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Use of complementary and alternative medicine in a general pediatric clinic
1Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
Insights
Over half of children use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), often for musculoskeletal or psychological issues. CAM users reported lower satisfaction with pediatric primary care, with many not disclosing CAM use to their physicians.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Healthcare Quality
Background:
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is rising among children, especially those with chronic conditions.
- Understanding the patterns and influences of CAM use in pediatric populations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by children.
- To identify factors influencing CAM use in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in a pediatric outpatient clinic.
- Parental satisfaction with primary care was assessed using the Parent's Perceptions of Pediatric Primary Care Quality questionnaire.
Main Results:
- 54% of children used at least one form of CAM in the past year.
- CAM was most frequently used for musculoskeletal (27%), psychological (24%), and infectious (20%) problems.
- Key influences for CAM use included word-of-mouth (36%), physician referral (28%), parental experience (28%), and perceived inadequacy of conventional treatments (21%).
- 47% of CAM users concurrently used prescribed medications, with 75% believing CAM had no adverse effects or interactions.
- Only 44% of CAM users were known to their physicians, and CAM users reported significantly lower satisfaction with primary care, particularly in accessibility, physician knowledge, and communication.
Conclusions:
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is prevalent in pediatric care, with over half of children using it.
- CAM users exhibit lower satisfaction with primary care services compared to non-users.
- Physicians should proactively inquire about CAM use and family treatment expectations, as many children's CAM use remains undisclosed.
Background:
Use of complementary and alternative medical therapies is common and increasing, particularly for children with chronic disease.
Objectives:
The purpose of this work was to describe the use of complementary and alternative medicine by children and to identify factors that may influence the use of complementary and alternative medicine.
Patients And Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study with children who were visiting a pediatric outpatient clinic. Parent's satisfaction about primary care was evaluated with the Parent's Perceptions of Pediatric Primary Care Quality questionnaire.
Results:
Fifty-four percent of children used > or = 1 type of complementary and alternative medicine in the previous year. No sociodemographic characteristic difference was found between user and nonuser groups. Children most often used complementary and alternative medicine to treat musculoskeletal problems (27%), psychological problems (24%), or infections (20%). Factors that influenced complementary and alternative medicine use were "word of mouth" (36%), "reference by a physician" (28%), "personal experience by parents" (28%), and "no adequate resources in 'traditional' medicine" (21%). Forty-seven percent of complementary and alternative medicine users used prescribed medications simultaneously. Most users (75%) believed that complementary and alternative medicine had no potential adverse effects or interactions with prescribed medication. Only 44% of complementary and alternative users were known as such by their physician. The primary care satisfaction was significantly lower in complementary and alternative users versus nonusers. Parents of complementary and alternative users were less satisfied in the areas of accessibility, knowledge of the patient, and communication.
Conclusions:
Complementary and alternative medicine was used by 54% of the children in our cohort. Complementary and alternative medicine users were less satisfied with primary care than nonusers. Only 44% of complementary and alternative medicine users were known by their physician. It is important that physicians systematically elicit families' expectations of treatment and be aware of the range of therapies used by children.
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