Abstract
BackgroundThe study examined complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage by patients attending a Turkish gastroenterology outpatient clinic.MethodsThe survey was conducted on 216 patients presenting with gastrointestinal problems during their first visit to the clinic using a 31 item, self-report questionnaire between May and October 2005. Data included information on patient demographics and their gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as items to identify CAM use and patient satisfaction with these therapies.ResultsSeventy-nine patients (36.6%) reported using one or more forms of CAM. The most commonly used therapy was herbal therapy, usually taken as a tea or infusion. These were used by 27 people (29%) in this subgroup. Common indicators for their use were epigastric pain, constipation, bloating and dyspepsia or indigestion. CAM use among upper GI patients was marginally higher than lower GI patients (41.8% versus 41.2%), but the highest usage was amongst patients with liver disease where 53.8% reported using one or more CAM therapy. About half of the patients learned about CAM from their relatives or friends, with more women than men using the therapies (p < 0.05). Clinical characteristics such as diagnosis, duration of symptoms and prior surgical intervention did not differ between users and non-users of CAM therapies. Multivariate analysis showed that being female and higher educational status were positively associated with CAM usage (p < 0.05).ConclusionCAM usage in our sample of gastrointestinal patients was lower than that described in other countries and other chronic disease groups. This could be due to their low perceived efficacy, or the relatively transient duration of symptoms experienced by the sample. Healthcare professionals need however, to be aware of CAM usage in order to educate patients appropriately about possible adverse effects or drug-interactions.
Highlights
The study examined complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage by patients attending a Turkish gastroenterology outpatient clinic
When we compared the demographic details of CAM users and non-CAM users, we found no significant difference between the two groups with regard to age, occupational or previous medical treatment status (Table 5)
CAM use among upper GI patients was marginally higher than lower GI patients (41.8% versus 41.2%), but the highest usage was amongst
Summary
The study examined complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage by patients attending a Turkish gastroenterology outpatient clinic. The term complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) is used to describe a range of medical and healthcare systems, practices or products used by patients without medical supervision. These generally lie outside conventional medicine and can be classified into five main categories: alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, biologically-based therapies, physical manipulation or body-based methods, and energy therapies [1]. CAM therapies have variously been described as a secular trend, an epidemic or a fad [7,8], and concerns still exist about the evidential basis for many such therapies amongst medical practitioners [7]. Physicians often omit to ask whether the patient is using such therapies and some patients are reluctant to discuss such issues for fear of reproach or medical censure [9], which may impact upon the reliability of patient reported symptoms when making a definitive diagnosis as to the cause of the patient's problems
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