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Survey respondents want more evidence of efficacy
With nearly one in three North Americans routinely using some form of alternative treatment, should physicians embrace or resist an expanding role for these practitioners? The Medical Post Canadian Physician Trends Survey found doctors are split on the issue.
When asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement that "Practitioners of alternative approaches such as chiropractic have important roles to play in health care," half of 1,003 respondents either moderately or strongly agreed with the statement, while the other half disagreed. But more doctors disagreed strongly than agreed strongly-15% versus 8%.
Younger doctors tended to be more supportive of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), with 58% of those under 35 agreeing with the statement, versus 45% of those age 55 or older. Support was also greater among GPs (55%) than specialists (45%), and among doctors in Ontario (54%), Atlantic Canada (58%) and Manitoba/Saskatchewan (53%) than among those in Quebec (44%), B.C. (45%) and Alberta (45%).
Because of the popularity of CAM, doctors should familiarize themselves with it to some degree, Dr. Mel Borins, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto, said in an interview. He is the author of A Doctor's Guide to Alternative Medicine, a book that summarizes the evidence for some of the more common alternative treatments doctors may encounter in their practices. Some forms of CAM do have evidence for efficacy, he said. For instance, the herb St. John's wort is...