Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107804

Michael D. Mink, PhD(c), MPA, Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, 220 Stoneridge Drive, Ste 204, Columbia, SC 29210, 803-251-6317, minkm@mailbox.sc.edu

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the relative availability of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in rural and urban hospitals. Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from 964 hospital administrators who responded to the American Hospital Association's Complementary and Alternative Medicine Survey 2003. Analysis: All responses were compared across rural and urban hospitals using t-test for independent samples and chi-square tests in SPSS. Rural hospitals were defined as those not located within a Metropolitan Statistical Area. Results: Overall, 28% of the hospitals responding to the survey offered CAM services. Rural hospitals were half as likely as urban hospitals to offer any CAM services (16.0% vs. 37.5%; p<0.0001) and less likely to offer 11 of 23 specific CAM therapies. Of the 10 most popular CAM therapies offered in urban hospitals, five were significantly less likely to be offered in rural hospitals: acupuncture, relaxation, pastoral counseling, yoga, and tai chi/qi gong. Rural hospitals reported fewer administrative and financial barriers to offering CAM than urban hospitals. However, rural hospitals also reported fewer business incentives for offering CAM services than urban hospitals. Conclusion: Previous research shows that use of CAM is equal across rural and urban residents. Since CAM services are less available in rural hospitals, rural residents may be accessing CAM services outside of the hospital setting. CAM may be an overlooked business opportunity for rural hospitals that could serve the local community and provide another source of revenue.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the presentation, learners will be able to…
• Articulate how CAM services in rural hospitals differ from those offered in urban hospitals.
• Identify the benefits and barriers associated with CAM in rural hospitals.
• Identify areas of opportunity for offering CAM services in rural hospitals.

Keywords: Alternative Medicine/Therapies, Rural Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.