Talking with patients about their use of alternative therapies

Discussion of alternative therapy use provides the primary care clinician with important information regarding patients' health-related practices and beliefs. The dialogue itself may also serve as an important foundation for effective and mutually rewarding doctor-patient relationships. This article reviews demographic and ethnographic data that document patterns and rationales of complementary and alternative therapy use in the United States. Specific principles to facilitate discussion in counseling patients who use, or who consider use of, alternative therapies are discussed.