1,721,135 research outputs found
Assessing homeopathic proving using questionnaire methodology: consideration and implications for future studies
No full textHomeopathic pathogenetic trials (or provings) provide the foundations for the clinical practice of homeopathy. The most recent review of proving studies indicated that provings are generally of poor methodological quality. Methods to improve the quality and scientific rigour are needed to critically assess the clinical basis of homeopathy. This article describes a methodology using a symptom diary with a selection of predefined remedy specific symptoms (proving questionnaire). The proving questionnaire was developed as an alternative to the traditional qualitative proving methods in an attempt to provide a quantitative method that could rigorously validate the original provings. This article considers the advantages and disadvantages of this approach and provides suggestions for future work in this area
Resilience; what is it, why do we need it and can it help us?
No full textGeneral practice is the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of our NHS, providing universal, free health care for a smaller proportion of gross domestic product than other developed nations. Financial stringency has resulted in systemic changes in UK primary care significantly increasing workload, eroding job satisfaction, and increasing stress. However, one in three GPs have experienced exhaustion and burnout. What are the causes of our distress and how can we work with our patients and colleagues to resolve them
Commentary. Can doctors respond to patients' increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine?
No full textPatients are increasingly using complementary and alternative medicine, 1 2 and doctors are responding to this in several ways, from being enthusiastic and interested to mystified and critical.3-5 Complementary and alternative medicine incorporates several different approaches and methodologies,6 with techniques ranging from spiritual "healing" in cancer to nutritional interventions for premenstrual tension, acupuncture for pain relief, and manipulation for backache. In this article we encourage you to reflect on your understanding of complementary and alternative medicine in relation to your clinical practice, share some of the current initiatives in undergraduate and postgraduate familiarisation and training in this type of medicine, and explore the implications of education, support, and development
A systematic review of epidemiological studies on the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by paediatric cancer patients. Presented at ECIM 2008.
No full textBackground: paediatric cancer patients are likely to use complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) alongside more conventional interventions. A number of individual studies have been carried out to examine prevalence rates of CAM use amongst paediatric cancer patients. These studies have varied findings and are of mixed quality. This meta-analytic review therefore aimed to assess the quality of this literature and to determine what is known about the prevalence of the CAM use in paediatric cancer. Secondary research questions focused on the types of CAM used, trends in CAM use over time, reasons for CAM use, and demographic characteristics associated with CAM use.Method: electronic and manual searches for relevant studies identified 26 English language journal articles of primary research studies investigating the prevalence of CAM usage among paediatric cancer patients in peer-reviewed journals. A quality assessment checklist was rigorously developed based on the strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement in collaboration with Dr. Erik von Elm (lead author of the STROBE statement). Data were extracted and validated by more than one author and analysed using meta-analytic techniques.Results: the prevalence of CAM use by paediatric cancer patients ranged from 40% to 53%. The quality of the studies was mixed and did not correlate with the estimated prevalence of CAM use. ‘Herbals’ was the most popular CAM modality. Paediatric cancer patients use CAM for various reasons. Higher level of education and income were associated with CAM use in North America; the opposite was true for CAM use in Mexico and Turkey.Conclusion: a substantial proportion of paediatric cancer patients use CAM. There is a need to use standardised definitions of the CAM in future studies to generate comparable data. The quality assessment checklist has potential to be a useful quality assessment instrument for other reviews of similar epidemiological studie
Can you kill your enemy by giving homeopathy? lack of rigour and lack of logic in the systematic review by Edzard Ernst and colleagues on adverse effects of homeopathy
No full text
Developing a measure of treatment beliefs: the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Beliefs Inventory
No full textObjectives:
The study aimed to develop a comprehensive generic measure of treatment beliefs, the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Beliefs Inventory (CAMBI), and to identify distinct dimensions of CAM-related beliefs.Methods:
The CAMBI and other measures were presented and advertised online.Results:
328 completed questionnaires were received. Factor analysis indicated three dimensions of beliefs could be identified. Subscales of the CAMBI were developed measuring beliefs in natural treatment, participation in treatment and holistic health. The subscales all had satisfactory reliability and were significantly correlated with CAM use (Spearman's rho = .18, .47 and .22 for natural treatments, holistic health and participation in treatment, respectively).Conclusions:
The CAMBI measures three distinct dimensions of treatment beliefs, all of which are related to CAM use
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