Learning curve for clinicians

Here’s an important reminder that who you choose for your treatment can be just as important as the treatment itself.

A new survey finds that far too many practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine don’t seem to keep up with the latest research – and many of those who do aren’t confident in their ability to understand it.

In the survey, published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 1,561 acupuncturists, naturopaths, internists, and rheumatologists answered questions about two recent major clinical trials.

The survey found that 59 percent were at least aware of one of the studies, but just 23 percent were aware of both.

I won’t mince words here. All of these doctors should have known about both of these trials, since they helped support the complementary and alternative medicine field.

One of them found that acupuncture worked better than a false acupuncture-like procedure in knee osteoarthritis. Acupuncturists everywhere should have celebrated this one, yet 54 percent of those surveyed had never even heard of it.

On the other hand, 88 percent of rheumatologists were aware of the other study, which showed that glucosamine and chondroitin were better than a placebo in moderate-to-severe knee osteoarthritis. That’s important, because that’s exactly the kind of study rheumatologists, who specialize in joints, bones, and muscles, should be aware of.

The other respondents, however, were far less likely to know of the study, which is a real shame.

Now, some folks are going to try to make this about the treatments and not the clinicians who practice them. They’ll try to use this study to discredit a whole field.

But don’t fall for that old song and dance.

This isn’t about treatments — it’s about people. And while I haven’t seen any numbers lately, I can tell you that there are plenty of regular docs out there who either don’t keep up with the latest research or who can’t properly interpret what they’re reading.

Why else would so many doctors regularly prescribe pills that don’t cure or heal, and that often come with nasty side effects to boot?

What we need is better education all around.

For those who choose to go into a more standard medical practice, we need an education system free from the influence of Big Pharma and companies trying to push expensive and unnecessary surgeries and procedures on people.

And of course, as this study makes clear, we also need better training and education for clinicians who practice complementary and alternative medicine, so that they can better follow and understand the cutting-edge research in their own fields.

As a patient, you shouldn’t just expect that. You should demand it.