CRN to sponsor research on healthcare professionals' use of dietary supplements

WASHINGTON ”Life…supplemented,” an advertising campaign managed by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, on Thursday announced that it is sponsoring new research among healthcare professionals to better understand their personal use of dietary supplements and how it may impact the way they counsel their patients about dietary supplements.

“A search of the current medical literature reveals less than a dozen articles in peer-reviewed publications on the subject of personal use of supplements among clinicians, with papers published since 2000 clearly reflecting a growing interest in the topic among academicians,” stated Steve Mister, CRN’s president and chief executive officer

Mister noted, however, that because of the disparities among definitions of dietary supplements, instruments and populations surveyed, more questions are raised than are answered. “At this stage, it’s impossible to say with certainty whether the personal use of supplements by healthcare professionals correlates to their recommendations to patients.”

“This represents a significant knowledge gap that needs to be addressed,” stated Tieraona Low Dog, director of education for the University of Arizona’s Program in Integrative Medicine. “At this time, we do not know how the majority of healthcare professionals view dietary supplements in terms of their own health, or how these views then impact their discussions with patients in the clinical setting.”

Results of the survey, which will be fielded during September, are expected to be released in early November.

The online survey has been developed with Ipsos, a leading research firm.