Table 3 Other factors associated with referral to chiropractic or osteopathy by rural and regional GPs in New South Wales, Australia (n=585)
Referral to chiropractic or osteopathy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Factors | Weekly or monthly | Seldom or never | p-value | |
% | % | |||
GPs level of knowledge of chiropractic and osteopathy | Excellent | 3.5 | 7.1 | <0.001 |
Very Good | 15.5 | 11.9 | ||
Satisfactory | 54.3 | 37.6 | ||
Poor | 26.1 | 34.3 | ||
Very Poor | 0.8 | 9.1 | ||
Percentage of patients who have asked about CAM | <10% | 28.5 | 47.6 | <0.001 |
11-25% | 4.1 | 44.8 | ||
26-50% | 9.9 | 5.2 | ||
>50% | 20.5 | 2.4 | ||
GP’s personal use of CAM | Regularly | 17.6 | 4.3 | <0.001 |
Often | 15.7 | 21.4 | ||
Once/Rarely | 35.2 | 22.9 | ||
Never, but would consider | 15.2 | 9.1 | ||
Never, and would not consider | 15.2 | 41.0 | ||
Access to medical specialists is a problem | Yes | 2.4 | 3.3 | 0.509 |
No | 97.6 | 96.7 | ||
Patient request for referral | Yes | 51.2 | 30.0 | <0.001 |
No | 48.8 | 70.0 | ||
Lack of other options | Yes | 13.9 | 6.7 | 0.005 |
No | 86.1 | 93.3 | ||
Positive results previously | Yes | 58.7 | 30.5 | <0.001 |
No | 41.3 | 69.5 | ||
CAM practitioners are a major source of information on CAM | Yes | 26.9 | 6.2 | <0.001 |
No | 73.1 | 93.8 | ||
Patients are a major source of information on CAM | Yes | 52.3 | 38.1 | 0.001 |
No | 47.7 | 61.9 | ||
Belief in efficacy | Yes | 69.3 | 31.4 | <0.001 |
No | 30.7 | 68.6 | ||
GP interested in increasing CAM knowledge? | Yes | 57.1 | 51.9 | 0.173 |
No | 42.9 | 48.1 | ||
GP has prescribed CAM to patients previously | Yes | 79.5 | 58.6 | <0.001 |
No | 20.5 | 41.4 | ||
CGP’s comfort level with chiropractic and osteopathy | Comfortable in general | 30.9 | 4.8 | <0.001 |
Only in specific circumstances | 52.4 | 22.9 | ||
Only if I knew them in person | 14.0 | 14.3 | ||
I would not refer | 1.9 | 58.1 | ||