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[Between metaphor and certainty: teaching an introductory course in complementary medicine]
1Department of Family Medicine, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Harefuah
|October 3, 2001
Summary
Teaching complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in medical education positively shifted resident attitudes, increasing interest in evidence-based CAM and appropriate patient referrals. This highlights the importance of integrating CAM into physician training.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Context:
- Growing recognition of the importance of integrating CAM into medical training.
- Need for structured educational programs for residents and specialists.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the impact of an introductory CAM course on family medicine residents and specialists.
- To assess changes in attitudes, knowledge, and practice regarding CAM.
Summary:
- A 16-session elective course covered herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, and nutritional medicine.
- The course led to positive shifts in student attitudes towards CAM and increased interest in evidence-based CAM.
- Participants showed increased personal use of CAM, decreased overall referrals, but increased referrals for patients who would benefit.
Impact:
- Demonstrates the effectiveness of structured CAM education in medical programs.
- Suggests that informed physicians are more likely to appropriately integrate CAM into patient care.
- Highlights the value placed by physicians on CAM education for improving patient outcomes.