title: Use of complementary and alternative medicine among Dominican emergency department patients.
abstract: This small, pilot study examined presenting complaint, brief health history, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and sociodemographic characteristics, among patients attending the emergency department (ED) of a large urban hospital. The sample (n = 50) was primarily Dominican and of low socioeconomic status. Almost half had used CAM for their presenting complaint or another health problem during the past year, most commonly in the form of medicinal plants made into herbal teas. CAM users were more likely to be female, longer-term residents of the United States, and to have also used religious practices for health problems. Subjects who had used CAM for any problem other than the presenting complaint during the past year rated its effectiveness higher than subjects who had used CAM for their presenting complaint. In conclusion, it is likely that a significant proportion of Dominican ED patients use CAM, suggesting that they should be asked about their CAM use during triage.
authors.affiliation: Center for Population and Family Health, Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Cushman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kronenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000208:ethnology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014218:Triage