Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Patients' Perspective

Abstract

Abstract Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes a wide set of domains, including mind-body interventions, herbs and supplements, and alternative medical systems. Although CAM is commonly practiced in Lebanon, it is still not integrated into mainstream medicine. There is a paucity of data regarding patients’ utilization, familiarity, and attitudes toward CAM. Objectives: The main aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward CAM among patients. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 213 patients attending family medicine clinics at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). Results: Among the respondents, 78.9% indicated that they had used CAM in the past six months. Thirty-three percent use CAM regularly as daily activity and as a way for health and immunity maintenance. The motive behind using CAM was related to CAM’s accessibility (63.3%), experience with CAM (64.8%), and not its less expensiveness (82%) or failure of traditional medicine (91.3%). Patients were most familiar with relaxation therapy (90.4%), massage (89.6%), meditation (87.3%), herbal medicine (86.5%), naturopathy (85.1%), yoga (81.7%), spiritual healing/ prayer (60.4%) as well as garlic (93.9%) and ginger (93%). Moderately favorable attitudes towards CAM were reflected by the patients as signified by the slightly above-mean average towards CAM permissiveness (M = 3.67, SD = .56). Approximately 90% of participants indicated that their physicians have never asked them about CAM usage, 76.5% indicated that they did not inform their physician about CAM use, and 70.8% indicated they would utilize CAM services if provided at the AUBMC. Conclusion:The study findings indicate limited familiarity with CAM, high utilization rates, and positive attitudes toward it. This is the first study in Lebanon to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of all 5 CAM domains among patients within a healthcare setting in a major academic medical center as a follow-up on a study that assessed the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of physicians and nurses towards CAM at the same institution.