This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (58)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Women's Health  • Women's Health, Other  • Diabetes Mellitus  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Results of a National Survey

Peter M. Wolsko, MD; David M. Eisenberg, MD; Roger B. Davis, ScD; Susan L. Ettner, PhD; Russell S. Phillips, MD

Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:281-287.

Background  In 1997, patients made an estimated 629 million visits to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers; however, little is known about factors associated with visits to CAM providers.

Objective  To examine the effect of insurance coverage on frequency of use of CAM providers.

Methods  We conducted a nationally representative, random household telephone survey of 2055 adults.

Main Outcome Measure  The number of visits made to CAM providers.

Results  An estimated 44% of the US population used at least 1 CAM therapy in 1997. Of those using CAM, 52% had seen at least 1 CAM provider in the last year. Among those who used a CAM therapy, factors independently associated with seeing a provider were having been in the upper quartile of visits to conventional providers in the last year (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-3.01), female sex (AOR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.17-2.38), and having used the therapy to treat diabetes (AOR, 5.20; 95% CI, 1.40-19.40), cancer (AOR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.04-8.62), or back or neck problems (AOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.02-2.23). Factors independently associated with frequent use (8 visits per year) of a CAM provider were full insurance coverage of the CAM provider (AOR, 5.06; 95% CI, 2.45-10.47), partial insurance coverage (AOR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.72-6.19), having used the therapy for wellness (AOR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.63-4.98), and having seen the provider for back or neck problems (AOR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.29-3.94). Conservative extrapolation to national estimates suggests that 8.9% of the population (17.5 million adults) accounted for more than 75% of the 629 million visits made to CAM providers in 1997.

Conclusions  A small minority of persons accounted for more than 75% of visits to CAM providers. Extent of insurance coverage for CAM providers and use for wellness are strong correlates of frequent use of CAM providers.

From the Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (Drs Wolsko, Eisenberg, Davis, and Phillips); and the Department of Medicine, University of California–Los Angeles (Dr Ettner).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Prescriptions of Chinese Herbal Medicines for Insomnia in Taiwan during 2002
Chen et al.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2009;0:nep018v1-nep018.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A longitudinal analysis of older Australian women's consultations with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, 1996-2005
Adams et al.
Age Ageing 2009;38:93-99.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Public Status and Prevalence of Acupuncture in Japan
Ishizaki et al.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2008;0:nen037v2-nen037.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Who Uses CAM? A Narrative Review of Demographic Characteristics and Health Factors Associated with CAM Use
Bishop and Lewith
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2008;0:nen023v1-nen023.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Use of Complementary/Alternative Therapies Among Children Attending an Urban Pediatric Emergency Department
Sawni et al.
CLIN PEDIATR 2007;46:36-41.
ABSTRACT  

"Have You Seen Your Aura Lately?" Examining Boundary-Work in Holistic Health Pamphlets
Ho
Qual Health Res 2007;17:26-37.
ABSTRACT  

Acute Toxicity Pilot Evaluation of Proliferol in Rats and Swine
Dagenais et al.
International Journal of Toxicology 2006;25:171-181.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Older Adults: An Exploratory Study
Montalto et al.
Complementary Health Practice Review 2006;11:27-46.
ABSTRACT  

Use of Complementary Medicine in Older Americans: Results From the Health and Retirement Study
Ness et al.
Gerontologist 2005;45:516-524.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Mainstreaming Complementary Therapies: New Directions In Health Care
Ruggie
Health Aff (Millwood) 2005;24:980-990.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Cracking the Problem of Back Pain: Is Chiropractic the Answer?
Ness and Nisly
Arch Intern Med 2004;164:1953-1954.
FULL TEXT  

Cancer and Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Italy: Personal Observations and Historical Considerations
Moss
Integr Cancer Ther 2004;3:173-188.
ABSTRACT  

Decreasing, Null and Increasing Effects of Eight Popular Types of Ginseng on Acute Postprandial Glycemic Indices in Healthy Humans: The Role of Ginsenosides
Sievenpiper et al.
J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2004;23:248-258.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines by Ambulatory Patients
Rhee et al.
Arch Intern Med 2004;164:1004-1009.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Null and Opposing Effects of Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) on Acute Glycemia: Results of Two Acute Dose Escalation Studies
Sievenpiper et al.
J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2003;22:524-532.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Predictors of alternative medicine use by multiple sclerosis patients
Marrie et al.
Mult Scler 2003;9:461-466.
ABSTRACT  

On Equivalence Trials and Alternative Medicine
Yueh and Piccirillo
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003;129:403-404.
FULL TEXT