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Complementary therapies: have they become accepted in general practice?
M V Pirotta1, M M Cohen, V Kotsirilos
1Department of General Practice and Public Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC. m.pirotta@gpph.unimelb.edu.au
The Medical Journal of Australia
|March 29, 2000
Summary
Victorian general practitioners (GPs) widely accept therapies like acupuncture and meditation, with many referring patients. However, there
Area of Science:
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- General Practice
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Complementary therapies are increasingly utilized by the public.
- Understanding general practitioners' (GPs) perspectives on these therapies is crucial for integrated healthcare.
- Victorian GPs' attitudes and practices regarding complementary medicine were previously underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the attitudes and usage patterns of Victorian general practitioners (GPs) concerning a variety of complementary therapies.
- To assess GPs' knowledge, perceived effectiveness, and patient demand for complementary medicine.
- To identify areas for potential undergraduate education and training in complementary therapies for GPs.
Main Methods:
- A self-administered postal survey was distributed to 800 randomly selected general practitioners (GPs) in Victoria in July 1997.
- The survey collected data on GPs' knowledge, opinions on harmfulness and effectiveness, perceived patient demand, and referral rates for various complementary therapies.
- A response rate of 64% was achieved, with 488 GPs participating.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture, hypnosis, and meditation demonstrated high acceptance among surveyed GPs, with over 80% referring patients and nearly half considering their use.
- Significant percentages of GPs reported training in meditation (34%), acupuncture (23%), and vitamin and mineral therapy (23%).
- GPs expressed interest in further training in chiropractic, herbal medicine, naturopathy, and vitamin and mineral therapy, but appeared to underestimate patient use of these modalities.
Conclusions:
- Widespread acceptance of acupuncture, meditation, hypnosis, and chiropractic by Australian GPs was observed.
- Lesser acceptance was noted for other complementary therapies, indicating a varied landscape of integration.
- The findings highlight an urgent need for robust evidence on the effectiveness of these complementary therapies to inform clinical practice and patient care.