Evaluation of knowledge and attitudes of assistant doctors on traditional complementary and alternative medicine practice

Introduction and Aim: The worldwide use of traditional, complementary and alternative therapy is increasing day by day. Physicians knowledge ofthis issue is extremely important in term of reducing the advers effect of complementary and alternative treatments and providing the maximum benefit from these treaments. This study was conducted in order to assess the knowlewdge and attitudes of physicians about traditional, complemantary and alternative treatment. Material and Methods: The sample of the research consists of 200 research assistants working in the internal and surgical units of Dicle University Hospital. The data of the study were collected using the questionnaire prepared by the researcher after a thorough literature search. This questionnaire contains questions regarding the participants' socio-demographic characteristics, and that measures his/her knowledge and attitudes about traditional complementary and alternative medicine practices. Results: 66% of the participants were male and 34% of them were female. 70% of the participants were working in the internal unit while 30% of them were working in the surgical unit. The mean age of the participants was 29.21 ± 2.93 years (ranging 24-45 years). 81% of resident physicians indicated that they would like to receive education on traditional, complementary and alternative therapy methods. The study shows that exercise, nutritional adjustment, and massage therapy are the most known methods of traditional, complementary and alternative therapy among the physicians. Regulation on Traditional and Complementary Medical Practices "was published in the Official Gazette dated October 27, 2014 and came into force. There are 15 different applications in the regulation. Among the therapy methods included in the regulation, those of which trainings are most requested can be listed as acupuncture, music therapy, ozone, hypnosis, phytotherapy. On the other hand, chiropractic, osteopathy, apitherapy, prolotherapy, larva application trainings are found to be the least demanded. Conclusion: However, the knowledge level of the health workers about traditional, complementary and alternative therapy methods was found to be low. Considering the society's wide interest in traditional, complementary and alternative therapy as well as the psitive attitudes of health workers towards these therapy methods, informative education and trainings should be considered to be offered. KEYWORDS: Traditional complementary medicine, regulation, resident physician, knowledge and attitude