Dataset Information

Acceptance and use of complementary and alternative medicine among medical specialists: a 15-year systematic review and data synthesis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has gained popularity among the general population, but its acceptance and use among medical specialists have been inconclusive. This systematic review aimed to identify relevant studies and synthesize survey data on the acceptance and use of CAM among medical specialists.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and Scopus databases for the acceptance and use of CAM among medical specialists. Each article was assessed by two screeners. Only survey studies relevant to the acceptance and use of CAM among medical specialists were reviewed. The pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analyses. This review followed both PRISMA and SWiM guidelines.

Results

Of 5628 articles published between 2002 and 2017, 25 fulfilled the selection criteria. Ten medical specialties were included: Internal Medicine (11 studies), Pediatrics (6 studies), Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 studies), Anesthesiology (4 studies), Surgery (3 studies), Family Medicine (3 studies), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (3 studies), Psychiatry and Neurology (2 studies), Otolaryngology (1 study), and Neurological Surgery (1 study). The overall acceptance of CAM was 52% (95%CI, 42-62%). Family Medicine reported the highest acceptance, followed by Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurological Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Internal Medicine, and Surgery. The overall use of CAM was 45% (95% CI, 37-54%). The highest use of CAM was by the Obstetrics and Gynecology, followed by Family Medicine, Psychiatry and Neurology, Pediatrics, Otolaryngology, Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Surgery. Based on the studies, meta-regression showed no statistically significant difference across geographic regions, economic levels of the country, or sampling methods.

Conclusion

Acceptance and use of CAM varied across medical specialists. CAM was accepted and used the most by Family Medicine but the least by Surgery. Findings from this systematic review could be useful for strategic harmonization of CAM and conventional medicine practice.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42019125628.

SUBMITTER: Phutrakool P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8759198 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundTeaching Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in medical schools is becoming prevalent worldwide. Few studies have been conducted to evaluate medical students' knowledge and attitude toward CAM. Therefore, this study was designed to assess CAM knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs among Palestinian medical students.MethodsThis study was developed in a cross-sectional design. It targeted medical students at An-Najah National University, between January and April of 2018. We gathered the data from students using a questionnaire printed as a hard copy. Medical students of both sexes in their 4th, 5th, or 6th year of studies were included in the survey. The questionnaire consisted of 3 sections: demographic characteristics and detailed practices of the participants, their attitude and held beliefs towards CAM, and their knowledge on CAM. Mann-Whitney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis Test were used to test if there were differences between knowledge about CAM and the characteristics of the participants.ResultsOf the 300 medical students who were offered the questionnaire, 251 students (43.8% male and 56.2% female) were included in the final analysis. Out of a maximum of 8 points, the mean knowledge score of the participants was 2.0 ± 1.6. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a statistically significant difference in overall knowledge score among students of different year groups, with students at lower levels obtaining higher scores (P < 0.001). Additionally, the highest knowledge scores were found in students with low income, and students who came from the Palestinian refugee camps (P < 0.001). Students frequently recommended CAM modalities, with herbal medicine being the most recognized and used CAM modality and Ayurvedic medicine being the least recognized and recommended one. Social media was the most popular source of information about CAM, cited by 72.9% of the participants. Participants generally had a good attitude towards CAM but held varying beliefs about it.ConclusionsIn the current study, a knowledge gap regarding CAM was found among medical students in our sample, despite their good attitude towards the subject. Also, there was a general acceptance to include materials on CAM within the curriculum of medical students.

Project description:BackgroundThere is growing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) throughout the world, however previous research done in Japan has focused primarily on CAM use in major cities. The purpose of this study was to develop and distribute a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q) to assess the use of CAM among people who visit rural Japanese family medicine clinics.MethodsUsing a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q), a cross-sectional survey was conducted in three rural family medicine clinics. All patients and those accompanying patients who met inclusion criteria were eligible to participate. Data were entered into SPSS Statistics and analyzed for use by age, gender, and location.ResultsOf the 519 respondents who participated in the project, 415 participants reported CAM use in the past 12 months (80.0%). When prayer is excluded, the prevalence of CAM use drops to 77.3% in the past year, or 403 respondents. The most common forms of CAM used by respondents were pain relief pads (n = 170, 32.8%), herbal medicines/supplements (n = 167, 32.2%), and massage by self or family (n = 166, 32.0%). Female respondents, individuals with higher levels of education, and those with poorer overall health status were more likely to use CAM than respondents without these characteristics. Only 22.8% of CAM therapies used were reported to physicians by survey participants.ConclusionsThese data indicate that CAM use in rural Japan is common. The results are consistent with previous studies that show that Japanese individuals are more interested in forms of CAM such as pain relief pads and massage, than in mind-body forms of CAM like relaxation and meditation. Due to the high utilization of certain CAM practices, and given that most CAM users do not disclose their CAM use to their doctors, we conclude that physicians in rural Japan would benefit by asking about CAM use during patient interviews, and by familiarizing themselves with the potential benefits and risks of commonly used CAM modalities.