What physicians can learn from consumers of dietary supplements

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Patient Behavior Studies
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Many Americans use dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids).
• Limited government regulation exists for dietary supplements.
• Patients often do not discuss supplement use with their physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient decision-making regarding dietary supplement use.
• To understand patient-physician communication about dietary supplements.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study design.
• Four focus groups conducted with consumers from health food stores.

Main Results:

• Consumers are motivated by wellness and self-health responsibility.
• Consumers perceive physicians as closed-minded and lacking supplement knowledge.
• Effectiveness of supplements is determined through personal research and experimentation.

Conclusions:

• Health food store customers are self-informed and do not consult physicians due to perceived lack of physician knowledge/interest.
• Physicians adopting an open-minded, patient-centered approach can improve care for patients using dietary supplements.