Prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by physicians in the UK: a systematic review of surveys

This systematic review aims to estimate the prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by physicians in the UK. Five databases were searched for surveys monitoring the prevalence of use of CAM, which were published between 1 January 1995 and 7 December 2011. In total, 14 papers that reported 13 separate surveys met our inclusion criteria. Most were of poor methodological quality. The average prevalence of use of CAM across all surveys was 20.6% (range 12.1-32%). The average referral rate to CAM was 39% (range 24.6-86%), and CAM was recommended by 46% of physicians (range 38-55%). The average percentage of physicians who had received training in CAM was 10.3% (range 4.8-21%). The three most commonly used methods of CAM were acupuncture, homeopathy and relaxation therapy. A sizable proportion of physicians in the UK seem to employ some type of CAM, yet many have not received any training in CAM. This raises issues related to medical ethics, professional competence and education of physicians.