Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Misconceptions, Methods, and Safe Use

Homework
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Institutional Affiliations
Course Name and Number
Due Date
Homework
1. Define CAM.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) represents the diverse existing healthcare practices and medications unconventional in the western treatment processes by doctors. The complementary element denotes their use to support the standard treatments, while the alternative aspect illustrates their use in place of orthodox remedies. The approach is gradually becoming commonplace in contemporary medicine through inclusive practices.
2. Describe the Patient Who Uses CAM the most
Misconceptions about users of CAM have dominated the healthcare industry for a long time. Many claims that primary users comprise individuals of low social-economic status, uneducated patients, susceptible persons, and immigrants. However, Dew (2021) reports that the general public is the leading CAM consumer. In the United States, 1 out of 5 people seek care from CAM practitioners, while over a quarter of the United Kingdom’s population uses these services annually (Dew, 2021). The reality is that CAM utilization cuts across all populations globally.
3. List Some Common Misconceptions about CAM.
Various misconceptions about CAM arise from healthcare practitioners in orthodox medicine. They claim that CAM is scientifically unproven and, therefore, ineffective and risky for application in treating patients. Others consider the practices archaic due to their minimal scientific backing. Despite these claims, Dew (2021) demonstrates the growing popularity of their use alongside conventional medicine, even in developed nations.
4. Identify Methods of Including the Use of CAM in Patient Education.
The widespread use of CAM, including referral for these services from medical professionals when orthodox treatments fail to address patients’ issues satisfactorily, illustrates the need for incorporating them in patient education (Dew, 2021). As a result, healthcare experts should avoid dismissing CAM and instead increase their awareness and knowledge about these options to comprehensively advise their interested patients about the safety and applicability of the practice. Adopting such an open-mindset free of misconceptions would expand their understanding and advice their patients accordingly.
5. Discuss the Safe Use of CAM.
Knowledgeable healthcare professionals would provide comprehensive safety awareness to their patients. They would caution them about possible medication – CAM treatment interactions and how to approach them. They would also educate them to understand the likely risk of toxicity resulting from non-standardized herbal preparations. As a result, patients should remain alert and research their CAM practitioners sufficiently for safety reasons (Dew, 2021). Being careful is critical for safety.
6. List Ways in Which Conventional Medicine and CAM Can Be Integrated.
Supporting CAM with evidence-based research can facilitate its uptake and use alongside conventional medicine
Creating healthcare practitioners’ awareness about the applicability of CAM
Encouraging debates between CAM practitioners and conventional care experts
7. Define Ethical Theories, Ethical Principles, and Values.
Ethical theories represent the frameworks attempting to provide individuals or healthcare providers with a clear approach to conflicting issues. Ernst and Smith (2018) indicate that they comprise non-consequentialism, utilitarianism, and deontology, among others.
Ethical principles are fundamental elements that outline considerations one should factor in decision-making.
Values are the central beliefs that guide people towards their actions or attitudes.
8. Provide Examples of Ethical Issues in Patient Education and Compliance, and Describe Ways in Which an Effective Professional/Patient Relationship and a Poor Health Professional/Patient Relationship Can Impact These Issues.
Ernst and Smith (2018) explore authoritarian and paternalistic approaches as the leading ethical issues in patient education. Healthcare professionals can use these factors to the patients’ advantage through proper information regulation to ensure d...