Time to talk about CAM

[Guest guest]

Hi All-

 

FYI, this is the latest and greatest from the National Institutes of Health, in

the US.

 

 

 

 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

<http://www.nccam.nih.gov>

For Immediate Release: Friday, June 6, 2008

 

CONTACT: NCCAM Press Office, 301-496-7790,

<e-mail:nccampress

 

TIME TO TALK ABOUT CAM:

Health Care Providers and Patients Need To Ask and Tell

 

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM),

part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has launched Time to

Talk, an educational campaign to encourage patients -- particularly

those age 50 or older -- and their health care providers to openly discuss

the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM is a

group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products

that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine,

such as herbal supplements, meditation, naturopathy, and acupuncture.

 

According to a national consumer survey conducted by NCCAM and AARP,

almost two-thirds of people age 50 or older are using some form of CAM,

yet less than one-third of these CAM users talk about it with their

providers. The NCCAM/AARP survey revealed some reasons why this

doctor-patient dialogue about CAM does not occur. The most common reasons

survey

respondents cited were

 

-- That the physician never asked

-- They did not know they should discuss CAM

-- There was not enough time during the office visit.

 

More than one-half of respondents who had talked about CAM with their

physician said they (not their physician) initiated the CAM discussion.

The telephone survey was administered to a nationally representative

group of 1,559 people age 50 or older.

 

" In an era of genomics and personalized medicine, we need to remember

that a key ingredient to good health care is the dialogue you, as a

patient, have with your providers, " said Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., NIH

Director. " And talking about what CAM therapies you use is an important part

of that discussion. This is important for people of all ages. "

 

The Time to Talk campaign is aimed at addressing the need for this

dialogue to help ensure safe, coordinated care among all conventional and

CAM therapies. Talking not only allows integrated care, it also

minimizes risks of interactions with a patient's conventional treatments. When

patients tell their providers about their CAM use, they can more

effectively manage their health. When providers ask their patients about CAM

use, they can ensure that they are fully informed and can help patients

make wise health care decisions.

 

" As frequent users of CAM, people 50 and older need to understand the

importance of discussing CAM use with their providers to ensure

coordinated, safe care. Simply put, it's time to talk, " said Josephine P.

Briggs, M.D., NCCAM Director. " Giving your health care providers a full

picture of what you do to manage your health helps you stay in control. "

 

NCCAM's Time to Talk campaign encourages patients to tell their

providers about CAM use and providers to ask about it by offering tools and

resources -- such as wallet cards, posters, and tip sheets -- all of

which are available for free on the NCCAM Web site <nccam.nih.gov> or can

be ordered from NCCAM's information Clearinghouse (1-888-644-6226).

NCCAM is reaching out to professional associations and consumer

organizations to help educate their members about the importance of this

dialogue

and the availability of NCCAM's campaign materials. As the Federal

government's lead agency for scientific research on CAM, NCCAM is committed

to educating both consumers and health care providers about the

importance of discussing CAM and providing evidence-based information to help

with health care decision making.

 

PATIENT TIPS FOR DISCUSSING CAM WITH PROVIDERS

 

-- When completing patient history forms, be sure to include all

therapies and treatments you use. Make a list in advance.

-- Tell your health care providers about all therapies or treatments --

including over-the-counter and prescription medicines, as well as

herbal and dietary supplements.

-- Take control. Don't wait for your providers to ask about your CAM

use.

-- If you are considering a new CAM therapy, ask your health care

providers about its safety, effectiveness, and possible interactions with

medicines (both prescription and over-the-counter).

 

PROVIDER TIPS FOR DISCUSSING CAM WITH PATIENTS

 

-- Include a question about CAM use on medical history forms.

-- Ask your patients to bring a list of all therapies they use,

including prescription, over-the-counter, herbal therapies, and other CAM

practices.

-- Have your medical staff initiate the conversation.

 

For more information on Time to Talk, to order or download materials,

or to read the full NCCAM/AARP report on CAM use communication, please

visit <nccam.nih.gov/timetotalk/>.

 

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's

mission is to explore complementary and alternative medical practices in the

context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate

authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional

information, call NCCAM's Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-888-644-6226, or

visit <nccam.nih.gov>.

 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical

Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary

federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and

translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and

cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH

and its programs, visit <www.nih.gov>.

 

##

 

This NIH News Release is available online at:

<http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2008/nccam-06.htm>.

 

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