Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions



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CURRENT ISSUE BACK ISSUES SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE ABOUT JCEHP FOR AUTHORS JCEHP AWARD SEARCH (Members only) FULL-TEXT		Volume 23 (1) Volume 23, Issue 1, Winter 2003 J Contin Educ Health Prof 2003; 23(1):13-20 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Physicians' and Patients' Attitudes toward Manual Medicine: Implications for Continuing Medical Education Scott T. Stoll, DO, PhD David P. Russo, BA James W. Atchison, DO A b s t r a c t Introduction: Manual medicine (MM) is a physical modality infrequently used in primary care clinics. This study examines primary care physicians' experience with and attitudes toward the use of MM in the primary care setting, as well as patients' experience with and attitudes toward MM. Methods: Surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of physicians (54.3% response rate) attending a 1-week primary care continuing medical education (CME) conference in Kentucky. Similar surveys were also mailed to a random sample of primary care patients (35.3% response rate) living in a service region in which most conference attendees practiced. Results: Similar responses were obtained from physicians and patients. A majority (81% and 76%, respectively) of physicians and patients felt that MM was safe, and over half (56% of physicians and 59% of patients) felt that MM should be available in the primary care setting. Although less than half (40%) of the physicians reported any educational exposure to MM and less than one-quarter (20%) have administered MM in their practice, most (71%) respondents endorsed desiring more instruction in MM. The majority of those seeking additional educational exposure (56%) were willing to pay for MM training that included CME credit. Discussion: This survey suggests that primary care physicians feel that there is currently insufficient education in MM. The majority of physicians and patients feel that MM is beneficial, safe, and appropriate for use in a primary care setting. Thus, there may be a rising demand for quality instruction in MM from physical medicine doctors and other licensed therapists who currently practice MM. Lessons for Practice Muscoskeletal complaints comprise a large proportion of patient care visits to primary care physicians, and many physicians feel ill prepared to effectively diagnose and treat common muscoskeletal conditions. Manual medicine has been endorsed by the AHCRQ for the early management of acute low back pain. For select primary care physicians, there appears to be a need for continuing medical education in manual medicine. MeSH Terms: Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitude to Health; Comparative Study; Education, Medical, Continuing; Family Practice; Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Patient Participation; Questionnaires; Referral and Consultation
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