Table 3 Other factors associated with referral to CMPs by rural and regional GPs in New South Wales, Australia
Factors | Referral to CM practitioner | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Weekly or monthly | Seldom or never | |||
(%) | (%) | |||
Level of knowledge on CM | Excellent | 1.3 | 9.8 | < 0.001 |
Very Good | 4.2 | 31.2 | ||
Satisfactory | 20.0 | 41.0 | ||
Poor | 51.2 | 8.2 | ||
Very Poor | 23.2 | 9.8 | ||
Percentage of patients who have asked about CAM | < 10% | 36.1 | 35.3 | < 0.001 |
11-25% | 8.2 | 46.4 | ||
26-50% | 6.6 | 8.4 | ||
> 50% | 49.2 | 9.9 | ||
Personal CAM use by GP | Regularly | 54.1 | 8.0 | < 0.001 |
Often | 21.3 | 17.4 | ||
Once/Rarely | 14.8 | 32.6 | ||
Never, but would consider | 9.8 | 13.4 | ||
Never, and would not consider | 0.0 | 27.3 | ||
Access to medical specialists in areas is a problem | Yes | 4.9 | 2.5 | 0.279 |
No | 95.1 | 97.5 | ||
Patient request for referral to CM | Yes | 29.5 | 45.2 | 0.021 |
No | 70.5 | 54.8 | ||
Lack of other options available for treatment | Yes | 19.7 | 10.3 | < 0.001 |
No | 75.4 | 89.7 | ||
Positive results with CM previously | Yes | 83.6 | 44.5 | < 0.001 |
No | 16.4 | 55.5 | ||
CAM practitioner are a major source of CAM information | Yes | 31.2 | 18.1 | 0.017 |
No | 68.8 | 81.9 | ||
Patients are a major source of CAM information | Yes | 41.0 | 47.9 | 0.307 |
No | 59.0 | 52.1 | ||
Belief in efficacy of CM? | Yes | 90.2 | 37.8 | < 0.001 |
No | 9.8 | 62.2 | ||
GP Interested in increasing CAM knowledge? | Yes | 83.6 | 51.9 | < 0.001 |
No | 16.4 | 48.1 | ||
Have prescribed CAM to patients previously? | Yes | 78.7 | 71.2 | 0.219 |
No | 21.3 | 28.8 | ||
GP comfort level with CM | Comfortable in general | 51.7 | 3.5 | < 0.001 |
Only in specific circumstances | 31.0 | 12.4 | ||
Only if I knew them in person | 17.2 | 26.5 | ||
I would not refer | 0.0 | 57.1 | ||