Physicians’ Attitudes Toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Abstract

Background: To assess physicians’ attitudes regarding the legitimacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in medical practice, as well as factors that affect referral or prescription of a complementary therapy.

Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to 380 physicians on staff at a local hospital in a mid-sized southeastern city in the United States; 138 were completed, for a 38% response rate.

Results: Physicians in practice for less than 10 years were significantly more likely to accept most CAM therapies as legitimate than those in practice greater than 10 years. Nearly two-thirds of the physicians surveyed $\text{65\%, n = 88}$ had prescribed or referred for at least one complementary therapy. More than one-third of the physicians $\text{34.8\%, n = 48}$ had personally utilized at least one of these therapies, and personal experience resulted in a higher level of acceptance of CAM as legitimate medical therapy.

Conclusions: It is likely that more positive attitudes regarding complementary therapies among more recently trained physicians is related to increased exposure during training and an increased awareness within the medical community of patient utilization of CAM. Despite a relatively positive attitude toward some CAM therapies, patients continue to use alternative medicine without notifying their primary care physicians. Unsupervised use of these therapies is potentially harmful and reflects a deficiency in the doctor–patient relationship. Open communication between physicians and their patients will continue to be hindered until physicians become knowledgeable in this area.