Study Finds Dietary Supplement Education Would Help MDs Help Patients
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
An online interactive curriculum may improve physicians' knowledge of dietary supplement regulation and enhance communication with patients, according to a study in the May 14 Archives of Internal Medicine
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An online interactive curriculum may improve physicians' knowledge of dietary supplement regulation and enhance communication with patients, according to a study in the May 14 Archives of Internal Medicine. Bimal H. Ashar, M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, et al., evaluated physicians' knowledge of dietary supplement regulation and adverse event reporting. They say the findings revealed physicians are "not equipped to fulfill their educational duties adequately on this subject," but the interactive curriculum "may begin to bridge this gap in knowledge." Completed by 335 residents or attending physicians in 15 training programs from March through June 2006, the curriculum included a pretest on regulations and adverse event reporting. A post-test followed a case-based interactive curriculum with correct answers. The average pretest score was 58.8 percent, with 37 percent of physicians unaware that dietary supplements did not require FDA pre-market approval. Additionally, the study revealed 60 percent of physicians were unclear on how to proceed in the event of a serious adverse event. After completing the module, the average post-test score was 91.1 percent. The findings support previous surveys showing physicians desire "more training in complementary and alternative medicine in general," the researchers note. The results also are consistent with a Health and Human Services Department report showing few dietary supplement adverse events are reported (1 (Also see "Public Outreach To Consumers, Physicians Could Improve AE Reporting - OIG" - Pink Sheet, 23 Apr, 2001.), p. 6). Ashar et al. say the study results emphasize physicians should educate patients on supplement regulation so "an informed decision about their use may be made." Additionally, they say the study may serve as a "valuable adjunct" to governmental outreach programs that aim to educate health professionals about the safety of dietary supplements, drugs and biologicals. Similarly, researchers in 2006 said results of an FDA survey showed health care professionals should learn about their patients' multivitamin use (2 (Also see "FDA Survey Finds 4% Of Supplement Users Report Adverse Events" - Pink Sheet, 11 Dec, 2006.), p. 9) - Eileen Francis ([email protected]) |