Complementary and Alternative Medicine for People with Epilepsy: Opinions of Physicians in Oman

Autor: Abdullah Al-Asmi, Fatema Al Sabahi, Samir Al-Adawi, Intisar Al-Yaqoubi, Sanjay Jaju, Moon Fai Chan, Haifa Al-Abri, Zahir Al-Anqoodi, Ali A. Asadi-Pooya
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Oman Medical Journal, Vol 39, Iss 3, Pp e626-e626 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1999-768X
2070-5204
DOI: 10.5001/omj.2024.70
Popis: Objectives:Several studies have explored the opinions of healthcare workers on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in epilepsy treatment. We sought to survey the views of non-neurologist and non-psychiatrist physicians in Oman on the use of CAM for epilepsy. Methods: We used convenience sampling to recruit physicians (except neurologists and psychiatrists) from all 11 governorates of Oman. The online questionnaire was open to physicians from 5 January 2022 to 15 February 2023. This study collected anonymous data on their demographics, discipline, work settings, geographical area, and years of practice. Additionally, participants were asked to answer questions about their perception of CAM use and its effectiveness in treating epilepsy. Results: A total of 190 physicians participated, of whom 69.5% were men. Respondents were mostly 36 to 45 years old (51.1%). The majority (52.1%) were general practitioners, 21.1% were internists, 17.9% were pediatricians, and 8.9% were family physicians. Most participants (n = 144; 75.8%) believed that CAM may help treat patients with epilepsy (PWE). The most common therapies that participants considered helpful were meditation (46.0%), prayers (44.7%), yoga (32.6%), and exercise (31.1%). Conclusions: While the evidence supporting the use of CAM for the treatment of epilepsy is scarce, this survey showed that most physicians (non-neurologists and non-psychiatrists), who manage PWE in Oman, believed that some CAM modalities would help treat epilepsy. Well-designed controlled trials are needed to provide reliable evidence on the usefulness of CAM options in PWE.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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