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eCAM Advance Access published online on October 28, 2009
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep146
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© The Author(s) 2009. Published by Oxford University Press.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Integration of Herbal Medicine in Primary Care in Israel: A Jewish–Arab Cross-cultural Perspective

Eran Ben-Arye1, Efraim Lev2, Yael Keshet3 and Elad Schiff4

1Complementary and Traditional Medicine Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa and Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District, 2Department of Eretz Israel Studies and School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3Department of Sociology, Western Galilee Academic College – Bar Ilan University and 4Department of Internal Medicine, Bnai-Zion Hospital and Department for Complementary/Integrative Medicine, Law and Ethics, International Center for Health, Law and Ethics, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel

Herbal medicine is a prominent complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modality in Israel based on the country's natural diversity and impressive cultural mosaic. In this study, we compared cross-cultural perspectives of patients attending primary care clinics in northern Israel on herbal medicine specifically and CAM generally, and the possibility of integrating them within primary care. Research assistants administered a questionnaire to consecutive patients attending seven primary care clinics. About 2184 of 3713 respondents (59%) defined themselves as Muslims, Christians or Druze (henceforth Arabs) and 1529 (41%) as Jews. Arab respondents reported more use of herbs during the previous year (35 versus 27.8% P = 0.004) and of more consultations with herbal practitioners (P < 0.0001). Druze reported the highest rate of herbal consultations (67.9%) and Ashkenazi Jews the lowest rate (45.2%). About 27.5% of respondents supported adding a herbal practitioner to their clinic's medical team if CAM were to be integrated within primary care. Both Arabs and Jews report considerable usage of herbal medicine, with Arabs using it significantly more. Cross-cultural perspectives are warranted in the study of herbal medicine use in the Arab and Jewish societies.

Keywords: complementary and alternative medicine – cross-cultural medicine – doctor–patient communication – herbal medicine – integrative medicine – primary care – traditional medicine

For reprints and all correspondence: Eran Ben-Arye, Complementary and Traditional Medicine Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and Clalit Health Services, 6 Hashahaf Street, Haifa 35013, Israel. Tel: +972-52-870-9282; Fax: +972-4-851-3059; E-mail: eranben{at}netvision.net.il

Received April 2, 2009; accepted August 25, 2009


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