Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use by Patients From the Gulf Region Seen in the International Practice of a Tertiary Care Medical Center

Abstract

Background Patients from various countries may have unique patterns of using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and unique reasons for using it. Objective Our objective was to assess the use of CAM among patients from the Gulf region attending the Executive and International Health Program of the Department of General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Methods This cross-sectional survey was administered to all patients who were from the Gulf region and were undergoing outpatient evaluation in the Executive and International Health Program. After their initial medical evaluation by a physician, the patients were invited to anonymously complete the modified International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire. Results The survey was completed by 69 patients (41 women, 27 men; mean age, 45.4 years). The most frequently seen providers for CAM treatments were physicians (71.0% of patients), spiritual healers (29.0%), and chiropractors (20.3%). CAM treatments most frequently received from a physician were massage therapy (51.0%), hijama (38.8%), spiritual healing (24.5%), and acupuncture or herbs (16.3%). The most frequently used dietary supplements were ginger (42.0%), bee products (30.4%), and garlic (27.5%). The most common self-help therapies were prayers for health (68.1%), meditation (15.9%), and relaxation techniques (11.6%). CAM therapy, including visits to CAM providers, was used by 92.8% of patients. CAM was mainly used to improve well-being and long-term health conditions rather than for acute illnesses. Conclusion The use of CAM was high among our patients from the Gulf region, and the CAM therapies used by this population differed from the ones used by US patients. Physicians providing care to patients from the Gulf region should be aware of how the use of CAM may affect the care needs of these patients.

Medical Conditions and Preference of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Results from the China Healthcare Improvement Evaluation Survey

“…In contrast to this, this study and other current studies found that people with high socioeconomic status were more likely to use TCM. Studies have persistently shown that CAM/TCM users are more likely to be female, 36–41 better educated, 39 , 42 , 43 as well as to have higher income 44 , 45 and occupational status. 46 We found that patients with health insurance and those who lived in urban areas were more likely to think TCM is multi-effective, and other studies 17 , 47 came to the same conclusion.…”

“…Additionally, older people find TCM to be more useful than younger people. 17 , 39 , 42–45 One reason for this finding might be that they have a higher recognition of traditional Chinese culture because they primarily used TCM when there was a shortage of doctors and medicine in China and TCM played an even more important role in primary health care in the 1950s. On the other hand, the medical conditions of older patients were worse, which seems to be one of the factors affecting their views on the use of TCM in our study.…”

Status of Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Patients with Cancer in Korea: an Online Survey of Online Cancer Support Groups (KCSG PC21-20)

“…Previous studies have delved into the incidence of CAM use, healthcare professionals' attitudes toward CAM, and communication patterns that differ by nationality and cancer type [3][4][5][6][7][8]. In Korea, up to 85% of patients with cancer use one or more types of CAM [9].…”

Complementary and alternative medicines chosen for specific health problems: Internet survey using the I-CAM-Q in Japan: A STROBE-compliant cross-sectional study

“…[11] I-CAM-Q is designed to reduce questionnaire bias and provide accurate international comparisons of CAM usage among populations. Several I-CAM-Q studies have already been published, [2,10,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] with the possibility of more international comparative research to be conducted in the future.…”