Complementary Therapies in Medicine

Available online 25 February 2015

In Press, Accepted Manuscript — Note to users

Student identification of the need for complementary medicine education in Australian medical curricula: A constructivist grounded theory approach

• Kate Templeman^{a, ,} ,
• Anske Robinson^b,
• Lisa McKenna^c

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2015.02.002

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Highlights

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First Australian study on medical student identification of the need for complementary medicine education.

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Importance of basic complementary medicine literacy.

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Identified key areas driving changes in medical education on complementary medicines:.

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Patient safety.

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Doctor-patient encounter.

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Changing medical practice.

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Summary

Objective

Across the Western world, including Australia, growing popularity of complementary medicines (CMs) mandates their implementation into medical education (ME). Medical students in international contexts have expressed a need to learn about CMs. In Australia, little is known about the student-specific need for CM education. The objective of this study was to assess the self-reported need for CM education among Australian medical students.

Design

Thirty second-year to final-year medical students participated in semi-structured interviews. A constructivist grounded theory methodological approach was used to generate, construct and analyse data.

Setting

Medical school education faculties in Australian universities.

Results

Medical students generally held favourable attitudes toward CMs but had knowledge deficits and did not feel adept at counselling patients about CMs. All students were supportive of CM instruction in ME, noting its importance in relation to the doctor-patient encounter, specifically with regard to interactions with medical management. As future practitioners, students recognised the need to be able to effectively communicate about CMs and advise patients regarding safe and effective CM use.

Conclusions

Australian medical students expressed interest in, and the need for, CM instruction in ME regardless of their opinion of it, and were supportive of evidence-based CMs being part of their armamentarium. However, current levels of CM education in medical schools do not adequately enable this. This level of receptivity suggests the need for CM education with firm recommendations and competencies to assist CM education development required. Identifying this need may help medical educators to respond more effectively.

Keywords

• Medical education;
• Medical curriculum;
• Complementary medicine;
• Alternative medicine;
• Qualitative methodology

Corresponding author. Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Department of Rural & Indigenous Health, PO Box 973, Moe, Victoria, 3825, Australia. Tel.: +0466 518 666; fax: +03 5128 1080.

Copyright © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.