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Date

2014

Abstract

More than 50% of American adults use at least one dietary supplement. Despite their popularity, patients and physicians are often unaware of the limited regulation of these products as well as their potential risks and benefits. During our rotation at the Center for Family Medicine in Bangor, Maine, we observed several patients asking about the efficacy and safety of various supplements. Also, many patients wanted to avoid taking pharmacological drugs and inquired about any "natural" treatments to their illnesses. The residents we worked with expressed a lack of confidence in their ability to discuss dietary supplements with their patients. In the overwhelming majority of cases, if a patient did not bring up supplement use on their own, the providers never inquired about it.

Keywords

dietary supplements, Maine

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Disciplines

Medical Education | Primary Care

Dietary Supplement Education in a Primary Care Setting

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