Integrating Complementary and Alternative Therapies in an Outpatient University Hospital Setting
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Evid Based Integrative Med 2005; 2 (1): 21-26 1176-2330/05/0001-0021/$34.95/0 © 2005 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved.
Integrating Complementary and Alternative Therapies in an Outpatient University Hospital Setting Brian A. Enebo,1 Lisa Corbin,1 David P. Gilkey,2 Martha Soledad Vela-Acosta,3 Thomas J. Keefe2 and Philip L. Bigelow2 1 2 3
The Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Colorado Hospital and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas, Brownsville, Texas, USA
Abstract
Introduction: As the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies increases, the integration of these therapies requires collaboration with conventional medicine and healthcare disciplines. The purpose of this article was to characterise the profile of patients seeking CAM therapies at the University of Colorado Hospital’s outpatient Center for Integrative Medicine. Methods: Data were collected on demographic and disease characteristics, methods of payment and referral sources to assess comparison with previous studies. Results: A total of 853 patients were seen for integrative therapies in a 23-month time period. Patients ranged in age from 14 to 89 years old and were predominately female (75%). Thirty-two percent of patients were referred by a hospital-based clinic. The majority of patients sought care for symptoms related to pain disorders, with musculoskeletal diagnoses comprising the majority of cases. Cancer patients most often sought treatment in the form of acupuncture/traditional Chinese medicine and massage therapy. Discussion/conclusion: An integrative medicine programme can exist in a hospital-based setting and provide meaningful cross-disciplinary treatment and dialogue. Although there are differences among populations, locations and treatment centres as to the types of conditions for which CAM therapies are sought, the forecast for continued integration of CAM services in a university hospital is promising.
The interest, use and acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in the US continue to increase.[1] The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine[2] defines CAM as “a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine”. However, medicine is not truly ‘integrative’ until all healthcare providers, CAM and conventional, collaborate directly. Patients seeking active collaboration between CAM and conventional providers are a less common scenario than patients seeking CAM care on their own. Several studies have shown a
strong tendency for patients to combine CAM and conventional approaches to healthcare. Lifetime use of CAM therapies among 1012 Florida residents found the majority of respondents with a regular physician used one or mor
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