Publication:

Complementary and alternative medicine: practice and perspective of allopathic doctors at a tertiary care hospital

Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been defined as a group of diverse healthcare systems, not considered to be a part of conventional (allopathic) medicine. Approximately 80% of general population use traditional medicines (WHO). Thus, patients using CAM and its associated adverse effects may be encountered in practice of modern medicine. Hence it is necessary to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of CAM among health care professionals (HCPs).

Methods After obtaining IEC approval, the cross-sectional study was conducted in doctors at Bangalore Medical College and its attached hospitals. 200 doctors who gave informed consent were included in the study.

Results 61.5% of the HCPs were aware that CAM includes AYUSH. 53% of the HCPs used CAM for self, especially for respiratory disorders (28.3%) and chronic painful conditions (21.6%). The common adverse effects attributed to use of CAM among patients which required consultation of the HCPs were hepatic (42.5%) and renal impairment (32.5%), allergy (10%), relapse (10%), and metal intoxication (5%). 71% didn’t prefer suggesting CAM for patients. 70% opined that CAM therapies be subjected to clinical trials.

Conclusions HCPs had used CAM therapy for self at least once especially for respiratory disorders and chronic painful conditions. However majority of the HCPs didn’t prefer suggesting CAM to patients and as many as 70% of the HCPs  insisted that CAM therapies be subjected to scientific evaluation including clinical trials in view of patient safety before integrating them with conventional medicine.