A new study has revealed that over 76% of workers in the healthcare industry claim to use CAM regularly when compared to just 63% of the general public who use CAM as well. Published in the Health Services Research, the study would come as a surprise to patients to know that the same doctors who prescribe conventional medications use alternative medicines themselves.Doctors who practice alternative medicine defend this trend by indicating that being insiders in the industry would enable health care workers to be more aware of conventional and alternative medicines, as well as which can complement which in specific circumstances.Among the 14329 survey participants, only 10% were workers form the healthcare industry, including doctors, nurses, and technicians, together with nursing assistants, support workers and administrative personnel.
Of these, doctors and nurses were three times more likely to visit a CAM practitioner and self-treated with CAM approaches last year.The reason most healthcare worker (over 67.8%) gave most for opting for CAM approaches was general wellness. The least common reason for choosing CAM was high costs (3.9%). When it came to the specific CAM approaches, healthcare workers visited CAM practitioners or opted for CAM therapies mostly for neck, back and joint pains. The condition for which most of these workers used CAM to self-treat was anxiety.
The use of CAM has been increasing steadily over the years, and has reached a point where it has started entering the mainstream health facilities. A survey by the American Hospital Association, the percentage of hospitals that have started offering CAM has risen to 20.8% in 2007 from just 8.6% in 1998. CAM is also being included in the curriculum of several medical and nursing schools today.In most cases, healthcare workers opted for CAM for conditions that were not treated satisfactorily with conventional medicines. These prompted other workers to follow suit for the same conditions.Co-author of the study as well as executive director of the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing with Allina Hospitals and Clinics in Minneapolis, Lori Knuston has indicated the use of CAM by providers of conventional medicines would most likely open a Pandora's Box. However, she claims that it would also help both the patient and doctor optimize healthcare in the best way possible.
