Norway: Use of CAM within Norwegian hospitals

In 2013, a survey on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norwegian hospitals was conducted in Norway. The survey was carried out by Renate Jacobsen from the University of Tromsø, Norway and her team. A summary of the results of the survey was published in the 2015 article: Use of complementary and alternative medicine within Norwegian hospitals. (258)

According to the study, the demand for CAM is increasing in Western countries, including Norway, and certain CAM therapies are gradually being integrated into national health systems. Two CAM surveys were conducted in Norway in 2001 and 2008. According to these surveys, the proportion of Norwegian hospitals offering CAM increased from 25% in 2001 to 50.5% in 2008. The most frequently offered therapy was acupuncture. The aim of Jacobsen’s new survey was to assess the situation in 2013 and assess the changes that have occurred since 2008. The survey covered all of the country’s public hospitals (59) and 21 private hospitals. The survey showed a further increase in the proportion of hospitals in Norway that offer CAM – from 50.5% in 2008 to 64.4% in 2013. We cite the abstract of this study:

„Abstract

Background

Over the recent decades complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use within and outside of the public health care system in Norway has increased. The aim of this study is to describe to what extent CAM is offered in Norwegian hospitals in 2013 and investigate possible changes since 2008.

Methods

In January 2013 a one-page questionnaire was sent to the medical director of all included hospitals (n = 80). He/she was asked to report whether or not one or more specific CAM therapies were offered in the hospital. Fifty-nine (73.8%) hospitals responded and form the basis for the analyses.

Results

CAM was offered in 64.4% of the responding hospitals. No major differences were found between public and private, or between somatic and psychiatric, hospitals. Acupuncture was the most frequent CAM method offered, followed by art- and expression therapy and massage.

The proportion of hospitals offering CAM has increased from 50.5% in 2008 to 64.4% in 2013 (p = 0.089). The largest increase was found in psychiatric hospitals where 76.5% of hospitals offered CAM in 2013 compared to 28.6% in 2008 (p = 0.003). A small decrease was found in the proportion of hospitals offering acupuncture between 2008 (41.4%) and 2013 (37.3%).

Conclusions

A majority of Norwegian hospitals offer some sort of CAM. The largest increase since 2008 was found in psychiatric hospitals. Psychiatric hospitals seem to have established a practice of offering CAM to their patients similar to the practice in somatic hospitals. This could indicate a shift in the attitude with regard to CAM in psychiatric hospitals.” (259)