The positive gains of integration: a qualitative study of GPs' perceptions of their complementary practice

Abstract

An increasing number of general practitioners (GPs) are personally practising complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their NHS patients. While research on CAM is beginning to emerge we still know very little about CAM practice in primary care. Researchers have largely concentrated upon exploring CAM consumption and broad orthodox CAM provision. A small body of work has begun to examine CAM practice from the GP therapist's perspective and this work has highlighted the constraints and difficulties associated with CAM integration in general practice. Despite such limitations, direct integration continues apace and this raises the question: what clinical and practice benefits are GPs possibly gaining from CAM integration? This is an area that still lacks focused research attention and this paper, exploring the positive gains of integration as perceived by GP therapists, provides a first stage towards filling this research gap. A study, based upon 25 in-depth interviews with GPs practising CAM, was undertaken to explore GP therapists' understandings and experiences of their complementary practice. This paper presents one area of findings produced from the analysis of the GPs' accounts. Analysis reveals that GP therapists identify a number of positive clinical gains associated with their direct integrative practice. These are: filling gaps and successfully treating conditions for which conventional medicine proves ineffective; providing safer techniques in medical cases where the practitioner suspects or anticipates potential side-effects from conventional treatments; and helping maintain job satisfaction and relieve boredom for the practitioner. These findings are discussed within the context of contemporary CAM provision and consumption and recent circumstances affecting general practice. Set within this context, the findings provide an important addition to our current understanding of the increasingly close relationship between CAM and general practice. In conclusion, it is argued that the positive gains experienced by GPs practising CAM should not be ignored by those considering the future provision and practice of CAM within the general practice environment.