A Literature Review of Health Care Professional Attitudes Toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Objective. To summarize health care professionals' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods. In October 2006, we searched Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED; 1985—2006), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE; 1980—2006), and MED-LINE (1960—2006) for Canadian or US studies of health care professionals' attitudes toward CAM, published in English or French. Results. A total of 21 surveys of physicians, nurses, public health professionals, dietitians, social workers, medical/nursing school faculty, and pharmacists were included that focused on beliefs about CAM efficacy, personal use, clinical practice use and referrals, communication with patients about CAM, level of knowledge, and the need for information regarding various CAM therapies. Physicians were more negative compared to other health care professionals. Positive attitudes toward CAM did not correlate with CAM referral or prescription patterns. Health care professionals of all disciplines wanted more information about CAM. Conclusions. Heterogeneity in the CAM definition and questionnaire items precluded summarizing health care professionals' attitudes toward CAM. Providing CAM education to health care professionals may help to integrate CAM into mainstream medical care.