Have you heard of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)? A new survey found that it’s likely your doctor may not be well informed about it either.

Of 1,561 practicing clinicians surveyed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, 25 percent were unaware of two major federally funded clinical trials of CAM therapies for osteoarthritis of the knee. Additionally, many of them weren’t confident about interpreting research results. Only 23 percent of respondents were aware of both trials.

Jon C. Tilburt, MD, the survey leader, emphasized that health care professionals must be able to interpret the findings of research studies so that they can apply them to their practice. The survey suggested that medical organizations aggressively train clinicians in using evidence-based resources and require better dissemination of research results in the future.

Want to learn more about CAM? Visit the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine here.