Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Western Journal of Medicine logoLink to The Western Journal of Medicine
. 1998 Sep;169(3):153–161.

Use of and interest in alternative therapies among adult primary care clinicians and adult members in a large health maintenance organization.

N P Gordon 1, D S Sobel 1, E Z Tarazona 1
PMCID: PMC1305198  PMID: 9771154

Abstract

During spring 1996, random samples of adult primary care physicians, obstetrics-gynecology physicians and nurse practitioners, and adult members of a large northern California group practice model health maintenance organization (HMO) were surveyed by mail to assess the use of alternative therapies and the extent of interest in having them incorporated into HMO-delivered care. Sixty-one percent (n = 624) of adult primary care physicians, 70% (n = 157) of obstetrics-gynecology clinicians, and 50% (2 surveys, n = 1,507 and n = 17,735) of adult HMO members responded. During the previous 12 months, 25% of adults reported using and nearly 90% of adult primary care physicians and obstetrics-gynecology clinicians reported recommending at least 1 alternative therapy, primarily for pain management. Chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and behavioral medicine techniques such as meditation and relaxation training were most often cited. Obstetrics-gynecology clinicians used herbal and homeopathic medicines more often than adult primary care physicians, primarily for menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Two thirds of adult primary care physicians and three fourths of obstetrics-gynecology clinicians were at least moderately interested in using alternative therapies with patients, and nearly 70% of young and middle-aged adult and half of senior adult members were interested in having alternative therapies incorporated into their health care. Adult primary care physicians and members were more interested in having the HMO cover manipulative and behavioral medicine therapies than homeopathic or herbal medicines.

Full text

PDF
153

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abu-Realh M. H., Magwood G., Narayan M. C., Rupprecht C., Suraci M. The use of complementary therapies by cancer patients. Nursingconnections. 1996 Winter;9(4):3–12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berman B. M., Singh B. K., Lao L., Singh B. B., Ferentz K. S., Hartnoll S. M. Physicians' attitudes toward complementary or alternative medicine: a regional survey. J Am Board Fam Pract. 1995 Sep-Oct;8(5):361–366. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Borkan J., Neher J. O., Anson O., Smoker B. Referrals for alternative therapies. J Fam Pract. 1994 Dec;39(6):545–550. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cassileth B. R., Chapman C. C. Alternative cancer medicine: a ten-year update. Cancer Invest. 1996;14(4):396–404. doi: 10.3109/07357909609012168. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cassileth B. R., Lusk E. J., Strouse T. B., Bodenheimer B. J. Contemporary unorthodox treatments in cancer medicine. A study of patients, treatments, and practitioners. Ann Intern Med. 1984 Jul;101(1):105–112. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-101-1-105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cherkin D. C., MacCornack F. A. Patient evaluations of low back pain care from family physicians and chiropractors. West J Med. 1989 Mar;150(3):351–355. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cherkin D., MacCornack F. A., Berg A. O. Family physicians' views of chiropractors: hostile or hospitable? Am J Public Health. 1989 May;79(5):636–637. doi: 10.2105/ajph.79.5.636. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cleary P. D. Chiropractic use: a test of several hypotheses. Am J Public Health. 1982 Jul;72(7):727–730. doi: 10.2105/ajph.72.7.727. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Cronan T. A., Kaplan R. M., Posner L., Blumberg E., Kozin F. Prevalence of the use of unconventional remedies for arthritis in a metropolitan community. Arthritis Rheum. 1989 Dec;32(12):1604–1607. doi: 10.1002/anr.1780321217. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Downer S. M., Cody M. M., McCluskey P., Wilson P. D., Arnott S. J., Lister T. A., Slevin M. L. Pursuit and practice of complementary therapies by cancer patients receiving conventional treatment. BMJ. 1994 Jul 9;309(6947):86–89. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6947.86. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Eisenberg D. M., Kessler R. C., Foster C., Norlock F. E., Calkins D. R., Delbanco T. L. Unconventional medicine in the United States. Prevalence, costs, and patterns of use. N Engl J Med. 1993 Jan 28;328(4):246–252. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199301283280406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fisher P., Ward A. Complementary medicine in Europe. BMJ. 1994 Jul 9;309(6947):107–111. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6947.107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Himmel W., Schulte M., Kochen M. M. Complementary medicine: are patients' expectations being met by their general practitioners? Br J Gen Pract. 1993 Jun;43(371):232–235. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kronenfeld J. J., Wasner C. The use of unorthodox therapies and marginal practitioners. Soc Sci Med. 1982;16(11):1119–1125. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(82)90114-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lerner I. J., Kennedy B. J. The prevalence of questionable methods of cancer treatment in the United States. CA Cancer J Clin. 1992 May-Jun;42(3):181–191. doi: 10.3322/canjclin.42.3.181. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lynöe N., Svensson T. Physicians and alternative medicine--an investigation of attitudes and practice. Scand J Soc Med. 1992 Mar;20(1):55–60. doi: 10.1177/140349489202000111. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. MacLennan A. H., Wilson D. H., Taylor A. W. Prevalence and cost of alternative medicine in Australia. Lancet. 1996 Mar 2;347(9001):569–573. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(96)91271-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Moore N. G. A review of reimbursement policies for alternative and complementary therapies. Altern Ther Health Med. 1997 Jan;3(1):26-9, 91-2. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Murray J., Shepherd S. Alternative or additional medicine? A new dilemma for the doctor. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1988 Nov;38(316):511–514. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Paramore L. C. Use of alternative therapies: estimates from the 1994 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Access to Care Survey. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1997 Feb;13(2):83–89. doi: 10.1016/s0885-3924(96)00299-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Perkin M. R., Pearcy R. M., Fraser J. S. A comparison of the attitudes shown by general practitioners, hospital doctors and medical students towards alternative medicine. J R Soc Med. 1994 Sep;87(9):523–525. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schachter L., Weingarten M. A., Kahan E. E. Attitudes of family physicians to nonconventional therapies. A challenge to science as the basis of therapeutics. Arch Fam Med. 1993 Dec;2(12):1268–1270. doi: 10.1001/archfami.2.12.1268. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Schneidman B. S. A response. J R Soc Med. 1994;87(Suppl 22):30–30. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Smart H. L., Mayberry J. F., Atkinson M. Alternative medicine consultations and remedies in patients with the irritable bowel syndrome. Gut. 1986 Jul;27(7):826–828. doi: 10.1136/gut.27.7.826. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Spigelblatt L., Laîné-Ammara G., Pless I. B., Guyver A. The use of alternative medicine by children. Pediatrics. 1994 Dec;94(6 Pt 1):811–814. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Swayne J. M. Survey of the use of homeopathic medicine in the UK health system. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1989 Dec;39(329):503–506. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Verhoef M. J., Sutherland L. R., Brkich L. Use of alternative medicine by patients attending a gastroenterology clinic. CMAJ. 1990 Jan 15;142(2):121–125. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Vincent C., Furnham A. Why do patients turn to complementary medicine? An empirical study. Br J Clin Psychol. 1996 Feb;35(Pt 1):37–48. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1996.tb01160.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Visser G. J., Peters L. Alternative medicine and general practitioners in The Netherlands: towards acceptance and integration. Fam Pract. 1990 Sep;7(3):227–232. doi: 10.1093/fampra/7.3.227. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Western Journal of Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES