Dr Jon Adams, School of Population Health

Dr Jon Adams

Complementary treatment use is high in regional Australia, but patients often don’t tell their doctor, according to a UQ researcher, who will conduct the world’s first study in this area.

The study, by School of Population Health social scientist, Dr Jon Adams, aims to help improve rural health outcomes by investigating the practices and perspectives of regional general practitioners (GPs) regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM treatments include therapies such as acupuncture, naturopathy and herbal medicine.

Dr Adams has been awarded $85,000 as one of the 2007 winners of the UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards.

He said the results of the research would be important for rural health delivery because the high use of CAM could have potential safety issues when combined with conventional healthcare.

“GPs are key healthcare providers, particularly in rural areas and it’s vitally important that they have as much information as possible about CAM and their patients’ use of CAM,” Dr Adams said.

“Better communication and co-ordination of services between GPs and CAM practitioners can avoid potential complications and help manage the patient journey.”

The study will examine a number of issues, including how many GPs practise CAM and refer patients to CAM practitioners, what type of patients this is most likely to involve and GPs’ perceptions and experiences of CAM.

Other key areas to be examined are the relationship of CAM to rural GP training and education.

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