Table 4 Attitudes and knowledge about indirect risk situations (n = 466)^a

 Yes

302

71.6

119

88.8

54

88.5

15

55.6

114

57

< 0.001^*

Most important factor for recommending a complementary modality

< 0.001^

 Evidence for safety

209

49.1

52

38.2

37

59.7

12

44.4

108

53.7

 Evidence for efficacy

169

39.7

55

40.4

25

40.3

14

51.9

75

37.3

 Evidence does not matter

22

5.2

5

3.7

0

0

0

0

17

8.5

 Double responses

26

6.1

24

17.6

0

0

1

3.7

1

0.5

Sufficient efficacy evidence to recommend a complementary modality

< 0.001^

 No or weak evidence for efficacy

39

9.3

9

6.6

3

4.9

2

7.4

25

12.9

 Moderate evidence for efficacy

151

36.1

37

27.2

11

18

17

63

86

44.3

 Strong evidence for efficacy

168

40.2

66

48.5

39

63.9

7

25.9

56

28.9

 Would never recommend

60

14.4

24

17.6

8

13.1

1

3.7

27

13.9

Sufficient evidece for safety

< 0.001^

 No or weak evidence for safety

12

2.9

3

2.2

0

0

1

3.7

8

4.1

 Moderate evidence for safety

57

13.6

4

3

3

4.8

7

25.9

43

22.1

 Strong evidence for safety

309

73.7

108

80

52

83.9

18

66.7

131

67.2

 Would never recommend

41

9.8

20

14.8

7

11.3

1

3.7

13

6.7

Number of complementary modality care patients who delayed or declined conventional treatment

< 0.001^*

 No patients

337

80

95

70.4

30

49.2

25

96.2

187

94

 One or more patients

84

20

40

29.6

31

50.8

1

3.8

12

6

How the providers would address a complementary modality patient who delayed or declined conventional treatment

 Have not experienced

206

44.2

52

36.6

15

21.7

12

38.7

127

58.8

< 0.001^*

 Respect the patient’s choice

157

33.7

57

40.1

35

50.7

11

35.5

54

25.0

< 0.001^*

 Try to convince patient

127

27.3

65

45.8

13

18.8

7

22.6

42

19.4

< 0.001^*

 Encourage patient soliciting a  second opinion

150

32.2

34

23.9

24

34.8

12

38.7

80

37.0

0.122^*

 Ask family members to intervene

9

1.9

7

4.9

2

2.9

0

0.0

0

0.0

0.003^

 Inform patient of consequences of not receiving conventional treatment

203

43.6

91

64.1

42

60.9

10

32.3

60

27.8

< 0.001^*

Approve of patient combining complementary and conventional treatments

< 0.001^

 Never

23

5.9

12

9

3

5.8

0

0

8

4.5

 Sometimes

147

37.8

84

63.2

31

59.6

6

24

26

14.5

 Often

107

27.5

27

20.3

9

17.3

8

32

63

35.2

 Always

112

28.8

10

7.5

9

17.3

11

44

82

45.8

Asking patients if they consider risks of combining complementary and conventional treatments

< 0.001^*

 Never

153

39.2

54

40.3

17

30.4

11

44

71

40.6

 Sometimes

147

37.7

59

44

31

55.4

11

44

46

26.3

 Often/always

90

23.1

21

15.7

8

14.3

3

12

58

33.1

Advice given to patients who ask about complementary modalities

< 0.001^

 Discourage use

14

3.6

10

7.5

2

3.6

0

0

2

1.1

 Encourage use

100

25.8

3

2.3

4

7.3

11

42.3

82

47.1

 Neither

177

45.6

81

60.9

30

54.5

10

38.5

56

32.2

 Other

97

25

39

29.3

19

34.5

5

19.2

34

19.5

 Discourage use

2

0.5

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

1.1

0.005^

 Encourage use

308

78.2

116

86.6

42

77.8

21

84

129

71.3

 Neither discourage nor encourage

46

11.7

5

3.7

6

11.1

4

16

31

17.1

 Other

38

9.6

13

9.7

6

11.1

0

0

19

10.5

Complementary modalities are dangerous because they delay conventional treatments

< 0.001^*

 Yes

178

47.6

100

78.1

35

71.4

6

24

37

21.5