June 2007

More than one‑third of all Americans use alternative medicine

More than 37% of US households regularly turn to alternative treatments for everything from headaches to diabetes, according to a survey conducted by Thomson Medstat, a business of The Thomson Corporation.

Thomson Medstat's 2006 consumer health care survey asked 23,000 adults about their use of alternative medicine and found that:

*** 37.2% of US households use some form of alternative medicine. The most common reason was to improve general wellness.

*** Alternative medicine use is most prevalent among those with annual incomes exceeding $100,000 and those with post‑graduate college degrees.

*** Nearly two‑thirds of respondents said their physicians were aware of their use of alternative medicine.

*** 41.9% said at least some of the costs of their alternative treatments were covered by insurance.

*** Herbal supplements and massage/chiropractic care were the most commonly used alternative care, followed by mind/body practices, energy therapies and naturopathy.

The study also found that affluent, highly educated Americans are driving the growth of the alternative market. Nearly half (49.9%) of households earning more than $100,000 per year sought alternative treatments in the past 12 months. Likewise, 49.6% of those with post‑graduate degrees used alternative medicine. At the lower end of the income/education scale, utilization dropped to 30% in households earning $15,000‑‑$24,999 per year and to 18.1% among those without a high school diploma.

"Alternative medicine use has become so widespread that it is now critical for traditional, Western physicians to factor a whole new set of potential interactions into treatment decisions," said Dr. David Schutt, associate medical director at Thomson Medstat. "Knowing the statistics behind alternative medicine use is a good start, but further study of this area is necessary."

The study suggests that medical doctors are increasingly making it a habit to ask patients about their alternative medicine use and history. In total, 64.1% of respondents said their physicians were aware of their use of alternative medicine.

For more detailed report on the survey findings, visit www.medstat.com.