A preliminary study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners in Singapore

Objectives: To investigate the profile and health attitudes of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners in Singapore. Design and setting: A descriptive survey with convenience and snowball sampling were used. An anonymous self-administered survey was sent to 130 practitioners found in publicly accessible online practitioner registers, groups, and directories practicing CAM modalities from April 2010 to October 2010. Main outcome measures: Participants' demographics, business structure, and attitudes towards health, CAM and orthodox medicine (OM). Results: Response rate was 32%. The data suggest that the typical CAM practitioner in Singapore is a middle-aged female who specialises in more than one CAM modality. Almost half (45%) of the participants possessed a degree and massage is the most commonly practiced modality. Participants practiced an average of 2-3 therapies and group-practice size ranged from 2 to 15 practitioners. Most participants (69%) experienced a radical change in job type to become a CAM practitioner and their previous employment suggests a slightly middle-class profile. The cost and duration of initial consultation and treatment ranged from SG$20 to SG$345 and 30-120 min, respectively. The most common source of CAM information was seminars/lectures/workshops (76%). Communication and referral between CAM and orthodox medicine practitioners are high (>70%). Participants perceived CAM to be more suitable for disease prevention than treatment of serious medical conditions. Conclusions: This study provides important base-line data that will help future researchers explore further Singaporean CAM practitioners' business aspirations, and attitudes towards regulation and integration with OM. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.