A Survey of Complementary and Conventional Medicine Use Patterns in the Veteran Population

Veterans Clinical Trial

— CACMAS  

Official title:

A Survey of Complementary and Conventional Medicine Use Patterns in the Veteran Population

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01502475
• Other study ID #: 11-1086
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: December 28, 2011
• Last updated: November 25, 2014
• Start date: November 2011
• Est. completion date: November 2014

Study information

• Verified date: July 2012
• Source: VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

In this protocol, the investigators proposed to assess the Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) usage patterns in a Veteran population using a CAM survey developed by Dr. Hernandez and colleagues. This survey, the Complementary, Alternative and Conventional Medicines Attitudes Scale (CACMAS), is a brief, self-report questionnaire that assesses medical use patterns, as well as attitudes about medical treatment and the relationship among these. The CACMAS will assess the potential role of individual beliefs and attitudes towards complementary and conventional medicine usage patterns, and possibly indicate how this scale might be used to predict optimal treatment offerings for a particular population given attitudes about medical treatments.

Description:

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States has seen a steady and steep rise over the past two decades. A national survey of over 31,000 adults found that 36% of respondents had used CAM therapies in the last month, and this estimate increased to 62% when prayer for health reasons was included. Second, this same survey showed that CAM is often used to treat symptoms and illnesses associated with stress such as depression, anxiety, back and neck pain, and gastrointestinal disorders. Finally, many individuals experiencing high levels of stress lack access to conventional medicine due to lack of medical insurance, possibly increasing the attractiveness of CAM for these individuals. This ongoing systematic characterization of CAM usage patterns in civilian populations has not been mirrored in active military and military Veteran populations across the United States. Data from the less than handful of studies that have been conducted thus far, suggest that CAM usage patterns in military and military Veteran populations are influenced by demographics and certain medical conditions, as well as dissatisfaction with certain aspects of conventional care. While there appears to be some similarity between civilian and non-civilians populations, there remains much to be known in the latter population.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 97
• Est. completion date: November 2014
• Est. primary completion date: November 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 89 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between ages of 18 and 89

• Currently eligible or receiving health care at a VA Medical Center

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to provide informed consent

• Inability to answer comprehension questions

Study Design

Observational Model: Case-Only, Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alternative Medicine
• Attitudes
• Beliefs
• Veterans

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center/VAECHCS	Denver	Colorado
United States	Eastern Colorado Health Care System Denver VA	Denver	Colorado

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Conventional Medicine Attitudes Scale (CACMAS)		One time	No

External Links

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