Past Complementary And Alternative Medicine Use Research Articles

Caregiver-reported religious beliefs and complementary and alternative medicine use among children admitted to an epilepsy monitoring unit.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes a wide range of practices and products that are generally outside the use of conventional medicine as practiced in Western cultures. Use of CAM in persons with epilepsy is high, even compared to individuals with other chronic health conditions. In this study, we surveyed caregivers of children admitted to a regional epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) in the southeast United States to assess CAM use among patients (N=225). Thirteen percent of respondents indicated current use of CAM by their child, 16% reported past use, and 43% reported interest in future use, most commonly in marijuana as a potential treatment (23%). Over 25% of respondents expressed interest in CAM use related to side effects of anti-epileptic medications. Regarding prayer as a form of CAM, a large majority of respondents in this sample identified as Christian and actively prayed for their child's illness, revealing a high prevalence of spiritual practices in this population. Eighty-one percent of respondents reported that they had not discussed CAM use with their doctor. Discussing CAM use with a health care provider was significantly related to past CAM use (p<.02), but not current use or willingness to try CAM in the future (p>.05). These results have important implications for future practice and support increased communication and patient education, as many anti-epileptic medications interact with certain herbs and supplements, posing a potential health risk and treatment barrier in this population.

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Pediatric Ophthalmology Patients in San Diego, California

Objectives: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has become increasingly common in pediatrics. While previous studies have evaluated pediatric CAM use across various subspecialties, estimates regarding pediatric CAM use in ophthalmology are lacking. This study explores CAM use among pediatric ophthalmology patients in a pediatric ophthalmology practice.Methods: 609 self-report questionnaires were distributed to parents whose children were seen at the University of California, San Diego / Ratner Children’s Eye Center between July 2009 and January 2010. The survey included questions regarding demographic information of the parent, eye condition of the child, and CAM use by the child. The two main outcomes were CAM use in the past and preference for CAM use in the future. Results: 126 surveys were included in the final analysis. Overall, 11% of parents reported previous CAM use for their child’s eye condition, and 44% of parents indicated a preference for CAM use for their child’s eye condition, depending on the side effects. Logistic regression revealed that past CAM use was not associated with the parent’s race, gender, or level of education. However, CAM preference was negatively associated with the parent’s level of education (p = 0.045). Discussion: As with other pediatric subspecialties, treatment of children with CAM is common in pediatric ophthalmology. Given the significant number of parents who reported using CAM and/or a preference for CAM, our results emphasize the need for all pharmacists, ophthalmologists, and pediatricians to discuss CAM use with patients and their families.

Survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Glaucoma Patients

To determine the prevalence, types, and associated factors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in glaucoma patients. Prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional survey. A total of 1516 consecutive patients attending 2 tertiary glaucoma clinics were surveyed on CAM use. Information gathered on standardized data collection sheets included demographic variables, ophthalmic history, glaucoma treatment history, and details of CAM use. The response rate was 92.5%. A total of 166 patients (10.9%) reported current use of CAM therapy specifically for glaucoma whereas 41 patients (2.7%) reported past use of CAM. Of the patients who reported CAM use, 62.5% had not disclosed the use of CAM to their ophthalmologist and 40.5% believed that the treatments were helping their glaucoma. The most commonly used types of CAM were herbal medications (34.5%), dietary modifications (22.7%), and vitamin/mineral supplements (18.8%). Of the 207 patients who reported current or past CAM use for their glaucoma, 3 (1.4%) indicated that they used conventional glaucoma treatments < prescribed because of their CAM use. Approximately 1 in 9 glaucoma patients use CAM for their disease. Many of these patients do not disclose the use of CAM to their ophthalmologist, but the vast majority report that they still take conventional glaucoma medications as prescribed.

Complementary treatments for tobacco cessation: A survey

Little information is available regarding the prevalence of use and interest in future use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for tobacco cessation among tobacco users. We conducted a self-administered anonymous survey among 1,175 patients seen at a midwestern outpatient tobacco treatment specialty clinic between November 2003 and July 2005. Patient use of CAM for tobacco cessation, perceived efficacy of these treatments, and interest in future use of CAM were ascertained. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and logistic regression models were used to determine the characteristics associated with past CAM use or interest in future use of CAM for tobacco cessation. All of the patients who received the survey completed it. A total of 27% of patients reported previous use of CAM for tobacco cessation. The interventions most commonly used were hypnosis, relaxation, acupuncture, and meditation. CAM treatments most commonly perceived to be efficacious were yoga, relaxation, meditation, and massage therapy. A total of 67% of the patients reported interest in future use of CAM for tobacco cessation. The treatments of greatest interest for use in the future were hypnosis, herbal products, acupuncture, relaxation, and massage therapy. Female gender, previous use of conventional tobacco cessation products, previous use of CAM treatments, and a higher level of education were significantly associated with interest in future CAM use. The high level of interest in CAM among tobacco users underscores the need to conduct further research in this field.