Use of complementary and alternative medicine by health professionals: implications for prevention and treatment of infection

Abstract

Over the past 5 years there has been enormous growth in the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), with approximately 75% of Australians reporting use of one of more CAM. At the same time, there is increasing interest in how various health professionals view CAM and how they might be incorporated into clinical care. This review describes the main findings with respect to the use and attitudes towards CAM by health professionals and highlights areas where CAM may be used by health professionals in the prevention and treatment of infectious disease.