title: Alternative/complementary medicine: wider usage than generally appreciated.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that there is substantial use of a practitioner of alternative/complementary medicine by patients traditionally considered to be underserved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, self-administered survey study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three university hospital-affiliated general ambulatory clinics serving patients of different socioeconomic status and racial origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and thirty-six (93% of those attending) consecutive clinic attendees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Past use and desired future use of one or more practitioners of five modalities of alternative/complementary medicine and willingness to pay for these modalities out-of-pocket.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Past usage and desired future usage of one or more practitioners of alternative/complementary medicine was comparable at the three clinic sites despite wide differences in socioeconomic status and willingness/ability to pay out-of-pocket for these services. Multivariable analyses revealed lower self-rated health status and female gender (both p < 0.006) but not income, race, age or education as independent, significant predictors of use of a practitioner of alternative/complementary medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Usage of alternative/complementary medicine is not confined to any well-circumscribed socioeconomic group and is common in patients often considered to be underserved. Self-assessed lower health status is significantly and independently associated with use of a practitioner of alternative/complementary care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolsko
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kutner
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Albertson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cyran
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003120:Colorado; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires