scholarly journals Engaging with complementary and alternative medicine in general practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Upsdell ◽  
Chrystal Jaye
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Patient Centered Medicine ◽  
Access To Knowledge ◽  
Practice Patient ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

INTRODUCTION: A number of surveys in New Zealand have documented the growing interest and experience that GPs have in their encounters with complementary and alternative medicine. This study has focussed on reasons why some GPs choose to engage with CAM, how these reflect their aims of health care, the difficulties they encounter and how these are negotiated within the consultation. METHOD: A sample of 12 mainstream GPs from the greater Auckland area agreed to a semi-structured interview, and the transcripts were analysed using grounded theory technique. FINDINGS: All general practitioners interviewed in this study were confronted to a greater or lesser extent with their patients’ interest in CAM. Not all chose to engage with the subject. Those who did engage cited a number of reasons for doing so which included a desire to remain patient-centred, to place their patients’ choices within the context of a good diagnosis, to provide what evidence-based information they could and to minimise potential harms from its use. CONCLUSION: This study adds weight to findings in previous studies that many general practitioners encounter CAM in their consultations and explores reasons why they choose to engage with it. The findings suggest that increased dialogue with non-mainstream health practitioners and access to knowledge sources giving a basic understanding of CAM practices and philosophies that both CAM and mainstream practitioner communities regard as reliable would be of benefit to these GPs. KEYWORDS: Complementary and alternative medicine; family practice; patient-centered medicine

An Innovative Patient-centered Approach to Common Playing-related Pain Conditions in Musicians

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 170-173
Author(s):  
Marc Brodsky ◽  
Ka-Kit Hui
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Case Discussion ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Musicians are increasingly seeking out complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to relieve suffering that results from playing-related pain conditions. Using an innovative patient-centered model, an approach has been developed that can incorporate various medical systems and therapeutics to offer safe, effective, affordable, and accessible health care for musicians. A case discussion explores how musicians, through combining different traditions of medicine in orchestration, can optimize their quality of life while meeting their needs of prevention and rehabilitation of occupation-related conditions.

Prevalence, Pattern and Predictors of use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Migraine Patients Attending a Headache Clinic in Italy

Cephalalgia ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 493-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Rossi ◽  
G Di Lorenzo ◽  
MG Malpezzi ◽  
J Faroni ◽  
F Cesarino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Episodic Migraine ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Transformed Migraine ◽  
Cam Use ◽  
Headache Clinic ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in migraine is a growing phenomenon about which little is known. This study was undertaken to evaluate the rates, pattern and presence of predictors of CAM use in a clinical population of patients with different migraine subtypes. Four hundred and eighty-one migraineurs attending a headache clinic were asked to undergo a physician-administered structured interview designed to gather information on CAM use. Past use of CAM therapies was reported by 31.4% of the patients surveyed, with 17.1% having used CAM in the previous year. CAM therapies were perceived as beneficial by 39.5% of the patients who had used them. A significantly higher proportion of transformed migraine patients reported CAM treatments as ineffective compared with patients suffering from episodic migraine (73.1% vs. 50.7%, P < 0.001). The most common source of a recommendation of CAM was a friend or relative (52.7%). In most cases, migraineurs' recourse to CAM treatments was specifically for their headache (89.3%). Approximately 61% of CAM users had not informed their medical doctors of their CAM use. The most common reason for deciding to try a CAM therapy was that it offered a ‘potential improvement of headache’ (47.7%). The greatest users of CAM treatments were: patients with a diagnosis of transformed migraine; those who had consulted a high number of specialists and reported a higher lifetime number of conventional medical visits; those with a comorbid psychiatric disorder; those with a high income; and those whose headache had been either misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Our findings suggest that headache clinic migraine patients, in their need of and quest for care, seek and explore both conventional and CAM approaches. Physicians should be made aware of this patient-driven change in the medical climate in order to prevent misuse of healthcare resources and to be better equipped to meet patients' needs.

scholarly journals Nem-konvencionális gyógymódok a háziorvos szemszögéből

2015 ◽  
Vol 156 (28) ◽  
pp. 1133-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sándor Árpád Soós ◽  
Ajándék Eőry ◽  
Ajándok Eőry ◽  
László Harsányi ◽  
László Kalabay
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Postgraduate Education ◽  
Hungarian Academy ◽  
Care Physician ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Introduction: The patients initiate the use of complementary and alternative medicine and this often remains hidden from their primary care physician. Aim: To explore general practitioners’ knowledge and attitude towards complementary and alternative medicine, and study the need and appropriate forms of education, as well as ask their opinion on integration of alternative medicine into mainstream medicine. Method: A voluntary anonymous questionnaire was used on two conferences for general practitioners organized by the Family Medicine Department of Semmelweis University. Complementary and alternative medicine was defined by the definition of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and certified modalities were all listed. Results: 194 general practitioners answered the questionnaire (39.8% response rate). 14% of the responders had licence in at least one complementary and alternative medicine modalities, 45% used complementary and alternative medicine in their family in case of illnesses. It was the opinion of the majority (91.8%) that it was necessary to be familiar with every method used by their patients, however, 82.5% claimed not to have enough knowledge in complementary medicine. Graduate and postgraduate education in the field was thought to be necessary by 86% of the responders; increased odds for commitment in personal education was found among female general practitioners, less than 20 years professional experience and personal experience of alternative medicine. Conclusions: These data suggest that general practitioners would like to know more about complementary and alternative medicine modalities used by their patients. They consider education of medical professionals necessary and a special group is willing to undergo further education in the field. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(28), 1133–1139.

The Medical Education Priorities of Parents Who Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maree O’Keefe ◽  
Suzette Coat ◽  
Alison Jones
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Health Care Experiences ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Many parents use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for their children. A number of medical schools are introducing CAM teaching, and this study was undertaken to explore the medical education priorities of parents who use CAM for their children. A total of 27 parents (25 females, 2 males) participated in 1 of 6 focus group discussions. Transcripts were analyzed using an iterative process of concept identification, hypothesis testing, and detailed comparisons. Participant preferences for health care for their children were complex and informed by previous health care experiences and current family health care needs. Using CAM allowed parents choice and control in managing their family’s health care. Many participant priorities for medical education in CAM echoed key principles of patient-centered care in addition to specific suggestions for curriculum development. Participating parents believed that it was important to increase medical students’ knowledge and understanding of both CAM modalities and the perspectives of parents.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document