WEEK 9

Question 1

What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?

Answer 1

A broad set of healthcare practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant healthcare system

Question 2

Where does CAM sit in Kleinman’s model?

Answer 2

In both the folk and professional sectors and the popular sector due to information about these forms of medicine being passed on by the lay public

Question 3

What is integrative medicine?

Answer 3

Where complementary and orthodox medicine intertwine

Question 4

Define pluralism

Answer 4

The concept of more than one route of treatment and freedom to choose

Question 5

What is Complementary Medicine?

Answer 5

When a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine

Question 6

What is Alternative Medicine?

Answer 6

When a non-mainstream practice is used instead of conventional medicine

Question 7

Where are rates of CAM usage higher?

Answer 7

Amongst those with chronic and difficult to manage disease (eg. cancer, HIV, MS, psoriasis etc)

Question 8

What are the factors facilitating the growth of interest in use of CAM?

Answer 8

1) Popular dissatisfaction with orthodox medicine
2) Post-modern philosophy rejection (scientific authority, increase in consumerism)
3) Widespread availability and access to health information

Question 9

What are the different types of CAM (via National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH))?

Answer 9

Alternative medical systems
Mind-Body therapies
Natural products
Manipulative and Body-Based methods
Energy therapies

Question 10

What are alternative medical systems?

Answer 10

Build upon complete systems of theory and practice (eg. homeopathy, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine)

Question 11

What are mind-body therapies?

Answer 11

Use a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind’s capacity to affect body functions and symptoms (eg. meditation, prayer)

Question 12

What are natural products?

Answer 12

Use of natural substances (eg. dietary supplements, herbal products)

Question 13

What are manipulative and body-based methods?

Answer 13

Movement of one or more parts of the body (eg. chiropractic, osteopathy)

Question 14

What are energy therapies?

Answer 14

Involve the use of energy fields (eg. Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Biomagnetic-based therapies)

Question 15

What is the House of Lords Report classification of CAM therapies (2000)?

Answer 15

CAM therapies arranged into groups (1-3(a+b)) based on the evidence from research studies available

Question 16

Give examples of Group 1 CAM therapies

Answer 16

Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Osteopathy

Question 17

What is acupuncture?

Answer 17

Inserting needles into body’s energy field

Question 18

What is homeopathy?

Answer 18

Giving a small dose of a substance that stimulates symptom repulsion

Question 19

Give examples of Group 2 CAM therapies

Answer 19

Alexander Technique, Hypnotherapy, Counselling Stress Therapy, Meditation

Question 20

What is the Alexander Technique?

Answer 20

Correcting posture

Question 21

What is a use of hypnotherapy?

Answer 21

To treat refractory IBS

Question 22

Give examples of Group 3 (a+b) CAM therapies

Answer 22

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathy, Dowsing, Iridology

Question 23

Why is Traditional Chinese Medicine in Group 3 for CAM therapies?

Answer 23

There are no English research studies

Question 24

What is iridology?

Answer 24

Diagnosis via iris colour and appearance

Question 25

What is dowsing?

Answer 25

Use of a two-prong twig indicative of water to highlight body problems

Question 26

What are seven characteristics of CAM users?

Answer 26

1) Female gender
2) Middle-aged
3) Higher socioeconomic group
4) Higher level of education
5) High income
6) Regional differences (South of England)
7) Poorer self-reported health

Question 27

What are four recognised patterns of use of complementary medicine?

Answer 27

Earnest seeker, stable users, eclectic users and one-off users

Question 28

What are earnest seekers?

Answer 28

People who have an intractable health problem for which they try many forms of treatment

Question 29

What are stable users?

Answer 29

People who either use one type of therapy for most healthcare problems or have one main condition for which they use a regular package

Question 30

What are eclectic users?

Answer 30

People who choose and use different forms of therapy depending on individual problems and circumstances

Question 31

What are six positive reasons causing people to use CAM?

Answer 31

1) perceived effectiveness
2) perceived safety
3) control over treatment
4) ‘high tough/low tech’
5) good Pt/therapist relationship
6) non-invasive nature

Question 32

What are four negative reasons causing people to use CAM?

Answer 32

1) dissatisfaction with conventional healthcare
2) rejection of science and technology
3) rejection of ‘the establishment’
4) desparation

Question 33

Describe the 5 stage process of becoming a CAM user

Answer 33

1) individual develops a nature centred and holistic health philosophy
2) decision to visit CAM therapist
3) satisfaction with Pt-practitioner encounter
4) cultivation of culture of natural health care
5) individual becomes a regular user with firm belief in therapy (doesn’t completely disregard orthodox medicine)

Question 34

Give six areas of potential controversy of CAM?

Answer 34

1) Information widely available to the lay public
2) Treatment widely available to the lay public OTC
3) Training in CAM: in-depth lay therapist training vs. short course for doctors
4) Effects on Dr-Pt relationship
5) Adverse effects/interactions with orthodox treatment
6) Evidence base-> cure vs. ‘feeling better’ (coping with symptoms)