title: Knowledge and attitudes of primary health care physicians towards complementary and alternative medicine in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) of primary health care (PHC) physicians in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A crosssectional study including all physicians working at PHC centers in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia, was carried out from the beginning of April 2010 to the end of June 2010. Using a self-administered questionnaire, 1,113 physicians answered questions regarding their socio-demographic data, and knowledge, attitudes and utilization of CAM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 8% of the participants had attended a continuous medical education or a training activity. Most of them were unfamiliar with reflexology, energy healing, aromatherapy, ozone therapy, homeopathy, or chiropractic care (77.4, 71.3, 71.2, 67.2, 65.7, and 63.9%, respectively). On the other hand, most physicians felt that they could understand and feel comfortable about counseling patients about Ruqyah (spiritual healing), honey and bee products, dietary supplements, massage therapy, relaxation, herbal medicine, and cupping (40.3, 38.3, 34.9, 34.4, 25.8, 22.8, and 21.4%, respectively). More than half (51.7%) of the physicians used CAM for themselves or their family, but only 14.2% referred their patients to CAM practitioners. 85.1% of studied physicians agreed that physicians should have knowledge about CAM therapies commonly used in the region. 82.5% agreed that health authorities should have a role in regulating CAM, and 75.7% agreed that the physicians' knowledge about CAM practices leads to better patient outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a positive attitude regarding the concept of CAM, but there is a reluctance to refer or to initiate discussion with patients regarding CAM practices, which may be attributed to a lack of knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Norah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abdullah Al-Rowais
authors.forename: Abdullah M N
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al Bedah
authors.forename: Mohamed K M
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: Ahmed Tawfik
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: El Olemy
authors.forename: Asim A H
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: Mohamed H S
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Alrasheid
authors.forename: Hisham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al Khashan
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Yousef
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdel Razak Ba Fart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires