Table 4 Distribution of the Items of the Scale on Attitudes towards Alternative Methods in Medicine by Grade (n = 943)

Mean ± SD

Mean ± SD

All practitioners of CAM should be medically qualified.

5,51 ± 1,75

5,15 ± 1,98

0,024*

On avarage, practitioners of CAM make less money than other doctors.

3,12 ± 1,88

2,70 ± 1,89

0,000*

CAM has low status within medicine

4,14 ± 1,78

4,57 ± 1,85

0,001*

CAM is only effective in treating minor complaints.

3,91 ± 1,77

4,48 ± 1,94

0,000*

CAM is fairly unscientific.

3,09 ± 1,84

3,47 ± 2,05

0,014*

CAM has advanced considerably in recent years in understanding of illness and diseases

4,16 ± 1,65

3,52 ± 1,8

0,000*

Practitioners of CAM are more prepared to listen to their patients.

4,56 ± 1,73

4,21 ± 1,86

0,012*

Patients on CAM hardly ever get better

3,15 ± 1,57

3,84 ± 1,72

0,000*

Despite considerable research, there are few aplicable results in CAM.

3,85 ± 1,58

4,66 ± 1,80

0,000*

CAM should be thught in medical school.

4,66 ± 2,00

4,12 ± 2,13

0,000*

Women have more tendency to CAM than men.

5,93 ± 1,91

5,58 ± 1,70

0,000*

Most practitioners of CAM receive a thorough training.

3,03 ± 1,65

2,59 ± 1,63

0,000*

CAM is safer than modern medical treatments

2,76 ± 1,70

2,55 ± 1,72

0,027*

You need to be “gifted” to carry out CAM

2,38 ± 1,65

2,00 ± 1,51

0,000*

A surprising number of patients claim its effective at curing their illness.

4,44 ± 165

4,14 ± 1,88

0,027*

CAM is more cost-effective than modern medicine

3,47 ± 1,70

3,21 ± 1,79

0,020*

Much of CAM is actually dangerous to the health of patients

2,75 ± 1,58

3,14 ± 1,78

0,003*

The reason for the success of CAM is mainly due to treating the whole person.

3,73 ± 1,73

3,19 ± 1,72

0,000*

A doctor should know CAM methods

4,95 ± 1,73

4,13 ± 2,08

0,000*

Knowledge of CAM is needed in my future professionalism

4,67 ± 2,21

3,83 ± 2,08

0,000*

I believe that to suggest CAM modalities to their patients is responsibility of doctors.

4,20 ± 1,91

3,22 ± 2,04

0,000*

I am personally interested in CAM

4,16 ± 2,03

3,53 ± 2,14

0,000*

CAM is an important part of my professionalism

3,59 ± 1,95

2,80 ± 1,92

0,000*

CAM is an important part of my culture

3,52 ± 2,01

3,17 ± 1,95

0,013*

I believe that CAM may have positive effect on general health outcomes

4,25 ± 1,82

3,71 ± 1,84

0,000*