Title:Is there an Association between Complementary and Alternative Medicine
use and Trust in Physicians in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases?
Volume: 20
Issue: 4
Author(s): Fatima Zahra Aharrane*, Fatima Zahrae Taik, Nihad Takhrifa, Rajaa Bensaid, Nabil Soba, Maryam Fourtassi and Fatima Ezzahra Abourazzak
Affiliation:
- Department of Rheumatology, Mohamed VI University Hospital Center, Tangier, Morocco
- Life and Health Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tétouan, Morocco
Keywords:
CAM therapy, patient-physician relationships, rheumatic diseases, TPS, cupping therapy, level of education.
Abstract:
Introduction: Generally, patients with chronic rheumatic diseases use complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM) in addition to their conventional treatments to manage their
health. Discussing these treatments with their physician is still rare, which might be directly related
to patients’ trust toward them.
Aim: The primary objective of this study was to assess the association between patients’ trust in
their physician and the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with chronic
inflammatory rheumatic diseases. As secondary objectives, to estimate the prevalence of CAM
use, and to identify the associated factors with their use and with trust in physicians.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, which included patients with established chronic inflammatory
rheumatic diseases, at the University Hospital Center in Tangier. The questionnaire included
demographic and clinical information, use of conventional therapy, complementary and alternative
therapy, as well as interpersonal trust in patient-physician relationships using the Trust in
Physician Scale (TPS). A regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with
CAM use and with trust in physicians.
Results: The study included 189 patients. 57.14% of patients reported using complementary
medicine at least once, most patients were women (77.78%), mean age was 46.67 ± 13.25 years
with an average course of the disease of 11.11 ± 9.23 years. The most frequently used CAM treatments
were cupping therapy, massage and the ingestion of a mixture of plants. Mean ± SD Trust
in Physician Scale was 47.64 ± 7.2. There was no significant difference between CAM users vs.
non-users (48.08 ± 6.9 vs 47.04 ± 7.4; p = 0.35). In uni and multivariate analysis, a low level of education
was significantly associated with the use of CAM. However, no statistically significant difference
was found with trust in physicians (OR = 1.020, 95% CI (0.978-1.063), p = 0.354).
Conclusion: CAM therapy is common in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases.
No statistically significant association was found with trust in physicians, it was rather observed
with level of education.
