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Results for “Complementary Therapies”

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PubMed2000

'Getting somewhere', feeling cared for: patients' perspectives on complementary therapies in the NHS.

OBJECTIVE: To examine satisfaction with complementary therapy among patients receiving treatment funded within the National Health Service (NHS). DESIGN: Semi-structured interviews using a critical incident approach (n =49). SETTING: 8 sites across England providing complementary therapy services within primary care. RESULTS: Complementary therapies are experienced as ameliorating and curing conditions, including chronic problems. Patients also perceive complementary practitioners as being caring and value the development of a therapeutic relationship within which they are encouraged to take an active part in looking after their health. Positive experiences of complementary therapy use were contrasted with either a failure of orthodox medicine or a dislike of the orthodox treatments available to them. Very few negative aspects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction was consistent across settings and type of therapy received. The findings reinforce messages from studies of users in the private sector, but also suggest that for NHS users commitment to treatment develops largely as a result of positive experience rather than prior beliefs. Implications of the findings for research and policy are considered.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Cultural related complementary therapies: their use in critical care units.

Complementary therapies are becoming widely used in health care in the United States. Most nurses, as are many Americans, are familiar with complementary therapies such as imagery, aromatherapy, massage, and healing touch. Many nurses, however, are not familiar with complementary therapies that are widely used in other countries and cultures. This article delineates reasons necessitating nurses to increase their knowledge about other health systems, provides examples of therapies used in selected cultures, and describes ways in which critical care nurses can incorporate these into the plan of care for patients in critical care units.

Complementary Therapies↗

PubMed1999

What are the reasons for nurses using complementary therapy in practice?

The increasing popularity of complementary therapies has generated many surveys to establish how many nurses are involved in its use. This paper explores reasons why nurses are using complementary therapy in orthodox nursing practice to determine the catalysts influencing its use. The following areas are addressed: definitions, terminology and historical aspects of complementary medicine relationship with orthodox medicine, examining dominance, conflict, partnerships and socialization rise in popularity nurse involvement and implications to the profession methodology and findings conclusion. Information about nurses practising complementary therapies was obtained from the King's Fund London and from hospitals within the researcher's local area. Questionnaires for the pilot study were self administered locally, while those for the main study were sent through the postal system.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1998

Complementary therapies and the medical profession: a study of medical students' attitudes.

BACKGROUND: Despite the popularity of complementary therapies with the public, knowledge and use of these therapies among doctors appear limited. However, studies show that physicians and medical students are positive toward complementary therapies and have a high level of interest in learning about them. METHODS: The attitudes of medical students toward complementary therapies were examined using a questionnaire distributed to 800 first-, third-, and fifth-year medical students at two universities in Melbourne, Australia. RESULTS: The survey revealed that whereas Australian medical students were positive toward complementary therapies, their self-reported knowledge was low, with 56% having no knowledge of the principles of complementary therapies. Attitudes toward different therapies were found to vary widely, with students having little knowledge of chiropractic and naturopathy, the two therapies most commonly used by Australians. Students consistently scored meditation, massage, and acupuncture the highest with regard to knowledge, perceived usefulness, intended patterns of referral after graduation, and desire for education in the undergraduate degree. CONCLUSIONS: When the medical course included some tuition on complementary therapies, students were more positive toward them. A single lecture on complementary therapies was found to have significant impact on medical students' views. Medical students have a high level of interest in complementary therapies that is not being satisfied by their undergraduate curricula.

Attitude↗

PubMed2004

A survey of complementary therapy services provided by hospices.

A questionnaire was mailed to 300 randomly selected hospices in the United States, to gather preliminary data on the nature of complementary therapy services provided by hospices. Information included types of complementary therapies offered, utilization, staffing, obstacles, as well as suggestions for improving hospice complementary therapy services. Of a total of 169 responding hospices, 60% offered complementary therapies to patients. The most popular therapies were massage therapy and music therapy. Only a portion of patients in these hospices received complementary therapy. Many hospices were limited in the amount of complementary therapy services they could provide because of program constraints, such as funding problems, lack of qualified complementary staff, inadequate knowledge of complementary therapies and how to offer these services, and resistance to complementary therapies by some staff and patients. A crucial challenge for hospices interested in providing complementary therapies to patients is to find ways to overcome these obstacles.

Complementary Therapies↗

PubMed1998

A multimethod research study on the use of complementary therapies among patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

CONTEXT: The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the use of complementary therapies among patients with inflammatory bowel disease. OBJECTIVE: To examine factors influencing the use of complementary therapies, to explore patient-physician communication concerning those therapies, and to assess the effect of combining qualitative with quantitative research. DESIGN: In-depth qualitative interviews. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen patients were selected from a quantitative study in which the use of complementary therapies among patients with inflammatory bowel disease was assessed. RESULTS: Patients reported using complementary therapies because of the serious side effects of medical treatment, because they felt conventional treatments did not help, and because complementary therapies were thought to be safe. Psychological and social factors for using complementary therapies must be considered and understood. Patients cited many reasons for not discussing the use of complementary therapies with their doctors. Adding qualitative data to quantitative research greatly increased the authors' understanding of factors that contribute to complementary therapy use. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors contribute to the decision to use complementary therapies among those with inflammatory bowel disease. Identifying these factors is important for educating physicians regarding their patients' use of complementary therapies and may contribute to improved patient-physician communication.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

What patients expect from complementary therapy: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Complementary and alternative therapies have become popular with patients in Western countries. Studies have suggested motivations for patients' choosing a wide range of complementary therapies. Data on the expectations of patients who use complementary therapy are limited. We assessed the expectations of patients who use complementary therapy. METHODS: Patients attending a British National Health Service (NHS) outpatient department that provided acupuncture, osteopathy, and homoeopathy were asked to complete a qualitative survey. RESULTS: Patients expected symptom relief, information, a holistic approach, improved quality of life, self-help advice, and wide availability of such therapies on the NHS. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians' understanding of patients' expectations of complementary therapies will help patients make appropriate and realistic treatment choices.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Expectations of patients and parents of children with asthma regarding access to complementary therapy information and services via the NHS: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expectations of patients and parents of children with asthma regarding access to complementary therapies via the NHS. METHODS: Fifty semi-structured interviews with adults and parents of children with asthma, from a range of health-care settings, including users and non-users of complementary therapies. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and the data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were using complementary therapies for asthma, six were using complementary therapies for other health problems and 13 were non-users. Various therapies were used for asthma, most commonly homeopathy and breathing techniques, predominantly outside the NHS. Two broad themes emerging from the data were expectations about access to information and knowledge about complementary therapies via NHS health professionals, and expectations regarding access to complementary therapy services via the NHS. As a minimum, the majority of participants wanted NHS health professionals to be more 'open' towards and know more about complementary therapies than their patients - perceived as not currently usual. Most were positive about greater NHS access to complementary therapy services, for enhancing patient choice, improving equality in access for less affluent patients and facilitating patients' self-help. Participants who were highly sceptical about complementary therapies argued that lack of scientific evidence of effectiveness prohibited the need for greater complementary therapy knowledge or service provision within the NHS. Alongside their expectations, patients and parents expressed realistic views about facilitators and barriers to greater access. CONCLUSIONS: While health service planners and providers often express reservations about the value of complementary therapies, it is important to take patients' preferences into account if policy discourses regarding patient-centred care and choice are to be realized in practice.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Use of complementary therapies and non-prescribed medication in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Patients with Parkinson's disease resort to complementary therapy and non-prescribed medication in the hope of improving their quality of life. In the US 40% of patients with Parkinson's disease reported the use of at least one form of complementary therapy for Parkinson's disease. Data for the UK are limited. A structured questionnaire was administered to consecutive patients attending a Parkinson's disease clinic. Patients were excluded if they were cognitively impaired, if they were living in an institution, or if they declined to take part. The participants were asked about current and previous use of complementary therapy in general and Parkinson's disease in particular and were presented with an extensive list of complementary therapies and non-prescribed medications. The response rate was 90% and 80 patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty four per cent (n=44) reported the use of at least one form of complementary therapy or non-prescribed medication either for Parkinson's disease or for some other indication, of whom 31 (38.7% of the total sample) used it solely for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The most commonly used complementary therapies for Parkinson's disease were massage (n=9) and aromatherapy (n=8). Non-prescribed medication was mainly used for indications other than Parkinson's disease and the commonest drugs used were simple analgesics (n=7), cod liver oil (n=5), and multivitamins (n=4). The use of complementary therapy for Parkinson's disease correlated significantly (Pearson's r=0.44, p=0.01) with a younger age at diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Comorbidity correlated significantly with complementary therapy use for indications other than Parkinson's disease (Pearson's r=0.29, p= 0.01). The use of complementary therapy for Parkinson's disease in this UK based clinic closely mimics that in the US. Non-pharmacological complementary therapy is mainly used for Parkinson's disease, while non-prescribed medication is more commonly used for other indications.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Complementary therapy use by cancer patients. Physicians' perceptions, attitudes, and ideas.

OBJECTIVE: To explore family physicians' perceptions of their cancer patients' use of complementary therapy. DESIGN: Qualitative pilot study. SETTING: British Columbia and Alberta. PARTICIPANTS: Rural and urban family physicians. METHOD: Five focus groups were conducted with a total of 28 participants. Content analysis of focus group transcripts. MAIN FINDINGS: Eight themes were identified: definition of complementary therapies, importance of holistic health, role of evidence, attitudes toward complementary therapies, perceptions of cancer patients' use of complementary therapies, patient-physician communication, perceptions of family physicians' role with respect to complementary therapies, and concerns about complementary therapies. Family physicians believed that many of their patients were using complementary therapies and that patients and physicians needed to communicate about this practice. CONCLUSION: The study increased understanding of physicians'perspectives on communication about complementary therapies and exposed issues that need to be addressed through education and research.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Complementary therapies: evaluating their effectiveness in cancer.

The use of complementary therapies is common among cancer patients. However, a major concern is that very few of these therapies have been appropriately evaluated and, thus, little is known about their safety and efficacy. The gold standard for evaluating cancer treatments is the randomized controlled trial (RCT). However, there are several issues inherent to the nature and practice of complementary therapies that interfere with the straightforward use of RCTs. Alternative approaches are often highly individualized and attempt to respond to patients' needs. They are often holistic, taking into account many facets of a patient's life. Placebo effects and the role of the provider are frequently recognized as an important part of treatment. Outcomes of complementary therapies are often subjective, rather than being more objective outcomes, such as increased survival time. Although it is important to evaluate complementary therapies, it is mandatory that studies be sensitive to these issues and that existing research methods be adjusted and modified for this purpose.

Complementary Therapies↗

PubMed2006

Complementary therapy use by patients and parents of children with asthma and the implications for NHS care: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Patients are increasingly using complementary therapies, often for chronic conditions. Asthma is the most common chronic condition in the UK. Previous research indicates that some asthma patients experience gaps in their NHS care. However, little attention has been given to how and why patients and parents of children with asthma use complementary therapies and the implications for NHS care. METHODS: Qualitative study, comprising 50 semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of 22 adults and 28 children with asthma (plus a parent), recruited from a range of NHS and non-NHS settings in Bristol, England. Data analysis was thematic, drawing on the principles of constant comparison. RESULTS: A range of complementary therapies were being used for asthma, most commonly Buteyko breathing and homeopathy. Most use took place outside of the NHS, comprising either self-treatment or consultation with private complementary therapists. Complementary therapies were usually used alongside not instead of conventional asthma treatment. A spectrum of complementary therapy users emerged, including "committed", "pragmatic" and "last resort" users. Motivating factors for complementary therapy use included concerns about conventional NHS care ("push factors") and attractive aspects of complementary therapies ("pull factors"). While participants were often uncertain whether therapies had directly helped their asthma, breathing techniques such as the Buteyko Method were most notably reported to enhance symptom control and enable reduction in medication. Across the range of therapies, the process of seeking and using complementary therapies seemed to help patients in two broad ways: it empowered them to take greater personal control over their condition rather than feel dependant on medication, and enabled exploration of a broader range of possible causes of their asthma than commonly discussed within NHS settings. CONCLUSION: Complementary therapy use reflects patients' and parents' underlying desire for greater self-care and need of opportunities to address some of their concerns regarding NHS asthma care. Self-management of chronic conditions is increasingly promoted within the NHS but with little attention to complementary therapy use as one strategy being used by patients and parents. With their desire for self-help, complementary therapy users are in many ways adopting the healthcare personas that current policies aim to encourage.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Surgery and complementary therapies: a review.

The incorporation of complementary therapies into the surgical setting has been slow compared to that of other areas of conventional medicine. This paper summarizes the available information on complementary therapies in surgery from a broad range of sources in the medical literature. The effects of psychological distress on the surgical patient and potential relief from that distress by such methods as relaxation techniques, hypnosis, suggestion, and imagery, as well as the role of coping style and locus of control on choice of therapy are reviewed. The role of acupuncture, music, massage therapy, therapeutic touch, and Reiki, as well as the use of herbs and supplements in modifying surgical outcome, is explored.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

Surveys in complementary therapies: assessing the needs of people with cancer.

The provision of complementary cancer care is a developing field. Recent surveys into the provision of complementary therapies have targeted not only the consumer but also the purchasers and providers of health care. There is interest amongst health authorities regarding the provision of complementary medicine as a cost effective intervention in the management of chronic conditions. There are a number of recent studies which aimed to address this issue. The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital NHS Trust (RLHH), offers homoeopathy and other complementary therapies to support people living with cancer. A Macmillan Nurse, specialising in Complementary Therapies, was appointed at the RLHH to further develop the programme of complementary cancer care. A patient survey performed to assist the development of the programme showed that people living with cancer most wanted psychological help from complementary therapies. Since the provision of designated programmes of complementary cancer care, expansion in the range of therapies offered has taken place.

Complementary Therapies↗

PubMed2003

Woman to woman. Complementary therapy use in menopause.

Many women are turning to herbal, homeopathic, dietary, and other complementary therapies for relief of stressful aspects of menopause. Several questions related to complementary therapy use are not, however, well addressed in current research literature. Why do women seek out complementary therapies? Which therapies do they choose and why? What is the nature of their experiences using complementary therapies? In this qualitative study, 19 Caucasian women, who identified themselves as using or having used complementary therapies during menopause were interviewed in one of four focus groups. Findings revealed a wide variety of therapies, such as vitamin, mineral, and herbal preparations and lifestyle and behavioral initiatives, used to address distressing aspects of menopause. Also identified was lack of family and professional support for women who are seeking complements or alternatives to conventional treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Decision making related to complementary therapies: a process of regaining control.

The process by which women with breast cancer make decisions related to using complementary therapies was investigated using grounded theory. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 16 women receiving orthodox treatment from across the breast cancer trajectory and who used a wide range of complementary therapies. Constant comparative analysis revealed that decision making regarding complementary therapies involved three interconnected sequential phases: (1) Getting something in place: covering all the bases, (2) hand-picking complementary therapies that fit: getting a personalized regimen in place and (3) living with the security of complementary therapies: fine-tuning a regimen to live with. Factors that influenced the decision-making process, both positively and negatively, were identified. Decision making related to the use of complementary therapies was perceived as a means of regaining control during experiences of uncertainty associated with breast cancer; the outcome of which was the maintenance of hope. Implications for supporting women's decision-making efforts regarding complementary therapies are presented.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

Attitudes of patients with breast and prostate cancer toward complementary therapies in Finland.

This study aimed to describe the attitudes of patients with breast cancer and those with prostate cancer toward complementary therapies. The data were collected with a postal questionnaire administered to 216 patients with breast cancer (response rate, 55.4%) and 1 90 patients with prostate cancer (response rate, 54.9%) in southern and southwestern Finland. The questionnaire was composed of 44 Likert-type statements, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi2 tests, t tests, and two-way analyses of variance. More than half (54%) of the patients with breast cancer and 45% of the patients with prostate cancer believed that people with cancer may benefit from complementary therapies, although they did not think these therapies actually could cure cancer. More than half of the respondents were dubious about using complementary therapies as long as there was no solid scientific evidence. Most believed that complementary therapies were used because they gave people hope (women, 88%; men, 72%) or "something to cling to" (women, 83%; men, 76%). The respondents believed most in dietary therapies and least in healing. There was much confusion and uncertainty about the professional competencies and expertise of the people who provided complementary therapies. Approximately one fourth of the respondents had spoken to their physician about complementary therapies. Only a few had talked about the matter with nursing staff. About half of the respondents thought that physicians and nurses took a negative attitude toward complementary therapies. In both groups, patients who had talked with their physician about complementary therapies tended to show a more positive attitude.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

The relationship between health promotion and complementary therapies.

The underlying philosophies of health promotion and complementary therapies are very closely related and, consequently, share many similarities; yet such similarities that exist between these two disciplines are rarely expressed, acknowledged or explored. It would be almost impossible to practice complementary therapies without incorporating elements of health promotion within them, whether this is done so knowingly, or not, by the practitioner. This account sets out to establish the nature of such a relationship and highlights the common advantages and dilemmas in recognizing such a relationship. It seeks to determine the validity of closer collaboration (between the two disciplines) in order to provide a collective consensus for like-minded nurses to move towards a more holistic and empowering paradigm. It concludes by suggesting that, in order to move the shared aims of health promotion and complementary therapies forward, closer ties need to be established, between the disciplines, and built upon.

Complementary Therapies↗