title: Complementary and alternative medicine: Do physicians believe they can meet the requirements of the Collège des médecins du Québec?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether medical training prepares FPs to meet the requirements of the Collège des médecins du Québec for their role in advising patients on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of survey results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quebec.
  
  
  METHODS
  Family physicians and GPs in active practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Perceptions of the role of the physician as an advisor on CAM; level of comfort responding to questions and advising patients on CAM; frequency with which patients ask their physicians about CAM; personal position on CAM; and desire for training on CAM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 19.5% (195 respondents of 1000) and the sample appears to be representative of the target population. Most respondents (85.8%) reported being asked about CAM several times a month. A similar proportion (86.7%) believed it was their role to advise patients on CAM. However, of this group, only 33.1% reported being able to do so. There is an association between an urban practice and knowledge of the advisory role of physicians. More than three-quarters of respondents expressed interest in receiving additional training on CAM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a gap between the training that Quebec physicians receive on CAM and their need to meet legal and ethical obligations designed to protect the public where CAM products and therapies are concerned. One solution might be more thorough training on CAM to help physicians meet the Collège des médecins du Québec requirements.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec and Researcher in the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke. isabelle.gaboury@usherbrooke.ca.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gaboury
authors.affiliation: Physician in the Health Services Centre at CFB Saint-Jean in Montreal, Que.
authors.forename: Noémie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Physician in the emergency department at the Centre de réadaptation en dépendance de l'Estrie in Sherbrooke.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.affiliation: Doctoral candidate in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke and the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke.
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luc
authors.affiliation: Completed a master's degree in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Sherbrooke and Researcher in the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke.
authors.forename: Johane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patenaude
authors.affiliation: Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke.
authors.forename: Luce
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pélissier-Simard
authors.affiliation: Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke and Researcher in the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xhignesse
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000193:education*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011792:Quebec