TY - JOUR
T1 - Integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine Into Conventional Primary Care
T2 - The Patient Perspective
AU - Frenkel, Moshe
AU - Ben Arye, Eran
AU - Carlson, Carol
AU - Sierpina, Victor
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine CAM Education Project IR25AT00586-01, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and Health Resources and Services Administration Academic Administrative Units grant D12HP00169.
PY - 2008/5
Y1 - 2008/5
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to explore perspectives on integrating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the conventional primary care setting among patients treated at a large academic family medicine clinic in Texas. Methods: We developed and administered a multiple choice questionnaire to evaluate perspectives of 502 patients on integrating CAM into the conventional primary healthcare system. All collected data were statistically analyzed to evaluate responses. Results: Among study participants, 66% indicated that they had used CAM treatments during the past year, 77% responded that they would be interested in using CAM during the next year, and 55.4% replied that they would like CAM therapies to be provided in their primary care clinic. Conclusion: The use of CAM in primary care settings in southern Texas is widespread. However, in this primary care setting, patients would like their family physician to provide and supervise these therapies. Practice Implications: Patients believe that there is an increased need for family physician involvement in providing and supervising CAM treatments. Our findings are preliminary but can provide a basis for multicenter, cross-cultural studies to further evaluate the patient perspective on the process of integrating CAM into the conventional primary healthcare system so that healthcare policy makers can better address public need.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to explore perspectives on integrating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the conventional primary care setting among patients treated at a large academic family medicine clinic in Texas. Methods: We developed and administered a multiple choice questionnaire to evaluate perspectives of 502 patients on integrating CAM into the conventional primary healthcare system. All collected data were statistically analyzed to evaluate responses. Results: Among study participants, 66% indicated that they had used CAM treatments during the past year, 77% responded that they would be interested in using CAM during the next year, and 55.4% replied that they would like CAM therapies to be provided in their primary care clinic. Conclusion: The use of CAM in primary care settings in southern Texas is widespread. However, in this primary care setting, patients would like their family physician to provide and supervise these therapies. Practice Implications: Patients believe that there is an increased need for family physician involvement in providing and supervising CAM treatments. Our findings are preliminary but can provide a basis for multicenter, cross-cultural studies to further evaluate the patient perspective on the process of integrating CAM into the conventional primary healthcare system so that healthcare policy makers can better address public need.
KW - Alternative medicine
KW - complementary medicine
KW - family medicine
KW - health services research
KW - integrative medicine
KW - patient-centered care
KW - primary care
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U2 - 10.1016/j.explore.2008.02.001
DO - 10.1016/j.explore.2008.02.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 18466848
AN - SCOPUS:43049120678
SN - 1550-8307
VL - 4
SP - 178
EP - 186
JO - Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
JF - Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
IS - 3
ER -