title: Integrative pediatric care: parents' attitudes toward communication of physicians and CAM practitioners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we explored parents' perspectives toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by their children and its impact on parent-doctor and doctor-CAM-practitioner communication.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a 2-arm study of parents who approached either conventional primary care or CAM clinics with their children to consult physicians or practitioners regarding their child's health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 599 parents responded to our questionnaire (319 in 5 conventional clinics [83.9% response rate] and 280 in 21 CAM clinics [71.2% response rate]). Parents in conventional clinics reported less use of CAM by their children within the previous year (35.3% vs 73.7%; P < .0001) but used more traditional and homemade remedies (46.4% vs 12.7%; P < .0001). Both parent groups largely supported informing their child's physician regarding CAM use and expected the physician to initiate a CAM-related conversation and to refer their child to a CAM practitioner. The 2 groups' respondents largely supported communication between the child's physician and the CAM practitioner by the use of a referral/medical letter. Compared with respondents in CAM clinics, parents in conventional clinics were more supportive of CAM integration in a pediatric primary care setting and envisioned a more dominant role of physicians regarding CAM referral and a significant role of physicians in providing CAM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents who are referred to conventional and CAM clinics express distinctive attitudes toward CAM integration in pediatric care. Parents perceive physician-CAM practitioner communication as highly important and instrumental in promoting their children's health and safety.
authors.affiliation: Clalit Health Services, 6 Hashahaf St, Haifa 35013, Israel. eranben@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ben-Arye
authors.forename: Zina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Traube
authors.forename: Leora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schachter
authors.forename: Motti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haimi
authors.forename: Moti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Elad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schiff
authors.forename: Efraim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010372:Pediatrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires