Attitudes towards complementary medicine of patients in an department of Internal Medicine/Oncology & Haematology

Kappauf H, Leykauf-Ammon D, Bruntsch U

Research Group Biological Therapy (Grant of German Cancer Help) Dept. of Internal Medicine 5/Inst. for Medical Oncology & Haematology, Nuremberg City Hospital, Flurstr. 17, Nuremberg, D-90419, Germany

Objective

Data on the use of complementary medicine (CM) vary widely depending on different definitions of CM, cultural and social contexts, sample biases, and research methodologies. We wanted to learn about the attitudes of our patients (pts.) towards CM.

Materials and methods

Using a cross sectional random sample approach all in-pts. (101) and 30 out-pts. undergoing conventional medical treatment in our department of Internal Medicine/Oncology & Haematology at a given time were asked to complete a questionnaire and to participate in an interview by a researcher not belonging to the staff.

Results

24% of the pts. actually used CM, and 16% considered to use CM. The prevalence of CM was significantly higher among cancer pts. About 60% of the users attributed an improvement of their physical or psychic condition to CM. Dissatisfaction with conventional medical therapy did not play a dominant role for the use of CM.

Conclusions

Concerning CM subjective illness paradigms of pts. and their corresponding illness behaviour deserve more clinical attention and research focus.

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