Informed Consent, Shared Decision-Making, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Sugarman

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used by many in hopes of achieving important health-related goals. Survey data indicate that 42 percent of the U.S. population uses CAM, accounting for 629 million “office” visits a year and expenditures of 27 billion dollars. This high prevalence of use calls for a careful evaluation of CAM so as to ensure the well-being of those using its modalities. Such an evaluation would obviously include assessments of the safety and efficacy of particular approaches, the training and integrity of practitioners, and the appropriateness of modalities for different conditions or uses. Given the lack of published data concerning many of these aspects of CAM, the likely unfamiliarity of its practitioners to the approaches available to clinicians practicing modern scientific medcine, and the need to respect the unique preferences of persons seeking assistance with achieving health-related goals, it is also important to assess the potential roles of informed consent for the use of CAM. Examining such roles is the central task of this paper.

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Shinto ◽  
V Yadav ◽  
C Morris ◽  
J A Lapidus ◽  
A Senders ◽  
...  

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is high among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet there are no reports on the association between CAM use and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in MS. To examine this relationship, a cross-sectional survey and SF-12 was used to collect demographic and HRQL data from 1667 survey respondents. Factors examined for their association with CAM use included, age, gender, race, self-reported disease severity, disease-modifying drug (DMT) use, MS duration, MS type, education level, physical and mental well-being. Multiple regression analysis revealed that female gender, high education level, longer MS duration, lower physical well-being and not using DMT were independent factors associated with both ‘ever’ and ‘current’ CAM use. The finding that a drop in physical component score (PCS) of the SF-12 is independently associated with an increased odds of ‘ever’ CAM use, ‘current’ CAM use, and ‘past’ CAM reflect an association of CAM use with PCS regardless of time of use. Although, temporality of this relationship cannot be established, as this was a cross-sectional study, a longitudinal study is warranted so that we can establish if HRQL is predictive for CAM use in MS.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen ◽  
Miek C. Jong ◽  
Johanna Hök Nordberg ◽  
Esther T. van der Werf ◽  
Trine Stub

Abstract BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has had a profound impact on physical and mental well-being throughout the world. Previous studies have revealed that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used for, and can be potential beneficial for strengthening physical mental resilience. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the prevalence, associations and reasons for use of CAM during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among a representative sample of the Norwegian population, and determine possible effects and adverse effects of the treatments. MethodsComputer assisted telephone interviews using a COVID-adapted I-CAM-Q questionnaire were conducted with 1008 randomly selected Norwegians aged 16 and above using multistage sampling during April and May 2020 applying age and sex quotas for each area. Descriptive statistics were carried out using Pearson’s Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, and Independent samples T-tests to identify group differences. ResultsThe study revealed that two thirds of the respondents (67%) had used CAM within the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular CAM modalities that did not involve a provider. Most used were natural remedies and dietary supplement (57%, mainly vitamins and minerals), but self-help practices like yoga and meditation were also widely used (24%). Women used CAM modalities significantly more than men (77% vs. 58%). Most of the respondents found the modalities they used beneficial, and 5% reported adverse effects of the treatments.ConclusionsThe first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has not profoundly changed the overall need of Norwegian citizens to seek care outside the conventional healthcare system, but rather caused a shift in the type of CAM modalities used. The risk profile of these modalities was generally low as only 5 % of the respondents reported adverse effects. Further studies are needed to confirm the change from provider based to self-administered CAM use.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Naja ◽  
Bilal Anouti ◽  
Hibeh Shatila ◽  
Reem Akel ◽  
Yolla Haibe ◽  
...  

Patients with lung cancer are increasingly seeking complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to improve their physiological and psychological well-being. This study aimed to assess CAM use among lung cancer patients in Lebanon. Using a cross-sectional design, 150 lung cancer patients attending the Basile Cancer Institute at the American University of Beirut Medical Center were interviewed. Participants completed a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics, lung cancer condition, and use of CAM. The main outcome of interest was “use of any CAM therapy since diagnosis.” Prevalence of CAM use was 41%. The most commonly used CAM modality among study participants was “dietary supplements/special foods.” Results of the multiple logistic regression analyses showed that CAM use was positively associated with Lebanese nationality and paying for treatment out of pocket and was negatively associated with unemployment and having other chronic diseases. About 10% of patients used CAM on an alternative base, 58% did not disclose CAM use to their physician, and only 2% cited health professionals as influencing their choice of CAM. This study revealed a prevalent CAM use among lung cancer patients in Lebanon, with a marginal role for physicians in guiding this use. Promoting an open-communication and a patient-centered approach regarding CAM use is warranted.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungmi Lian

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is no longer new terminology in the healthcare system but,evidence-based CAMis still an unfamiliar term. Evidence-based medicine, a practice of medicine based on the recommendation derived from a systematic, scientific study of published data, is accepted as the standard in the healthcare.ACP Evidence-Based Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicineby Bradly Jacobs and Katherine Gundling is reviewed. Up-to-date reference books like theACP Evidence-Based Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicineis an essential tool for improving quality of care when the providers aim to practice evidence-based medicine.


2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 472-472
Author(s):  
Rebecca Crabb ◽  
John Hunsley

The authors omitted the following statement from the Acknowledgments section: “The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Veterans Affairs”.


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