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Member Survey Summary
The Section on
Integrative Medicine (SOIM) had the opportunity
to complete a member survey on SurveyMonkey.com from August to October
2005. There were 35 responses with an estimated 50% response rate.
When respondents were asked
from where they first learned about the SOIM, 46% (16) learned from
a colleague in the section, 14.4% (5) from AAP OnCall e-mail, 5.7% (2)
from AAP News, and the remaining 34.3% (12) from an integrative medicine
organization (eg, American Holistic Medical Association, International
Pediatric Integrative Medicine Network). The majority of respondents (62%)
are members of other AAP committees and sections, including the Committee
on Children with Disabilities, the Councils on Clinical Informatics and
Technology and Community Pediatrics, and the Sections on Adolescent Health,
Breastfeeding, Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics, Epidemiology, International
Health, and Young Physicians.
The overwhelming majority of
respondents (84.4%) were interested in the SOIM objectives to offer
education for pediatricians, patients, and families. 68.8% also were interested
in clinical models of effective integrative practice; 59.4% wanted more
information on research; 43.8% wanted more advocacy for reimbursement,
and 25% were interested in collaborating with other clinicians who care
for children. There were two suggestions for the SOCIM to offer evidence-based
updates on therapies and to consider collaborating with non-conventional
disciplines.
When asked in what format they
would like to receive complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) CME, the majority of respondents (81.2%) preferred
review articles. 65.6% preferred traditional CME at separate pediatric
integrative medicine conferences or similar venues; 62.5% wanted information
on the Internet; 53.1% traditional CME at the annual AAP National Conference
and Exhibition; 37.5% wanted CME at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies
conference; and a smaller percentage preferred web seminars (28.1%), books
(21.9%), and teleconferences (12.5%).
Most respondents were very
to moderately knowledgeable about various SOIM therapies such as herbal
remedies, dietary/nutritional supplements, therapeutic exercise, massage,
acupuncture, mind-body therapies, and spiritual healing/prayer. The majority
of respondents knew less about environmental therapies (ie, magnets, crystals,
music, etc), therapeutic touch/Reiki, and homeopathy. The majority of
respondents want more information on most therapies, except chiropractic
and spiritual healing.
Respondents were asked to select
multiple section benefits that they plan to use. The majority of respondents
plan to use the following benefits: discussion listserv (71.9%), CME (71.9%),
networking opportunities (68.8%), web information (68.8%), the newsletter
(62.5%), and the announcement listserv (62.5%).
When respondents were asked
to select multiple SOIM activities in which they would like be involved,
the majority wanted to participate in the SOCIM planning and/or
presenting (63.3%). Only 23% of respondents were not interested in becoming
involved at this time.
Approximately 75% of respondents
spend most of their time in other specialty/subspecialty areas, and most
are employed at a medical school or parent university (40.6%). Over 25%
are employed in various practice structures, and 12.5% were employed at
non-government hospitals and 3.1% at non-profit community health centers.
Several respondents were training or conducting research in pediatric
integrative medicine. When asked to describe their primary practice/position
location, 40.6% were in urban, not inner city, 31.2% were in the inner
city, and 28.1% were in the suburbs. No one's practice setting was located
in a rural area. Finally, roughly 70% of the membership is female, and
most respondents were born between 1955 and 1970.
The SOIM Executive Committee
has already referred to this very useful information in developing CME
and planning future activities for the section.
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