General practitioner and alternative medicine

Author(s): Anderson, P.

Journal/Book: Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners. 1987; 37: 52-55.

Abstract: A questionnaire an the views, beliefs and attitudes of doctors regarding alternative medicine was sent to 274 general practitioners. Of the 222 who replied, 31% said that they had a working knowledge of at least one form of alternative medicine, 29% had read publications an alternative medicine and 41% had attended lectures or classes in alternative medicine. Twelve per cent had received training and 42% wanted further training in an alternative form of medicine; 16 % currently practised a form of alternative medicine. The majority of doctors (95%) said that patients had dicussed alternative medicine with them during the past year and over half (59%) had referred patients to alternative practitioners. Forty-one per cent of doctors believed that alternative systems of medicine were valid and over half of the doctors (54%) defined alternative medicine as additional to western medicine, not taught in western medical schools or not available an the National Health Service, compared with only 16% who defined alternative medicine as unscientific.

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