title: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Is Prevalent Among Patients with Gastrointestinal Diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is reported to be higher among patients with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease; however, demographic predictors and reasons for utilization for all GI conditions are less clear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine prevalence, predictors, and reasons for CAM use among all patients attending a gastrointestinal (GI) clinic in a single academic center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults attending outpatient GI clinics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center completed a questionnaire to assess CAM utilization as well as perceived benefits, harms, and costs of CAM therapy. Fisher's exact test was used to compare statistical differences between CAM and non-CAM users.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey questionnaires were completed by 269 patients. Prevalence of CAM use was 44 % (95 % CI 38-50). Users were more likely to be female (81 vs. 56 %, p < 0.01) and dissatisfied with conventional treatment (22 vs. 8 %, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in age, race, education, income, GI diagnosis, and duration of symptoms between the two groups. Users reported "wish to feel generally better" as main reason for utilization, and a majority of patients (62 %) experienced improved GI symptoms. Among patients who did not discuss CAM with their physicians (30 %), they cited physician failure to ask about CAM as the major reason (82 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAM is prevalent among patients attending a GI clinic, particularly among women and those who are dissatisfied with conventional therapies and "wish to feel better." Greater awareness and understanding of CAM among GI physicians is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA, ahung@bidmc.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Adelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bollom
authors.forename: Jacqueline L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lembo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult