ABSTRACT
This chapter examines published surveys addressing the question, ‘what proportion of the general public uses complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?’ It describes use of an explicit protocol that contained inclusion and exclusion criteria to select papers for review, and guidelines for extracting and presenting data from studies as they were found. Reliable information about the use of CAM is needed to determine the requirements for research and development, education and regulation in the CAM field. Findings are often confounded by a lack of distinction between CAM involving visits to CAM practitioners and the use of over-the-counter CAM products. The decision about which CAM practices to include in a survey checklist will depend upon the research question, however, a clear rationale for their inclusion is essential. Many CAM therapists are likely to use an unpredictable mixture of techniques and medications.
