Knowledge Attitude and Practice of traditional and complementary / alternative medicines amongst End Stage Renal Disease patients in Brunei Darussalam.

OBJECTIVE: A limited study was found in regards to knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of traditional and complementary/alternative medicines (TCAM) amongst end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in South East Asian region including Brunei Darussalam. This study explored TCAM use amongst ESRD patients in Brunei Darussalam. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in a local Dialysis Centre using a bilingual self-structured questionnaire. Recruitment was done using systematic random sampling with certain inclusion criteria. All collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel 2016, and inferential statistics were carried out using R studio version 1.1.383. RESULTS: About 40.2% were TCAM users, and this was not predictable by any sociodemographic background. Nevertheless, compliance with conventional medicine (CM) was very high (94.1%). Users had a more positive disease perception, which was not affected by length on dialysis treatment or the presence of comorbidities. TCAM was perceived to be less effective and unsafe compared to CM, and patients agreed that its use should be monitored and notified. Health supplement (70.7%) was mainly used to improve general wellness (48.5%) or to relieve fatigue (42.4%), and most practices were influenced by family (43.9%). Only a minority of users (19.5%) reported side effects as majority (80.5%) consumed TCAM and CM separately. CONCLUSIONS: High TCAM practice showed that there are still needs that are not fulfilled. The health care professionals should always remain vigilant of its use and be attentive to attend to patients' needs.

[Complementary and alternative procedures for fibromyalgia syndrome : Updated guidelines 2017 and overview of systematic review articles]. / Komplementäre und alternative Verfahren beim Fibromyalgiesyndrom : Aktualisierte Leitlinie 2017 und Übersicht von systematischen Übersichtsarbeiten.

BACKGROUND: The regular update of the guidelines on fibromyalgia syndrome, AWMF number 145/004, was scheduled for April 2017. METHODS: The guidelines were developed by 13 scientific societies and 2 patient self-help organizations coordinated by the German Pain Society. Working groups (n =8) with a total of 42 members were formed balanced with respect to gender, medical expertise, position in the medical or scientific hierarchy and potential conflicts of interest. A search of the literature for systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials of complementary and alternative therapies from December 2010 to May 2016 was performed in the Cochrane library, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus databases. Levels of evidence were assigned according to the classification system of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine version 2009. The strength of recommendations was formed by multiple step formalized procedures to reach a consensus. Efficacy, risks, patient preferences and applicability of available therapies were weighed up against each other. The guidelines were reviewed and approved by the board of directors of the societies engaged in the development of the guidelines. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Meditative movement therapies (e.g. qi gong, tai chi and yoga) are strongly recommended. Acupuncture and weight reduction in cases of obesity can be considered.

Help-Seeking From Traditional Healers Among Singaporean Older Adults

The objectives were to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of older adults who visit traditional healers as well as identify medical and psychiatric conditions that are associated with visits to the traditional healer. Methods: Data from 2563 older adults who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) population-based survey was used. Sociodemographic information, details on traditional healer visits as well as medical and psychiatric conditions were collated through an adapted 10/66 protocol. Results: A total of 10.4% of older adults sought help from a traditional healer within the past three months. There were significantly more visits to traditional healers by women, those whose highest level of education was primary or secondary school, those who had stomach/intestine problems and those who had anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Traditional healers appear to be a preferred source of help among some older adult groups. Future research should focus on the impact of seeking help from these alternative healthcare providers in terms of clinical outcomes and costs. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 17 (2): July – December 2016: XX XX.

One hand cannot clap-a study of Arab practitioners of traditional and complementary medicine in Israel: identifying barriers to integrative oncology care.

BACKGROUND: The integration of complementary medicine is gradually becoming an accepted part of standard care for patients with cancer. In our integrative oncology program, we have encountered difficulties in recruiting Arab patients. In order to understand the special needs of this population, we conducted interviews among Arab practitioners of complementary and traditional medicine (CTM). The characteristics of practitioners and their views regarding the therapeutic process were examined. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were administered to 27 Arab practitioners of CTM whose clientele was comprised primarily of Arab cancer patients. Conventional content analysis of the transcribed interviews and field notes was performed in order to identify key themes. RESULT: Three groups of CTM practice were identified: Folk-herbal medicine (n = 9), complementary medicine (CM; n = 14), and religious healing (n = 4). Seven factors were identified in the practitioner accounts: the duration and scheduling of treatment sessions, the language of communication, the presence of family members, the appearance of the practitioner, the definition of treatment goals, the discussion of behavioral and lifestyle changes, and finally, the use of tangible elements in treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The study of Arab CTM practitioner recommendations may help facilitate a culture-sensitive encounter with Arab patients with cancer. This approach may also have implications for other ethno-culturally unique populations.

Cultura contemporânea e medicinas alternativas: novos paradigmas em saúde no fim do século XX / Contemporary culture and complementary medicine: new paradigm in health in the end or the century / Culture contemporaine et médicines douces: nouveaux paradigmes en santé en fin de siêcle

O artigo trata das relações atuais entre cultura, medicina, e as chamadas medicinas alternativas, de uma perspectiva analítica macrossociológica. Algumas hipóteses interpretativas são levantadas para explicar a grande profusão de novas terapias e sistemas terapêuticos na sociedade contemporânea, entre as quais a da existência de uma dupla crise: sanitária e médica, afetando as relações tradicionais existentes entre cultura e medicina. Além disso, uma hipótese subsidiária interpreta essa eclosão de terapias e sistemas como fruto da própria racionalidade médica hegemônica na cultura ocidental, que centraliza a doença como elemento estruturante de seu paradigma e institui a ciência (das patologias) como base da racionalidade médica ocidental, praticamente excluindo a milenar questão da arte de curar como foco central da prática e do saber médico.

This article deals with the relationships between culture and medicine, and the great spread of alternative medicine in present days. It intends to explain this spread in a sociological approach, trying to advance two basic hypothesis: the first one concerns the present double crisis in health and medicine, and the second one concerns the search for a new rationale in health and care by both patients and therapysts in our contemporary society. It seems to exist a clear cultural lag between cultural changes in practises and representations in health, healing and care and the direction of medical progress.

Cet article analyse les relations actuelles entre culture, médecine et les dites médecines douces dans une perspective analytique macro sociologique. Deux hypotheses de base sont suggerées dans le sens d'interpreter Ia grande diffusion de nouveaux sysremes et pratiques theurapeutiques. La premiére essaye de caracteriser une double crise, sanitaire et medicale, dans Ia societé contemporaine, affectant les rapports traditionnels entre médecine et culture. La seconde cherche dans Ia rationalité medicale occidentale elle-même une interpretation pour l'essor de cet ensemble de systemes et pratiques, dans Ia mesure ou cette rationalité est centrée sur un paradigme tecno-scientifique d'identification et d'explication de patologies, lequellaisse en second plan Ia question du sujet malade et sa guerison.