Use of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of asthma among allopathic patients.

摘要

There is little literature on the use of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of asthma. It is important to understand factors leading asthmatics to use CAM and to identify patients at high likelihood of using CAM for asthma so as to minimize their risk of inadequate or poor treatment outcomes. The present study evaluated CAM use for asthma among 72 patients of allopathic asthma specialists in a convenience sample. Using an in-depth survey, it compared responses on the use of CAM for asthma with known risk factors and for three novel ones not previously reported in the literature. Hypotheses are: 1) religion will drive CAM usage for the treatment of asthma; 2) personal characteristics will drive CAM usage for the treatment of asthma; 3) referrals, especially from family members, will drive CAM usage for the treatment of asthma. Because of the small sample size, statistical significance was defined as 0.1.;The study found that those claiming no or Jewish religious identity were less likely to use CAM to treat their asthma. It also found that those with a lack of trust in the allopathic medical system were more likely to use CAM and those whose family members referred them to CAM were more likely to use it.;Despite the fact that the subject population is small and not representative of general New Jersey or U.S. populations, the findings amplify the importance of improved communication and trust between physician and patient. Findings may also help physicians identify patients likely to use CAM thereby avoiding negative outcomes. The results may also aid researchers in identifying populations rich in CAM use to target for both health education and CAM research.