Integrative Medicine: situational assessment through medical perception in the South of Brazil

Abstract

The study had the aim to identify the interest, agreement and knowledge of the physicians working in the Unified Health System in relation to the practices of integrative medicine and its national policy of inclusion in the health system. A cross - sectional study was performed. The sample was of the census type, with a total of 230 professionals. The majority of physicians investigated reported not knowing the national policy of integrative and complementary practices (85.5%) and denied being interested in their therapeutic modalities (53.3%). Nevertheless, a significant number of them reported wanting to know more about the practices (43%) and to agree to their inclusion in the Unified Health System - SUS (80.2%), with 48.8% agreeing only with the inclusion of some practices. Self or family use influenced in the knowledge and the recommendation of use to the patients.