the Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research in Women's Health, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA
the Emergency Department, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA
Correspondence
Address reprint requests to Dr Kronenberg, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research in Women's Health, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168 St, Box 75, New York, NY 10032.
the Emergency Department, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA
Correspondence
Address reprint requests to Dr Kronenberg, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research in Women's Health, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168 St, Box 75, New York, NY 10032.
To view the full text, please login as a subscribed user or purchase a subscription.
Click here to view the full text on ScienceDirect.
Abstract
This small, pilot study examined presenting complaint, brief health history, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and sociodemographic characteristics, among patients attending the emergency department (ED) of a large urban hospital. The sample (n = 50) was primarily Dominican and of low socioeconomic status. Almost half had used CAM for their presenting complaint or another health problem during the past year, most commonly in the form of medicinal plants made into herbal teas. CAM users were more likely to be female, longer-term residents of the United States, and to have also used religious practices for health problems. Subjects who had used CAM for any problem other than the presenting complaint during the past year rated its effectiveness higher than subjects who had used CAM for their presenting complaint. In conclusion, it is likely that a significant proportion of Dominican ED patients use CAM, suggesting that they should be asked about their CAM use during triage.
☆Supported by The National Institutes of Health, Office of Alternative Medicine grant U24-HD33199, The National Institutes of Health/National Center for Research Resources grant M01RR00645 and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Summer Research Fellowship.
