Integrative Medicine: situational assessment through medical perception in the South of Brazil

ABSTRACT The study aimed to identify the interest, agreement and knowledge of the doctors working in the Unified Health System (SUS) in the city of Tubarão (SC) regarding the practices of Integrative Medicine and their national policy of inclusion in the health system. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a census-type sample composed of a total of 230 professionals. Most investigated doctors reported not knowing the national policy of integrative and complementary practices (85.5%) and denied having interest in their therapeutic modalities (53.3%). Even so, a significant number of them reported wanting to know more about the practices (43%) and agreeing to include them in the SUS (80.2%), and 48.8% agree only with the inclusion of some practices. The use of one’s own or family members influenced the knowledge and, therefore, the recommendation of use to the patients.