 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Karen G. O'Connor, Division of Health Policy Research, American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098, 847-434-7630, koconnor@aap.org and Kathi Kemper, MD, Dept of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157.
A 2001 AAP Periodic Survey of Fellows mailed to 1,607 randomly selected pediatricians explored pediatricians' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies and their recommendations regarding use of CAM for three common clinical conditions (recurrent respiratory infection, moderately severe asthma, and ADHD). The response rate was 52%; responses from 733 pediatricians who provide direct patient care were analyzed. Most pediatricians (73%) agree they should provide patients with information about all potential treatment options, 54% say pediatricians should consider nontraditional therapies when treating patients, and many pediatricians say use of CAM occasionally (50%) or often (16%) enhances recovery or symptom relief. Most pediatricians follow standard guidelines for medical management of these conditions (ie, 93% recommend beta-agonists and daily anti-inflammatory medications for asthma; 73% usually recommend stimulant medications such as Ritalin for ADHD). Most pediatricians also recommend environmental strategies (93% recommend reducing exposure to allergens/tobacco smoke for respiratory problems; 86% recommend increasing structure for ADHD), and many also recommend exercise (55% recommend Yoga for asthma and 24% do so for ADHD). However, pediatricians less commonly recommend, even as adjunctive therapies, herbs such as echinacea (14% for respiratory infections; 3% for asthma; 5% for ADHD), dietary supplements such as Vitamin C (24%, 9%, 6%), or massage (13%, 4%, 2%), and fewer than 4% recommend homeopathy, acupuncture, or chiropractic for these conditions. Despite widespread interest in CAM and their frequent use by children and adolescents, pediatricians seldom recommend CAM therapies for these three common conditions.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.