Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Assessment of Dermatology Quality of Life Index among Dermatology Outpatients: A Cross-sectional Comparative Study

Aims: The aims of this study were to examine the frequency of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among dermatology outpatients, and compare the socio demographic factors and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) values between CAM users and non-users.The CAM approaches and knowledge of the patients were also evaluated. StudyDesign: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used.Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital Dermatology outpatient clinic, between January of 2011 and May of 2011.Method: A total of 522 consecutive patients were included in this study.The patients were older than 18 years old, and answered an interviewer-administered questionnaire about CAM use.The demographics, dermatological condition, CAM treatment, time of usage, benefits and side effects, and the patients' answers from the questions about CAM were recorded.The quality of life was evaluated using the Turkish version of the Original Research Article