Describe the patient who uses CAM the most. List some common misconceptions about CAM. Identify methods of including the use of CAM in patient education. Discuss the safe use of CAM.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Define CAM

Complementary and alternative medicine describes practices and medicinal products not used in standard medical care. Complementary medicine is used with traditional care practices (NIH, 2021). An example is acupuncture, which is used to lessen cancer treatment side effects. On the other hand, alternative medicine is utilized instead of standard care practices (NIH, 2021). An example is using herbs to cure cancer.

Describe the patient who uses CAM the most.

Individuals from all backgrounds use CAM. It is, however, used by more women compared to men (NIH, 2021). Individuals with higher income and educational levels also prefer using CAM (NIH, 2021). Even though it is popular among all ages, most people who utilize CAM are aged thirty-five years and above. CAM is also commonly used in hospice and palliative care settings (NIH, 2021).

List some common misconceptions about CAM.

1. Alternative medicine practices are the only alternative- Most doctors and other Western medicine healthcare professionals work with alternative medicine practitioners to coordinate care.
2. Holistic medicine is not practiced as mainstream medicine
3. Natural doctors do not utilize conventional medical practices
4. Alternative medicine is not effective
5. Big and established medical organizations are against alternative medicine (Cohen, 2015).

Identify methods of including the use of CAM in patient education.

Before initiating a patient on CAM, the healthcare professional should give the patient all the necessary information. The clinician should advise the patient of safety issues related to CAM. In addition to this, the clinician should inform the patient that CAM should not be substituted with contemporary medicine. These two can be integrated. Finally, the clinician should educate the patient on the possible side effects of CAM therapies, such as herbal preparations.

Discuss the safe use of CAM.

As with any therapy, it is essential to consider the safety of complementary services and products. Security is related to specific treatments and products. Herbal and nutritional supplements are available for users, but the information concerning their protection is limited since manufacturers are not required to prove the safety and efficacy of their products (NIH, 2021). The safety issues related to these supplements include interactions with contemporary medicine and the possibility of product contamination, resulting in serious health issues (NIH, 2021). Individuals should thus be advised to buy these products from reputable companies and sources

List ways in which conventional medicine and CAM can be integrated

There is increased CAM and contemporary medicine integration in many healthcare organizations (Singer & Adams, 2014). These two medical practices can be combined in the following ways:

1. Establishing policies and guidelines on how to integrate the two (Singer & Adams, 2014)
2. Incorporating CAM into the healthcare curriculum
3. Understand the shortcomings of conventional medicine
4. Validate the integration process
5. Ensure standardization of herbal products to ensure quality.

Define ethical theories, ethical principles, and values.

Ethical theories are the basis of ethical analysis since they are the reference point that guides healthcare professionals on their ethical obligations (Rodger & Blackshaw, 2017). On the other hand, ethical principles are general judgments that justify moral actions taken by healthcare professionals (Haddad & Geiger, 2020). Ethical values guide how the decision-making process is done (Haddad & Geiger, 2020)