Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Therapeutic Massage for Psychological Well-being in Geriatric Oncology
Published on: May 22, 2026
Complementary therapy involvement of physicians: implications for practice and learning
J Kaczorowski1, C Patterson, H Arthur
1Department of Family Medicine, Hamilton, Ont., Canada.
Objective:
We studied physicians' current and desired clinical role functions within the complementary health paradigm and their perceptions of the necessary educational programs to support them.
Design And Setting:
A questionnaire to determine clinical activities within different complementary therapies was developed and mailed-out to 837 eligible physicians in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, using a modified Dillman approach.
Results:
The overall response rate to the mailed survey was 49.8% (417/837), with response rates of 50.2% (115/229) for family physicians and 49.7% (302/608) for specialists. The amount of interactions around complementary therapies between physicians, their patients and complementary therapists appears to be low. At the same time, there is a growing interest among physicians about complementary therapies, particularly with respect to developing their knowledge about efficacy and enhancing their skills in assessment and counselling.
Conclusions:
The differential levels of acceptance of different therapies by physicians will influence integration of complementary therapies in mainstream medicine.
Related Concept Videos
Elements Crucial for Effective Psychotherapy
The Therapeutic Alliance
The therapeutic alliance refers to the relationship between the therapist and the client. The alliance strengthens when the therapist and the client engage in a nurturing, supportive, trusting, empathetic, and respectful relationship, improving therapeutic outcomes. Therapists must monitor this relationship...
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Techniques of Therapeutic Communication II: Focusing, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
This therapeutic technique can also be used when a patient brings up pertinent information during a health-related conversation. The...
