Table 3.
Effectiveness of CAM and cost related information
| No. | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of CAM | ||
| Effective for symptoms | 78 | 48 |
| Psychological effectiveness | 15 | 9 |
| No effectiveness | 71 | 43 |
| Adverse effects | ||
| Yes | 24 | 15 |
| No | 120 | 73 |
| Don't know | 20 | 12 |
| Kind of adverse effects | ||
| Drug toxicity | 11 | 46 |
| Fatigue and weakness | 6 | 25 |
| Allergies and skin problems. | 5 | 20 |
| Worse than before | 2 | 8 |
| Total no of CAM used, median (IRQs) | 3 (2–5) | – |
| Total cost (US$), median (IRQs) | 373 (105–1099) | – |
| Payment source | ||
| Burden by themselves | 98 | 60 |
| Medical insurance | 66 | 40 |
CAM, complementary and alternative medicine; IRQs, interquartile ranges.