Information- -seeking behavior in complementary and seeking behavior in complementary and Information alternative medicine (CAM): an online survey of faculty alternative medicine (CAM): an online survey of faculty at a health sciences campus at a health sciences campus By David J. Owen, M.L.S., Ph.D. By David J. Owen, M.L.S., Ph.D. Education Coordinator, Basic Sciences Education Coordinator, Basic Sciences Min- Min -Lin E. Fang, M.L.I.S. Lin E. Fang, M.L.I.S. Information Services Librarian Information Services Librarian Kalmanovitz Library and Center for Knowledge Kalmanovitz Library and Center for Knowledge Management Management University of California, San Francisco University of California, San Francisco
� Survey conducted at University of California, San Survey conducted at University of California, San � Francisco Francisco � Campus is dedicated to graduate and professional Campus is dedicated to graduate and professional � studies in Health Sciences studies in Health Sciences � The campus includes The campus includes � • Four professional schools: Four professional schools: • � Dentistry Dentistry � � Medicine Medicine � � Nursing Nursing � � Pharmacy Pharmacy � • A graduate division for predoctoral and A graduate division for predoctoral and • postdoctoral scientists postdoctoral scientists • The UCSF Medical Center The UCSF Medical Center • • The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute •
� Other sites associated with the campus Other sites associated with the campus � • UCSF Mount Zion Hospital UCSF Mount Zion Hospital • • San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center • • The Veterans Affairs Medical Center The Veterans Affairs Medical Center • • Various clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area Various clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area •
� UCSF Employees approximately 5,800 faculty and UCSF Employees approximately 5,800 faculty and � research staff research staff � UCSF received a $10 million gift to create the UCSF received a $10 million gift to create the � Osher Center for Integrative Medicine (OCIM) Osher Center for Integrative Medicine (OCIM) � The mission of OCIM is to search for the most The mission of OCIM is to search for the most � effective treatments by combining CAM and effective treatments by combining CAM and mainstream health care mainstream health care
� The National Center for Complementary and The National Center for Complementary and � Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) defines Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) defines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as “ “a broad range of healing philosophies a broad range of healing philosophies as (schools of thought), approaches, and therapies (schools of thought), approaches, and therapies that mainstream Western (conventional) that mainstream Western (conventional) medicine does not commonly use, accept, study, medicine does not commonly use, accept, study, understand, or make available” ” understand, or make available
� Includes: Includes: � • Acupuncture Acupuncture • • Herbal medicine • Herbal medicine • Homeopathy Homeopathy • • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) • • Host of other practices Host of other practices • � Studies indicate that four out of every ten Studies indicate that four out of every ten � Americans use alternative therapies, and more Americans use alternative therapies, and more visits are made to alternative medical visits are made to alternative medical practitioners than primary care physicians practitioners than primary care physicians � The current dominant biomedical The current dominant biomedical- -based system is based system is � being replaced by “ “medical pluralism medical pluralism” ”, in which , in which being replaced by people use therapies and practices from a variety people use therapies and practices from a variety of healing systems of healing systems
� Core biomedical bibliographic databases, such as Core biomedical bibliographic databases, such as � MEDLINE still do not index many journals MEDLINE still do not index many journals relevant to CAM practitioners relevant to CAM practitioners � Study by Stone et al. compared eight databases Study by Stone et al. compared eight databases � for information on “ “natural products natural products” ” used as used as for information on drugs drugs � Found that the European Found that the European- -based EMBASE based EMBASE � database contained the greatest number of database contained the greatest number of relevant citations relevant citations
� A survey was conducted using a questionnaire, A survey was conducted using a questionnaire, � with thirteen questions and sections for the with thirteen questions and sections for the individuals to provide additional information individuals to provide additional information � E E- -mail was sent to 295 UCSF clinic and research mail was sent to 295 UCSF clinic and research � faculty who had previously identified themselves faculty who had previously identified themselves as interested in CAM as interested in CAM � The questionnaire could be filled out The questionnaire could be filled out � anonymously either on the web or by returning anonymously either on the web or by returning the attached Word document the attached Word document � Results were analyzed using SPSS 10 for Results were analyzed using SPSS 10 for � Windows Windows � Frequency tables and means were used to Frequency tables and means were used to � describe the data describe the data
� The chi The chi- -square test was used to determine: square test was used to determine: � • Correlations between specialties and area of interest in Correlations between specialties and area of interest in • CAM CAM • Types of resources consulted • Types of resources consulted • Other patterns of information Other patterns of information- -seeking behavior seeking behavior • � Statistical results were not significant due to Statistical results were not significant due to � small sample size small sample size
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) areas of Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) areas of Percentage H e R r b e 100 a l a l 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 x m a e 0 t i d o i n c i t n h e e 67 r A a c p u i e p s D u 53 52 45 42 42 38 36 35 33 27 25 20 20 n i e c t t u t h r e e r B a i p o i f e G interest (N=121) interest (N=121) e s e u d i d b e a d c k i m M a o g v M e e e r m y d e i t n a M t t i o t a h n s e s r a a p g i H e e S s o t p h m i r e i e t r u a o a p p l y a h t h e i a c l i m n g e m d C i c e h i g i n r a o e d p o r a s O c e t t i h v c e i t a r m C A i n M s a r e a s
Use of CAM Information (N =121) Use of CAM Information (N =121) 100 90 80 e 65 70 g ta 60 51 n 50 rce 41 36 40 e 27 P 30 20 5 10 0 Publications Teaching Research Clinical Grant ther O
Sources of CAM Information (N = 121) Sources of CAM Information (N = 121) 50 46 41 40 40 Percentage 33 30 25 20 10 6 2 0 Database Colleague Journal Books Other Web Librarian
Percentage MEDLINE 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 CAM on PubMed 0 BIOSIS 87 75 22 11 15 9 NAPRALERT AMED 13 1 EMBASE 12 10 10 6 Use Aware of
Specialty (N =121) Specialty (N =121) Internal Medicine 15 Psychiatry/behavioral medicine/addiction medicine 27 Family practice 3 Pediatrics 3 Research 4 Dentistry Neurology 4 Pharmacy 4 Nursing 15 6 Pathology 7 7 Other
� Results showed that health professionals at UCSF Results showed that health professionals at UCSF � frequently did not find the CAM information they frequently did not find the CAM information they sought sought � Majority of survey respondents were unfamiliar Majority of survey respondents were unfamiliar � with several important CAM resources with several important CAM resources � There is an absence of core printed books in the There is an absence of core printed books in the � area of CAM area of CAM � Journals are often the primary source used for Journals are often the primary source used for � clinical information clinical information � Mainstream US medical journals are still regarded Mainstream US medical journals are still regarded � as being poor CAM sources as being poor CAM sources � Personal communications seems to be of greater Personal communications seems to be of greater � importance than textbooks or journals, when importance than textbooks or journals, when seeking CAM information seeking CAM information
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