title: Exploration of Why Alaskans Use Complementary Medicine: A Focus Group Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore why Alaskans choose to pursue complementary medicine as a health care option.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative descriptive.
  
  
  METHODS
  A purposive convenient recruitment methodology was used to recruit project participants. Focus groups were conducted to collect the research data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five themes were identified that highlighted why participants use complementary medicine: dissatisfaction, effective, holistic, relationship focused, and a personal journey.
authors.affiliation: University of Alaska, Anchorage Jcpennington78@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jessica Colleen
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Heafner
authors.affiliation: University of Alaska, Anchorage.
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buchanan
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: alternative medicine; complementary medicine; holistic; homeopathic; integrative medicine; nutrition; patient focused