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PubMed2001

Alternative, complementary or concurrent health care? A critical analysis of the use of the concept of complementary therapy.

In this paper I critically address what is becoming the wholesale adoption of the concept of complementary medicine in researchers' analyses of lay participation in alternative therapies. This paper emerged out of a qualitative study of 21 Canadians who use and/or practice alternative therapies. I found that only seven informants used the term 'complementary' in describing their use of alternative therapies. Of those seven who did, five were alternative practitioners. I discuss the variability of meaning of the concept of 'complementary' and I argue that alternative practitioners have a professional interest in using the concept to avoid seeming in competition with medical professionals and to reduce the likelihood of being labelled 'quacks'. I conclude with a plea for researchers to define their terms in analyses of individuals' use of alternative and/or their dual use of alternative and allopathic health care.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2002

Complementary therapy use in persons with HIV/AIDS.

The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency and correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies used by people with HIV/AIDS to manage illness and treatment-related symptoms. Data were collected from a convenience sample (N = 422) of people living with HIV disease. Demographic variables (e.g., education, age, and gender) were compared for those who reported using at least one CAM therapy. There were significant differences for gender (chi2 = 4.003, df = 1, p = .045) and for ethnicity (chi2 = 6.042, df = 2, p = .049). Females and African Americans used CAM more frequently. More than one third of the participants used CAM, and there were a total of 246 critical incidents of nontraditional treatment use. It is possible that these nonallopathic interventions may positively affect health-related quality of life in persons with HIV by ameliorating or reducing the side effects associated with the disease and its treatments.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Complementary therapies in the treatment of bronchial asthma].

The clinical and paraclinical benefits of drugs that are not included in the standard therapy strategies, to patients suffering from bronchial asthma, are illustrated in a particularly rich specialty literature. Magnesium, furosemide, heparins, antioxidative drugs, nitric oxide donor substances have real qualities, that make them useful in the management of patients suffering from asthma. The tremendous amount of studies that inspired this work suggests that, for the asthmatic patients, there are other alternative therapies, which can be administrated as adjuvant medication to the classical medication. At the same time, unconventional treatments are a solution worth considering for treatment-resisting cases, for cases in which side reactions develop to the standard therapy, and a source of inspiration for future research.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1998

Complementary therapies on the NHS: current practice, future developments (Part I).

Three major reports have been published within the past year on the status, use and development of complementary medicine within the UK. The NHS Confederation has undertaken a survey of usage within NHS services in Leicestershire, the Foundation for Integrated Medicine has explored how such services might be improved, and the University of Exeter was commissioned by the Department of Health to survey complementary medicine organisations. In Europe, complementary medicine has been the focus of considerable discussion, little of it very positive. This paper examines what we now know about the use of complementary medicine within the NHS, and explores the notion of 'integrated medicine'. A second paper, to be published in August, will look at the status of complementary medicine in the UK and Europe, and important developments regarding the future of practitioner training.

Complementary Therapies↗
PubMed2004

Dietary attitudes and changes as well as use of supplements and complementary therapies by Australian and Finnish women following the diagnosis of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated self-reported dietary attitudes and changes, and use of complementary approaches among breast cancer patients in relation to age, education and time since diagnosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: Australian (ABC, N=215) and Finnish (FBC, N=139) breast cancer patients were surveyed at the university cancer centres with voluntary participation. Logistic regression models were used to adjust for differences in demographic patient characteristics between the groups. The influence of demographic variables was further studied separately or combined. RESULTS: In all, 30% of FBC patients and 39% of ABC patients reported having changed their diet (P=0.033). Higher education, younger age and longer time from diagnosis were significantly associated with the probability of changes. The main changes reported included reduced consumption of animal fat, sugar and red meat, and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. In all, 6% of ABC and 4% of FBC patients had stopped smoking and 24% of ABC and 27% of FBC patients reported to have increased their level of physical exercise. Choices were associated with age (P<0.007), length of the disease history (P <0.01) and level of education (P <0.002). CONCLUSION: One-third of breast cancer patients surveyed reported to have changed their dietary habits. Both populations reported a need for dietary and lifestyle counselling. This need was experienced as poorly recognised by the physicians at present, and warrants future studies in dietary behaviour of breast cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Use of complementary therapy among internal medical inpatients. Prevalence, costs and association with mental disorders and physical diseases.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of complementary therapy/medicine (CT) use among internal medical inpatients. Furthermore, to examine the association between the use of CT and (a) mental disorders, (b) physical diseases, and (c) use of health care. METHODS: A total of 294 consecutive medical inpatients were interviewed about their use of CT. A stratified subsample of 157 people was assessed for current mental disorders, using an extensive, standardized, semistructured interview (Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry version 2.1 [SCAN]). Health care use was assessed by use of national patient registers. RESULTS: There were 22.5% CT utilizers. More females than males used CT (P=.033). CT utilization was not associated with age, mental disorders, life-threatening or chronic physical diseases or with use of health care services. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CT is common among medical inpatients. More research is needed to understand why a significant proportion of patients seeks CT.

Adolescent↗