Medical doctors and complementary and alternative medicine: the context of holistic practice

Abstract

Consumers, health care financing, external and internal competition are factors identified in the medical literature as prompting change within medicine. I test these factors to determine if they also prompt regular doctors to define themselves as 'holistic MDs' and align themselves with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). State-level regression analyses on the number of MDs advertising in referral directories for CAM therapies find holistic practice a function of practice locale. The proportion of holistic MDs increases in states with an older population, where more patients survive despite serious disabilities, and where non-physician providers pose a competitive threat. Consumer demand, specialization and licensing do not significantly influence adoption of CAM treatments in these analyses. Health care financing has disparate effects. Indemnity insurance constrains holistic practice while HMO penetration enhances it. These results suggest that holistic practice may be an integral part of the regular profession's ongoing professionalization project.

Towards concordance in healthcare: perspectives of general practitioners, complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and pharmacists in Australia

“…This identifies some areas of concern, especially with the GPs’ opinions tending towards neutrality on this issue. In contrast, recent American findings suggest that health professionals are becoming more sensitive to patients’ use of CAM, some even calling themselves ‘holistic’ in order to attract more clients (51, 52). Pharmacists were perceived by the majority of the other participants as insufficiently informed about CAM, and pharmacists’ own opinions tended towards neutrality.…”

Consumers' experiences and values in conventional and alternative medicine paradigms: a problem detection study (PDS)

“…In addition, interestingly, it has been shown that doctors tend to be uncomfortable about collaborating with CAM practitioners even when they work in the same hospital teams [43]. On the other side of the spectrum, an American study indicated that some family doctors preferred to call themselves 'holistic' and align themselves with CAM in order to attract more consumers [44]. Further, it has been found that doctors sometimes tend to report high acceptance of CAM, even though their knowledge of them was, self-reportedly, quite poor, creating a potentially dangerous situation [45].…”

The perceived meaning of a (w)holistic view among general practitioners and district nurses in Swedish primary care: a qualitative study

“…Medicine implies complementary and alternative medicine, while holistic nursing means to view all a patients' aspects in the present situation [7,8]. In their study from 1987 Goldstein et al investigated differences between Holistic Physicians (HP) (members of the American Holistic Medical Association) and Family Physicians (FP).…”