Attitudes of Family Physicians to Alternative Medicine
Amiram Sarel, Jef Borkan, Ralph L. Carasso, Judith Bernstein, Uri Rozovsky
Brull-Tel Aviv Community Mental Health Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba; and Dept. of Neurology, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera
80 Israeli family physicians (51.25% men and 48.75% women) participated in a telephone survey concerning attitudes, practices and experience with alternative medicine. 23.75% reported practicing 1 or more alternative techniques, most commonly acupuncture28%) and hypnotherapy (24%). 55% had referred at least 1 patient to an alternative practitioner during the preceding month. Physicians who studied in Israel or Western countries referred more patients than graduates of medical schools of Eastern Europe. Specialists referred patients more often than residents. The most common reason for referral was back pain.