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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Disclosure of conventional and complementary medicine use to medical doctors and complementary medicine practitioners: A survey of rates and reasons amongst those with chronic conditions
PloS One, Vol.16(11), pp.1-16
04/11/2021
PMCID: PMC8568289
PMID: 34735474
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Chronic conditions are prolonged and complex, leading patients to seek multiple forms of care alongside conventional treatment, including complementary medicine (CM). These multiple forms of care are often used concomitantly, requiring patient-provider communication about treatments used in order to manage potential risks. In response, this study describes rates and reasons for disclosure/non-disclosure of conventional medicine use to CM practitioners, and CM use to medical doctors, by individuals with chronic conditions. A survey was conducted online in July and August 2017 amongst the Australian adult population. Participants with chronic conditions were asked about their disclosure-related communication with CM practitioners (massage therapist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, naturopath) and medical doctors. Patients consulting different professions reported varying disclosure rates and reasons. Full disclosure (disclosed ALL) to medical doctors was higher (62.7%-79.5%) than full disclosure to CM practitioners (41.2%-56.9%). The most strongly reported reason for disclosing to both MDs and CM practitioners was I wanted them to fully understand my health status, while for non-disclosure it was They did not ask me about my CM/medicine use. Reasons regarding concerns or expectations around the consultation or patient-provider relationship were also influential. The findings suggest that patient disclosure of treatment use in clinical consultation for chronic conditions may be improved through patient education about its importance, direct provider inquiry, and supportive patient-provider partnerships. Provision of optimal patient care for those with chronic conditions requires greater attention to patient-provider communication surrounding patients’ wider care and treatment use.
Details
- Title
- Disclosure of conventional and complementary medicine use to medical doctors and complementary medicine practitioners: A survey of rates and reasons amongst those with chronic conditions
- Creators
- Hope Foley - University of Technology SydneyAmie Steel - University of Technology SydneyErica McIntyre - University of Technology SydneyJoanna Harnett - University of Technology SydneyDavid Sibbritt - University of Technology SydneyJon Adams - University of Technology Sydney
- Publication Details
- PloS One, Vol.16(11), pp.1-16
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Grant note
- This study was supported by direct contributions from Endeavour College of Natural Health and the Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney. HF was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship while working on this manuscript. JA was supported by an Australian Research Council Professorial Future Fellowship while working on this manuscript (Grant FT140100195). JH’s academic position was supported by a philanthropic donation from Blackmores Pty Ltd during the course of this study.
- Identifiers
- 991013036330902368
- Copyright
- © 2021 Foley et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Academic Unit
- National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article