General practitioners' attitudes toward (and use of) complementary and alternative medicine: a New Zealand nationwide survey.

AIMS: This study aimed to update our understanding of how general practitioners view and use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

METHOD: A nationwide cross-sectional postal questionnaire sent to 500 randomly selected general practitioners (GPs) of the 2358 who met the inclusion criteria of the study in December 2005.

RESULTS: 300 completed questionnaires were returned thus giving a response rate of 60%. Twenty percent of the GP respondents practiced (and 95% referred patients to) one or more forms of complementary and alternative medicine. The most common CAM therapy practiced by GPs was acupuncture, and chiropractic manipulation was the most common GP-referred therapy for patients. Thirty-two percent of respondents had formal training and 29% had self education in one or more CAM therapies. Sixty-seven percent felt that an overview of CAM should be included in conventional medical education.

CONCLUSIONS: The number of GPs practising CAM therapies has decreased over the past 15 years, although the number referring patients to CAM has increased. The finding 'that GPs feel information about CAM should be included in medical education' is consistent with earlier research and should be taken into account when developing the medical curriculum.