Insurance coverage, medical conditions, and visits to alternative medicine providers: results of a national survey - PubMed (original) (raw)
Insurance coverage, medical conditions, and visits to alternative medicine providers: results of a national survey
Peter M Wolsko et al. Arch Intern Med. 2002.
Abstract
Background: In 1997, patients made an estimated 629 million visits to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers; however, little is known about factors associated with visits to CAM providers.
Objective: To examine the effect of insurance coverage on frequency of use of CAM providers.
Methods: We conducted a nationally representative, random household telephone survey of 2055 adults.
Main outcome measure: The number of visits made to CAM providers.
Results: An estimated 44% of the US population used at least 1 CAM therapy in 1997. Of those using CAM, 52% had seen at least 1 CAM provider in the last year. Among those who used a CAM therapy, factors independently associated with seeing a provider were having been in the upper quartile of visits to conventional providers in the last year (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-3.01), female sex (AOR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.17-2.38), and having used the therapy to treat diabetes (AOR, 5.20; 95% CI, 1.40-19.40), cancer (AOR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.04-8.62), or back or neck problems (AOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.02-2.23). Factors independently associated with frequent use (. or = 8 visits per year) of a CAM provider were full insurance coverage of the CAM provider (AOR, 5.06; 95% CI, 2.45-10.47), partial insurance coverage (AOR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.72-6.19), having used the therapy for wellness (AOR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.63-4.98), and having seen the provider for back or neck problems (AOR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.29-3.94). Conservative extrapolation to national estimates suggests that 8.9% of the population (17.5 million adults) accounted for more than 75% of the 629 million visits made to CAM providers in 1997.
Conclusions: A small minority of persons accounted for more than 75% of visits to CAM providers. Extent of insurance coverage for CAM providers and use for wellness are strong correlates of frequent use of CAM providers.
Similar articles
- The role of alternative medical providers for the outpatient treatment of insured patients with back pain.
Lind BK, Lafferty WE, Tyree PT, Sherman KJ, Deyo RA, Cherkin DC. Lind BK, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2005 Jun 15;30(12):1454-9. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000166527.18442.10. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2005. PMID: 15959379 - Perceptions about complementary therapies relative to conventional therapies among adults who use both: results from a national survey.
Eisenberg DM, Kessler RC, Van Rompay MI, Kaptchuk TJ, Wilkey SA, Appel S, Davis RB. Eisenberg DM, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2001 Sep 4;135(5):344-51. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-135-5-200109040-00011. Ann Intern Med. 2001. PMID: 11529698 - Complementary and alternative provider use by insured patients with diabetes in Washington State.
Lind BK, Lafferty WE, Grembowski DE, Diehr PK. Lind BK, et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Jan-Feb;12(1):71-7. doi: 10.1089/acm.2006.12.71. J Altern Complement Med. 2006. PMID: 16494571 - The demographics and economics of complementary alternative medicine.
Lundgren J, Ugalde V. Lundgren J, et al. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2004 Nov;15(4):955-61, ix. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2004.04.003. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2004. PMID: 15458762 Review. - Complementary and alternative medicine in back pain utilization report.
Santaguida PL, Gross A, Busse J, Gagnier J, Walker K, Bhandari M, Raina P. Santaguida PL, et al. Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep). 2009 Jan;(177):1-221. Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep). 2009. PMID: 20629474 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
- Longitudinal Analysis of Complementary Health Approaches in Adults Aged 25-74 Years from the Midlife in the U.S. Survey Sample.
Scott R, Nahin RL, Weber W. Scott R, et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2021 Jul;27(7):550-568. doi: 10.1089/acm.2020.0414. Epub 2021 Apr 20. J Altern Complement Med. 2021. PMID: 33877882 Free PMC article. - Cost-Effectiveness of a Team-Based Integrative Medicine Approach to the Treatment of Back Pain.
Wayne PM, Buring JE, Eisenberg DM, Osypiuk K, Gow BJ, Davis RB, Witt CM, Reinhold T. Wayne PM, et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Mar;25(S1):S138-S146. doi: 10.1089/acm.2018.0503. J Altern Complement Med. 2019. PMID: 30870015 Free PMC article. - A Multidisciplinary Integrative Medicine Team in the Treatment of Chronic Low-Back Pain: An Observational Comparative Effectiveness Study.
Wayne PM, Eisenberg DM, Osypiuk K, Gow BJ, Witt CM, Davis RB, Buring JE. Wayne PM, et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Aug;24(8):781-791. doi: 10.1089/acm.2018.0002. Epub 2018 May 21. J Altern Complement Med. 2018. PMID: 29782198 Free PMC article. - Prevalence and Predictors of Herbal Medicine Use Among Adults in the United States.
Rashrash M, Schommer JC, Brown LM. Rashrash M, et al. J Patient Exp. 2017 Sep;4(3):108-113. doi: 10.1177/2374373517706612. Epub 2017 Jun 5. J Patient Exp. 2017. PMID: 28959715 Free PMC article. - Demographic and medication characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine users among colorectal cancer survivors: A nationwide database study in Taiwan.
Wu CT, Tsai YT, Lai JN. Wu CT, et al. J Tradit Complement Med. 2016 Aug 6;7(2):188-194. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2016.07.001. eCollection 2017 Apr. J Tradit Complement Med. 2016. PMID: 28417089 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical