An Investigation on the Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours to Complementary and Alternative Therapies among Physicians, Nurses, Patients and Patients' Relatives

• Published in: International journal of caring sciences Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 343 - 351
• Main Authors: Karakas, Mehmet, Gurhan, Nermin, Demircan, Umran, Hiizli, Ismail, Kaya, Haydar Mehmet, Ercan, Feride
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nicosia Professor Despina Sapountzi - Krepia Publisher of the International Journal of Caring Sciences 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Alternative medicine; Animal assisted therapy; Attitudes; Knowledge; Nurses; Patients; Physicians; Population; Studies; Turkey
• ISSN: 1791-5201; 1792-037X

Background: Complementary and alternative treatment (CAM) methods have been practiced in every country since ancient times. Although it is used in different types and shapes in each group, it is very popular in recent years. Aim: The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours to CAM among physicians, nurses, patients and patients' relatives and to investigate this relationship according to positions. Method: The study designed in cross-sectional and descriptive type of study was performed in a private hospital. A personal information form was used to collect data for the study. The Pearson Chi-square test was used to examine the relationship between two or more qualitative variables. Findings: The study was conducted used totally 350 participants, including 57 of who were physicians, 114 nurses, 23 patients and 156 patients' relatives. The average age of study participants, 64.9% of whom were women and 61.4% single, was 30.34 ±9.01. Of the participants, while 53.1% said that they believed in the effectiveness of CAM methods, 61.1% said they thought complementary and alternative treatment techniques should be supported within the scope of the health insurance system. Besides, 33.7% of the participants expressed using CAM methods, and 77.4% said they thought that there was no difference between complementary and alternative medicine. Conclusions: The study found, by the position of participants, a significant difference between their usages of techniques other than medical treatment, their opinions on whether CAM poses health risks and their views on whether there is any difference between complementary and alternative medicine and their cognisance of animal-assisted therapy (p<0.05). On the other hand, the study found no significant difference between participants' usage of CAM and age, gender, civil status, economic condition and whether the participant or a family member has a history of a chronic disease (p>0.05).