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Normal medical practice of referring patients for complementary therapies among Australian general practitioners
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 12:18 authored by Easthope, G, Bruce TranterBruce Tranter, Gill, GFObjectives: Assessing the extent to which general practitioners (GPs) accept complementary therapies as normal medical practice. Design: An examination of two Australian surveys of GPs undertaken in Tasmania and Victoria in 1997. Outcome Measures: Type of referral (to doctors or non-demidal therapists) and therapy. Levels of acceptance. Basis for judgement of acceptability. Results: In Tasmania 66% of Gps referred patients to doctors - primarily for acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Fifty-five per cent referred patients to non-medical practitioners - primarily for chiropractic, massage and osteopathy. In Victoria the rate of referral was 93%. Most GPs accepted acupuncture as a normal, but not orthodox, therapy. There are varying levels of acceptance of other complementary therapies and GPs judge by assessing safety and therapeutic value. Conclusion: Some complementary therapies are clearly part of normal, if not orthodox, practice in Australia. Discussion of complementary therapies in medicine must consider the differential levels of acceptance of different therapies. © 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
History
Publication title
Complementary Therapies in MedicineVolume
8Issue
4Pagination
226-233ISSN
0965-2299Department/School
School of Social SciencesPublisher
Churchill Livingstone - A Harcourt Health Sciences CompanyPlace of publication
EdinburghRepository Status
- Restricted