Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Julia Fearon.
This article considers briefly how and why complementary and alternative medicine has developed in children's care during the last 10 years. Some of the therapies utilised by children are discussed, similarities and differences to trends in CAM for adults highlighted and a potential role for CAM in children's care in the future, suggested.
This cross-sectional, single-site project studied a random selection of qualified doctors and nurses in an NHS children's trust, using a combination of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The hypothesis tested was that: 'Health professionals at the trust neither feel able nor perceive a need to provide information about complementary therapies to families under their care'. Fifty questionnaires were distributed, 36 returned and 10 interviews completed. The study demonstrated complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use was high among respondents and probably high among their patients. Attitudes were generally positive towards CAM use in children, although staff expressed concerns that CAM should do no harm. Knowledge of CAM was very limited but did not prevent staff from discussing CAM with patients or endorsing its use. It was felt CAM offered greatest benefit to children with chronic illnesses but that its most important role lay in the psychological support it could provide for both children and parents.
Increasingly, healthcare professionals from a variety of settings are looking to integrate complementary therapies into mainstream healthcare. Robust policy development is a prerequisite for effective integration and the building of sustainable services. Unfortunately many of those wanting to drive forward the complementary therapy agenda have little knowledge of policy development. For those individuals planning to integrate complementary therapies into care, this article will address some of the issues around developing a complementary therapy policy: the need for a robust policy, how to begin developing a policy and suggested inclusions for such a policy.