Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic Disorders
Background While medical cannabis has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of pain and other symptoms, evidence-based use is limited and practitioners face multiple areas of uncertainty regarding the rational use of these compounds. Nonetheless, an increasing public interest and advoca...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Rambam Health Care Campus
2016-04-01
|
| Series: | Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://rmmj.org.il/Pages/ArticleHTM.aspx?manuId=548 |
| _version_ | 1818848059135623168 |
|---|---|
| author | Jacob N. Ablin Ori Elkayam Mary-Ann Fitzcharles |
| author_facet | Jacob N. Ablin Ori Elkayam Mary-Ann Fitzcharles |
| author_sort | Jacob N. Ablin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background
While medical cannabis has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of pain and other symptoms, evidence-based use is limited and practitioners face multiple areas of uncertainty regarding the rational use of these compounds. Nonetheless, an increasing public interest and advocacy in favor of medical cannabis is causing the issue to be encountered ever more frequently by physicians in different fields of medicine and particularly in rheumatology. In view of this situation, we have surveyed the attitudes of Israeli rheumatologists to the use of medical cannabis.
Objectives
As rheumatologists are specialized in caring for patients presenting with musculoskeletal complaints, the confidence of rheumatologists’ knowledge of cannabinoids was surveyed.
Methods
All members of the Israeli Society of Rheumatology were surveyed by e-mail for their confidence and knowledge of cannabinoids and their perceived competence to prescribe herbal cannabis.
Results
A total of 23 out of 119 (19.3%) Israeli rheumatologists approached returned the questionnaire. Three-quarters of responders were not confident about their knowledge of cannabinoid molecules or ability to write a prescription for herbal cannabis, and 78% were not confident to write a prescription for herbal cannabis; 74% of responders held the opinion that there was some role for cannabinoids in the management of rheumatic disease.
Conclusion
Israeli rheumatologists lack confidence in their knowledge of cannabinoids in general, yet are open to the possibility of introducing this treatment. Additional data and guidance are necessary in order to allow rational utilization of cannabinoids for management of rheumatic pain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:11:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-390626915a6d45d0af2e830641cfe7e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-9172 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:11:19Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | Rambam Health Care Campus |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-390626915a6d45d0af2e830641cfe7e72022-12-21T20:32:59ZengRambam Health Care CampusRambam Maimonides Medical Journal2076-91722016-04-0172e001210.5041/RMMJ.10239Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic DisordersJacob N. Ablin0Ori Elkayam1Mary-Ann Fitzcharles2Institute of Rheumatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel, and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelInstitute of Rheumatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel, and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelMcGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaBackground While medical cannabis has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of pain and other symptoms, evidence-based use is limited and practitioners face multiple areas of uncertainty regarding the rational use of these compounds. Nonetheless, an increasing public interest and advocacy in favor of medical cannabis is causing the issue to be encountered ever more frequently by physicians in different fields of medicine and particularly in rheumatology. In view of this situation, we have surveyed the attitudes of Israeli rheumatologists to the use of medical cannabis. Objectives As rheumatologists are specialized in caring for patients presenting with musculoskeletal complaints, the confidence of rheumatologists’ knowledge of cannabinoids was surveyed. Methods All members of the Israeli Society of Rheumatology were surveyed by e-mail for their confidence and knowledge of cannabinoids and their perceived competence to prescribe herbal cannabis. Results A total of 23 out of 119 (19.3%) Israeli rheumatologists approached returned the questionnaire. Three-quarters of responders were not confident about their knowledge of cannabinoid molecules or ability to write a prescription for herbal cannabis, and 78% were not confident to write a prescription for herbal cannabis; 74% of responders held the opinion that there was some role for cannabinoids in the management of rheumatic disease. Conclusion Israeli rheumatologists lack confidence in their knowledge of cannabinoids in general, yet are open to the possibility of introducing this treatment. Additional data and guidance are necessary in order to allow rational utilization of cannabinoids for management of rheumatic pain.http://rmmj.org.il/Pages/ArticleHTM.aspx?manuId=548Medical cannabisopinion surveyrheumatology |
| spellingShingle | Jacob N. Ablin Ori Elkayam Mary-Ann Fitzcharles Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic Disorders Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal Medical cannabis opinion survey rheumatology |
| title | Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic Disorders |
| title_full | Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic Disorders |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic Disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic Disorders |
| title_short | Attitudes of Israeli Rheumatologists to the Use of Medical Cannabis as Therapy for Rheumatic Disorders |
| title_sort | attitudes of israeli rheumatologists to the use of medical cannabis as therapy for rheumatic disorders |
| topic | Medical cannabis opinion survey rheumatology |
| url | http://rmmj.org.il/Pages/ArticleHTM.aspx?manuId=548 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacobnablin attitudesofisraelirheumatologiststotheuseofmedicalcannabisastherapyforrheumaticdisorders AT orielkayam attitudesofisraelirheumatologiststotheuseofmedicalcannabisastherapyforrheumaticdisorders AT maryannfitzcharles attitudesofisraelirheumatologiststotheuseofmedicalcannabisastherapyforrheumaticdisorders |