herbs. Prospective,
randomized controlled trials were considered the level of evidence required
for most physicians to consider incorporating a CAM therapy into their
practice.
CONCLUSION: The results of this survey provide
insight into the attitudes of physicians toward CAM at an academic medical
center. This study highlights the need for educational intervention
and the importance of providing physicians ready access to evidence-based
information regarding CAM.
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