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Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), includes a wide range of approaches such as herbal medicine, traditional therapies, mind-body intervention, etc. Although CAM is a common practice in India, it is not being integrated into the conventional medical system. There is a paucity of data regarding the usage and acceptance of CAM by patients. Objective: The aim was to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward CAM among patients and to correlate these findings with their demographic and professional characteristics. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey conducted in 100 patients attending out-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Results: Among the respondents, 79.0% were aware of CAM and 46.0 used it. Most common system used was Ayurveda (71.73%), and most common ailment for which it is used was arthritis (30.43%). Majority consulted quacks (43.47%); physicians (23.91%), friends and relatives (19.56%), and 15.21% took CAM as a self-medication. Thirty percent felt that CAM was based on scientific evidence, 25% felt it was safer than modern medicine that is significantly more in women when compared to men. Twenty-five percentage opined that CAM is more efficacious than modern medicine that is significantly more in respondents >40 years age. The most common advantages reported were complete cure, easy availability and no side-effects, whereas disadvantages include food restriction, expensive medication, symptomatic relief and effective for limited diseases. Conclusion: Majority of patients use CAM along with modern medicine without physician's advice. Hence, healthcare professionals should be aware of this while taking clinical history and treating patients that may reduce drug interactions due to use of CAM particularly in the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Health-related quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome in epilepsy treatment. Very few studies have been carried out on the quality of life in epilepsy (QOLIE-31) in India. The present study aimed to determine the level of health-related QOLIE-31 in patients of epilepsy. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Respondents were adults aged at least 18-year-old with a diagnosis of epilepsy. QOLIE-31 was used for collecting data on health-related QOL. The unpaired t-test or one-way analysis of variance was used to compare means of QOL scores between groups. Results: Totally, 60 patients of epilepsy were included in the study. The mean (standard deviation) total score of QOLIE-31 was 64.61. A score of cognitive and medication effect were significantly better in carbamazepine group as compared to valproate group. Conclusions: Patients on monotherapy had a better QOL as compared to patients receiving polytherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]