Complementary medicine. What physicians think of it: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Healthcare policy

Background:

• Complementary medicine is widespread in industrialized nations.
• Evidence for its effectiveness from randomized controlled trials is currently limited and inconclusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate physician perceptions of complementary medicine's usefulness and effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search identified relevant studies.
• Twelve surveys on physician perceptions were analyzed for perceived usefulness and effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Physician perceptions of complementary medicine's effectiveness varied significantly across surveys, averaging 46/100.
• Younger physicians reported more optimistic views than older colleagues.
• No trend indicated increasing perceived usefulness or effectiveness over time.

Conclusions:

• Complementary medicine may offer benefits, but its utility requires rigorous scientific validation.
• Randomized controlled trials are essential to definitively assess complementary medicine's effectiveness.