- 1Wroclaw Medical University, Department of Medical Humanities and Social Science, ul. Mikulicza-Radeckiego 7, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: agnieszkakotala1@gazeta.pl.
- 2Wroclaw Medical University, Department of Medical Humanities and Social Science, ul. Mikulicza-Radeckiego 7, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: agnieszka.olchowska-kotala@umed.wroc.pl.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
The
aim of the study was to assess and compare attitudes, beliefs, and
desire for education regarding CAM among Polish junior and senior
doctors.
DESIGN:
A descriptive survey.
SETTING:
Between
October 2014 and April 2015, 170 physicians were surveyed (89 senior
and 81 junior doctors). The respondents were participating in vocational
refresher courses for physicians or in specialist training organized by
the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists.
METHODS:
The
beliefs about CAM were surveyed by a structured, self-administrated
questionnaire. The additional section contained questions concerning the
respondents' attitudes toward 6 CAM methods: acupuncture, energy
therapy, homeopathy, chiropractice, visualization and herbal medicine.
For each treatment respondents were asked to indicate whether they
believed (1) it should be recommended to patients, (2) it should be
accepted that patients use it, or (3) patients should be actively
discouraged from using it.
RESULTS:
Senior
doctors had more positive attitudes towards CAM than doctors who had
just started their medical practice, although scepticism or uncertainty
about the value of CAM was prevalent in the sample as a whole. Despite
their scepticism physicians are open to conducting scientific research
on CAM and discussing CAM with their patients.
CONCLUSION:
Given
the views held by doctors that the training and activities of CAM
therapists should be regulated by the Chamber of Physicians and
Dentists, the integration of CAM into medical curriculum and the Polish
public healthcare does not yet seem feasible. There is a need for a
public debate about CAM and a legal framework regulating practice of CAM
in Poland.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Attitudes; Complementary and alternative medicine; Medical curriculum; Physicians; Poland
