ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9901-5717
Current Organisation
University of Technology Sydney
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In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Sociology | Sociology not elsewhere classified | Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified | Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified | Public Health and Health Services | Midwifery | Complementary/Alternative Medicine Not Elsewhere Classified | Sociology Not Elsewhere Classified | Complementary and Alternative Medicine not elsewhere classified |
Carer Health | Women's Health | Expanding Knowledge through Studies of Human Society | Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) not elsewhere classified | Women’s health | Palliative Care | Health not elsewhere classified | Health Inequalities
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 2018
Abstract: To examine the longitudinal change in Australian women's prevalence of cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort and the association between their symptoms and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Data on endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), irregular periods, heavy periods, and severe period pain were collected over a 7-year period from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, for women aged 28 to 33 years in 2006, and at 3-year follow-ups. Changes in symptoms and patterns of CAM practitioner and therapy roduct use associated with these symptoms were analyzed using longitudinal regression modeling. Over the 7-year period, prevalence rates of PMS and heavy periods increased, while prevalence rates of endometriosis, irregular periods, and severe period pain remained stable. The most common use of CAM longitudinally associated with the perimenstrual symptoms was use of vitamins/minerals, yoga/meditation, massage therapy, herbal medicine, and aromatherapy. Excluding consultation with a naturopath/herbalist, over the 7-year survey women's use of all other CAM practitioners increased as did their use of vitamin/minerals, yoga/meditation, and Chinese medicines, while aromatherapy use declined. Only the prevalence of PMS and heavy periods increased with aging in this s le of women. While overall use of CAM practitioner and self-prescribed products/therapies increased over time, CAM was chosen by women mainly to treat endometriosis and PMS. The extent to which this use reflects treatment efficacy is uncertain.
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1159/000134904
Abstract: The aim was to explore the prevalence of visitors to CAM practitioners in a total population with reference to sex, self-rated health status and socio-demographic characteristics. The paper reports findings from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT 2), a total population-based health survey of 42,277 respondents conducted in central Norway who answered questions on visits to a CAM practitioner. Variables included were age, marital status, education, receiving social welfare benefits, lifestyle (daily smoker), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-T), self-rated health status, and having a limiting chronic complaint. Some 12.8% (95% CI 12.5-13.1) of the population had visited a CAM practitioner in the last 12 months, with females visiting almost twice as often as males. Multivariate analysis showed that consulting a CAM practitioner was significantly associated in both sexes with being middle-aged (male age 40-49 OR 1.6 (1.2-2.0), female age 30-39 OR 1.4 (1.1-1.6)) poor self-rated health status (male OR 5.1 (3.1-8.5), female 3.9 (2.2-6.8 )) and reporting a chronic complaint (male OR 1.5 (1.3-1.8), female OR 1.4 (1.2-1.6)). Daily smoking of cigarettes was associated with a decreased likelihood for visiting a CAM practitioner (male OR 0.7 (0.6-0.9), female OR 0.8 (0.7-0.9)). In females, both a higher total HADS-T score (score >20 OR 1.5 (1.2-2.0)) and middle-level education (OR 1.2 (1.1-1.4)) were associated with visiting a CAM practitioner. Visitors to CAM practitioners had lower self-reported health than non-users, but socio-demographic variables did not discriminate between users and non-users.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-2011
DOI: 10.1586/EOG.11.29
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.YPMED.2017.09.009
Abstract: Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for all adults, with older adults considered a high-risk group for targeted intervention. As such it is important for factors affecting vaccine uptake in this group to be examined. Complementary medicine (CM) use has been suggested as a possible factor associated with lower vaccination uptake. To determine if associations exist between influenza and pneumococcal vaccine uptake in older Australian women and the use of CM, data from women aged 62-67years surveyed as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were analyzed in 2013 regarding their health and health care utilization. Associations between the uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations and the use of CM were analyzed in 2016 using chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression modelling. Of the 9151 women, 65.6% and 17.7% reported that they had influenza and pneumococcal vaccination within the past 3years respectively. Regression analyses show that women who consulted naturopaths/herbalists (OR=0.64) and other CM practitioners (OR=0.64) were less likely to have vaccination (influenza only), as were women who used yoga (OR=0.77-0.80) and herbal medicines (OR=0.78-0.83) (influenza and pneumococcal). Conversely, women using vitamin supplements were more likely to receive either vaccination (OR=1.17-1.24) than those not using vitamin supplements. The interface between CM use and influenza and pneumococcal vaccination uptake in older women appears complex, multi-factorial and often highly in idualized and there is a need for further research to provide a rich examination of the decision-making and motivations of stakeholders around this important public health topic.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2011
DOI: 10.1007/S10823-011-9155-9
Abstract: Dementia is a chronic illness involving increasing levels of care, often provided by family members, particularly in culturally and linguistically erse (CALD) communities. Multicultural community link workers are often the primary service providers assisting families to access health and welfare services and as such have extensive experience of, and possess in-depth knowledge about, CALD family care-giving for dementia. While research has been undertaken on dementia in CALD communities, this research has not focused on the experiences and perceptions of these multicultural workers with regards to CALD family care-giving. In response to this gap in the research, this paper presents the results of an empirical investigation of multicultural workers' perspectives with regard to the cultural traditions informing CALD family care-giving, CALD families' understandings of the term 'carer' and family arrangements regarding care. Due to their close relationship and knowledge of families, multicultural workers can offer an important perspective that is invaluable in informing the provision of carer education and support within CALD communities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-03-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2753.2007.00874.X
Abstract: Clinicians' means of stratification of risk of violence has been previously studied in health settings, but not in general practice. This study aimed to investigate the means by which general practitioners (GPs) assess risk of violence in their clinical practice. A qualitative design using focus group interviews and written responses on a subsequent questionnaire. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed. Questionnaires were sent to all members of three Divisions of General Practice offering the opportunity for respondents to make qualitative comments. The focus group transcripts and qualitative questionnaire responses were coded independently by members of the research team and subjected to thematic analysis. The setting was three Urban Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia. Participants were one hundred and seventy-two urban GPs - 18 participants in four focus groups and 154 GPs providing written responses. Assessment and stratification of risk by GPs conformed to a schema based on the physical environment of the consultation, in idual characteristics of the patient, in idual characteristics of the doctor, and characteristics of the doctor-patient relationship. Despite this, risk assessment and risk stratification were often on the basis of ad hoc, subjective decision making. An aspect of the ad hoc nature of risk assessment was the pre-eminence afforded 'instinct' or 'intuition' in subjects' responses. A schema of factors involved in GPs' assessment of risk of violence is presented. An appreciation of these will be of clinical and policy importance.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPSYCHORES.2017.07.013
Abstract: To examine the relationship between yoga/meditation practice and health behavior in Australian women. Women aged 19-25years, 31-36years, and 62-67years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were surveyed regarding smoking, alcohol or drug use, physical activity and dietary behavior and whether they practiced yoga/meditation on a regular basis. Associations of health behaviors with yoga/meditation practice were analyzed using multiple logistic regression modelling. 11,344, 8200, and 9151 women aged 19-25years, 31-36years, and 62-67years, respectively, were included of which 29.0%, 21.7%, and 20.7%, respectively, practiced yoga/meditation. Women practicing yoga/meditation were significantly more likely to report at least moderate physical activity levels (OR=1.50-2.79), to follow a vegetarian (OR=1.67-3.22) or vegan (OR=2.26-3.68) diet, and to report the use of marijuana (OR=1.28-1.89) and illicit drugs in the last 12 months (OR=1.23-1.98). Yoga/meditation practice was associated with higher physical activity levels, a higher likelihood of vegetarian or vegan diet use, and a higher likelihood of drug use. While health professionals should keep the potential vulnerability of yoga/meditation practitioners to drug use in mind, the positive associations of yoga/meditation with a variety of positive health behaviors warrant its consideration in preventive medicine and healthcare.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2001
Abstract: Despite the depth of interest in complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) within the nursing community, the intersection between nurses, nursing and CAM has largely avoided sociological analysis. This paper presents findings from one part of an ongoing exploratory study of how nurses present and interpret the apparent affinity of their profession with CAM. A text analysis of papers published from within the nursing community on CAM was conducted. Within the broad area of professional identity, differentiation and development, two dominant themes emerged from the analysis. Firstly, the use of professional distancing to underpin the legitimacy of the nursing/CAM axis and second, the potential offered by the relationship for a reconstruction of lines of professional authority. As one dimension of the way in which nursing's intersection with CAM is being constructed and perpetuated, the relationship with medicine appears to be of significance and requires further attention.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-07-2014
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 05-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.1007/S11136-016-1233-6
Abstract: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associated factors were assessed among 155 Indigenous Australian adult cancer patients 6 months post-diagnosis. The Assessment of Quality of Life-4D Questionnaire was used to assess HRQoL. Differences in the median utility score among subgroups of interest were examined using nonparametric tests. Factors associated with excellent HRQoL were assessed through logistic regression. Participants' mean age was 52 years (range 20-78), and the majority were female (60 %), unemployed (72 %), and recruited from outpatients clinics (64 %). Breast cancer (27 %) was the most common diagnosis. The median HRQoL score was 0.62 14 % of participants reported excellent HRQoL (>0.90). After adjusting for age, admission status, and treatment, excellent HRQoL was more likely among participants of Torres Strait Islander origin [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.68 95 % CI 1.23-11.01], those living in regional areas (AOR 5.59 95 % CI 1.42-22.06), and those whose main language spoken at home was not English (AOR 3.60 95 % CI 1.08-11.99) and less likely among those reporting less contact with Indigenous people (AOR 0.23 95 % CI 0.68-0.81). Assessing HRQoL is important to identifying and improving the length and quality of cancer survivorship, especially in groups that have significantly poorer cancer outcomes, such as Indigenous Australians. Acknowledging the study's observational nature, we found HRQoL was lower than reported for other Australians, and we identified some socio-demographic factors that were associated with excellent HRQoL. Such assessments are an important component of identifying and evaluating appropriate interventions to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous cancer patients.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-04-2016
DOI: 10.1038/JHH.2016.20
Abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of hypertension in women, and describe their self-care and health-seeking behaviours. This research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a study comprising a nationally representative s le of Australian women in three age groups. The focus of this research is 14 099 women born in 1946-1951, who have been surveyed six times (1996-2010). Student t-tests were used to compare women who did or did not have hypertension by their health-care utilization. Longitudinal analyses were conducted using a Poisson generalized estimating equation model. The incidence of hypertension among this cohort during 1996 to 2010 ranged from 400 to 597 participants per survey, resulting in an increase in prevalence of hypertension from 20.9% in 1996 to 41.3% in 2010. For all survey periods, women with hypertension had a significantly higher average number of visits to doctors and allied health practitioners compared with women without hypertension (P<0.005). The use of complementary medicine (practitioners and self-prescribed treatments) by women with hypertension was significantly lower compared to women without hypertension (P<0.005). Over time, conventional health-care utilization was higher for women with hypertension compared with women without hypertension (adjusted RR=1.18 95% CI: 1.14, 1.22 P<0.0001). Our findings show that women with hypertension are using a range of conventional and complementary and alternative medicine: with hypertensive women using more conventional medicine and less complementary and alternative medicine than non-hypertensive women. As such, health-care providers should communicate with their patients regarding their use of complementary and alternative medicine in their efforts to provide safe, effective and coordinate care.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2012.05.003
Abstract: To analyse use of conventional and complementary and alternative (CAM) practitioners and self-prescribed CAM amongst mid-age Australian women with back pain. Self-completion postal surveys completed in 2004 and 2007, of the mid-age cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's health. Questions asked for written responses about the use of conventional practitioners, CAM practitioners and self-prescribed CAM for treatment of back pain. Analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data (n=9820), conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), which was designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well being of women over a 20-year period. Women were asked if they had sought help for back pain in the previous twelve months. The prevalence of back pain was 54.8% (n=5383). The percentage of women who sought help for their back pain was 17.3% (n=1700). Of the women who sought help for back pain, 2% consulted with a CAM practitioner only, 35% consulted a conventional practitioner only and 63% with both a conventional and CAM practitioner. Back pain is prevalent amongst mid-age Australian women, although only one third sought help. Women who sought help for their back pack were high users of CAM (practitioners and self-prescribed) and conventional care providers, consulting a CAM practitioner in complement with conventional biomedical consultations rather than as an alternative. Further research is needed to explore the complex contemporary landscapes of back pain negotiation and management.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2014
Abstract: Up to 87% of women are using some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) during their pregnancy, and this study was conducted to investigate the information sources that these women find influential in relation to such use. The study s le was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. This article is based on a substudy of 1835 pregnant women who were surveyed in 2010. The women answered questions about CAM use, pregnancy-related health concerns, and influential information sources in relation to CAM use. Logistic regression models were used to determine the information sources that women reported as influential in their decision making regarding CAM use. Of the respondents (n=1835, 79.2% response rate), 48.1% (n=623) of the pregnant women consulted a CAM practitioner and 91.7% (n=1485) used a CAM product during pregnancy. The results show that, of the women who used CAM, nearly half (48%, n=493) were influenced by their own personal experience of CAM and 43% (n=423) by family and friends. Other popular sources of information were general practitioners 27% (n=263), the media (television, radio, books, magazines, newspapers) 22% (n=220), obstetricians 21% (n=208) and midwives 19% (n=190). Numerous statistically significant associations between influential information sources and pregnancy-related health conditions were identified. Women utilize a wide variety of information sources regarding their CAM use during pregnancy. Nonprofessional sources of information were found to be particularly influential, and maternity health care professionals need to have a nonjudgmental and open discussion with women about their CAM use during pregnancy in order to ensure safe and effective maternal outcomes.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-2009
Abstract: The profile of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has risen dramatically over recent years, with cancer patients representing some of the highest users of any patient group. This article reports the results from a series of in-depth interviews with oncology consultants and oncology nurses in two hospitals in Australia. Analysis identifies a range of self-reported approaches with which oncology clinicians discuss CAM, highlighting the potential implications for patient care and inter-professional dynamics. The interview data suggest that, whilst there are a range of consultant approaches to CAM, `risk' is consistently deployed rhetorically as a key regulatory strategy to frame CAM issues and potentially direct patient behaviour. Moreover, `irrationality', `seeking control', and `desperation' were viewed by consultants as the main drivers of CAM use, presenting potential difficulties for effective doctor—patient dialogue about CAM. In contrast, oncology nurses appear to perceive their role as that of CAM and patient advocate — an approach disapproved of by the consultants on their respective teams, presenting implications for oncology teamwork. CAM education emerged as a contentious and crucial issue for oncology clinicians. Yet, while viewed as a key barrier to clinician—patient communication about CAM, various forms of in idual and organizational resistance to CAM education were evident. A number of core issues for clinical practice and broader work in the sociology of CAM are discussed in light of these findings.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 04-2018
Abstract: This study aims to describe the Australian complementary medicine (CM) workforce, including practice and professional characteristics. National cross-sectional survey. Australia. Any in idual who self-identified as a practitioner qualified in any one of 14 CM professions and working in any state or territory of Australia was eligible to participate in the survey. A 19-item online survey was developed following a review of existing CM workforce data and in alignment with other CM workforce survey projects in progress at the time. The survey items were presented under three main constructs: demographic characteristics, professional characteristics, and practice characteristics. Descriptive statistical analysis, including frequencies and percentages, of multiple choice survey items was used. Open response items were analyzed to determine the mean, standard deviation (SD), minimum, and maximum. The demographic data were evaluated for representativeness based on previously reported CM workforce figures. The survey was completed by 1306 CM practitioners and was found to be nationally representative compared with the most recent registrant data from the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. Participants primarily practiced in the most populous Australian states and worked in at least one urban clinical location. Most participants held an Advanced Diploma qualification or lower, obtained their qualification ten more years ago, and practiced in a clinical environment alongside at least one other practitioner from another health profession. Participants reported erse clinical practice specialties and occupational roles. Per week, participants worked an average of 3.7 days and treated 23.6 clients. The results from this survey of practitioners from most complementary professions in Australia provide new insights into the national complementary medicine workforce. Further exploration of the CM workforce is warranted to inform all who provide patient care and develop health policy for better patient and public health outcomes.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-02-2006
Abstract: Violence directed towards GPs has been recognized as a significant problem in the UK. In Australian urban general practice, no study has previously examined this topic. The objective of this study was to investigate the responses of Australian urban GPs to experiences of violence and to perceptions of risk of violence. A qualitative study of data collected from two sources-focus group discussions and qualitative questionnaire responses. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed. Questionnaires offered the opportunity for respondents to make qualitative comments. The focus group transcripts and qualitative questionnaire responses were coded independently by members of the research team and subjected to thematic analysis. Three urban Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia. Focus groups were conducted with male and female GPs comprising a range of ages, socio-economic practice catchments and practice structures. Questionnaires were distributed to all GPs in the three isions. The GPs in this study perceived themselves as being at significant risk of occupational violence. Despite responses to violence being largely ad hoc and uncoordinated, a coherent schema of GPs' responses to the threat of violence is apparent in the data. This has been characterized as encompassing primary, secondary and tertiary responses, and reflects a continuum of proactive to reactive responses. The findings will have implications for further research and for policy in the area.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBMT.2015.03.004
Abstract: The use of complementary medicine (CM) is common during pregnancy with visits to osteopathic practitioners growing in recent years. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of women who consult osteopathic practitioners during pregnancy. The study s le was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). The women answered questions about consultations with osteopathic practitioners, pregnancy-related health concerns and attitudes to CM use. A total response rate of 79.2% (1835) was obtained. Of these, 104 women (6.1%) consulted with an osteopath during pregnancy for a pregnancy-related health condition. Women were more likely to consult an osteopath if they suffered from back pain, sadness, weight management issues, or had a history of retained placenta. Women are visiting osteopaths for help with common pregnancy health complaints, highlighting the need for research to evaluate the safety, clinical and cost effectiveness of osteopathy in pregnancy.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 18-06-2010
Abstract: Evidence-based medicine has enhanced the predictive capacity of biomedicine in population terms, but it has also introduced new challenges for patient care and biomedical expertise. In this article we examine the negotiation of prediction and indeterminacy by oncology clinicians, exploring the ways in which they report delivering prognosis and engaging with indeterminacy in conversation with their patients. We examine oncologists’ strategies for delivering “news,” the technological mediation of uncertainty, and reported conversational turns toward a focus on indeterminacy and in idual response. Drawing from these accounts, we argue that, although predictive capacity remains central to oncological expertise, notions of in idualism, subjectivity, and self-determination are being heavily drawn on by clinicians. Rather than presenting a challenge, such ideas might be becoming increasingly central to oncological expertise. Interviews with cancer nurses illustrate their precarious relationship with evidence, uncovering tensions in their approach to patients and in their attempts to traverse erse paradigms of care. We argue for an understanding of oncological expertise as evolving within the context of potentially competing contemporary cultural shifts, and against a simplistic notion of indeterminacy as necessarily eroding expertise.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-06-2022
DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2087629
Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disease and multifactorial, harming patients worldwide. Extensive research has been carried out in the search for novel drug delivery systems offering reliable control of glucose levels for diabetics, aiming at efficient management of DM. Polymeric micelles (PMs) as smart drug delivery nanocarriers are discussed, focusing on oral drug delivery applications for the management of hyperglycemia. The most recent approaches used for the preparation of smart PMs employ molecular features of hiphilic block copolymers (ABCs), such as stimulus sensitivity, ligand conjugation, and as a more specific ex le the ability to inhibit islet amyloidosis. PMs provide a unique platform for self-regulated or spatiotemporal drug delivery, mimicking the working mode of pancreatic islets to maintain glucose homeostasis for prolonged periods. This unique characteristic is achieved by tailoring the functional chemistry of ABCs considering the physicochemical traits of PMs, including sensing capabilities, hydrophobicity, etc. In addition, the application of ABCs for the inhibition of conformational changes in islet amyloid polypeptide garnered attention as one of the root causes of DM. However, research in this field is limited and further studies at the clinical level are required.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2004
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 05-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-11-2015
Abstract: Home is frequently idealised as the preferred location for end-of-life care, while in-patient hospital care is viewed with suspicion and fear. Yet many people with a terminal illness spend their final days in some form of medicalised institutional setting, such as a specialist palliative care in-patient unit. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with in-patients at a specialist palliative care unit, we focus on their difficulties in finding a better place of care at the end of their life. We found that participants came to conceptualise home though a sense of bodily vulnerabilities and that they frequently understood institutional care to be more about protecting their family from the social, emotional and relational burdens of dying. For a significant number of participants the experience of dying came to be understood through what could be practically accomplished in different locales. The different locales were therefore framed around providing the best care for the patient and their family.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-05-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2015
DOI: 10.1111/IMJ.12665
Abstract: The complexity of Medicare claiming means it is often beyond the comprehension of many, including medical practitioners who are required to interpret and apply Medicare every day. A single Medicare service can be the subject of 30 different payment rates, multiple claiming methods and a myriad of rules, with severe penalties for non-compliance, yet the administrative infrastructure and specialised human resourcing of Medicare may have decreased over time. As a result, medical practitioners experience difficulties accessing reliable information and support concerning their claiming and compliance obligations. Some commentators overlook the complexity of Medicare and suggest that deliberate misuse of the system by medical practitioners is a significant contributor to rising healthcare costs, although there is currently no empirical evidence to support this view. Quantifying the precise amount of leakage caused by inappropriate claiming has proven an impossible task, although current estimates are $1-3 billion annually. The current government's proposed copayment plan may cause increases in non-compliance and incorrect Medicare claiming, and a causal link has been demonstrated between medical practitioner access to Medicare education and significant costs savings. Medicare claiming is a component of almost every medical interaction in Australia, yet most education in this area currently occurs on an ad hoc basis. Research examining medical practitioner experiences and understanding regarding Medicare claiming and compliance is urgently required to adapt medicine responsibly to our rapidly changing healthcare environment.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2005.10.007
Abstract: Acne is one of the commonest diseases to afflict humanity. Anecdotally, the use of CAM in acne is widespread. In this review the empirical evidence for the efficacy of CAM modalities is examined and the context for their use discussed. Searches were made of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicines), Cochrane, and DARE databases using the search terms "acne" and "acne vulgaris" together with "alternative" and "complementary". The identified studies examined a broad range of CAM modalities but were of generally poor methodological quality. Evidence suggests that many of these therapies are biologically plausible. Complementary therapies in acne should be viewed in a wider context than that of the very limited empiric evidence base that exists for their use. Further rigorously conducted trials should be conducted to define efficacy and adverse effect profiles of currently used CAM acne therapies.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2005.10.008
Abstract: To describe the patterns of prescription and dispensing of herbal medicines employed by Western herbal practitioners in Australia. A national postal survey sent to all full members of the National Herbalist Association of Australia (NHAA). Nationwide clinics of professional herbal practitioners in Australia. Measures of medicinal use were collected including aspects of prescription, formulation, dispensing and preparation forms of medicines used. The practitioners were asked if they dispensed their own medicines, about the form of herbal preparations used, aspects of formulation and dosages. The predominant prescription by most Western herbal practitioners in Australia is in idualised herbal formulae rather than the use of single herbs. Traditional preparations of herbals such as teas and powders are used but liquid herbal extracts are most commonly dispensed. These liquid medicines are in the form of highly concentrated fluid extracts in ratios of 1:1 or 1:2, herb material to liquid. Pre-formulated tablets or capsules made by herbal manufacturers are being incorporated into modern practice but most prescriptions are in idualised liquid formulae prepared and dispensed, from the clinic dispensary, after patient consultation. In addition to internal prescriptions, topical creams, pessaries, douches, gargles, eyebaths and poultices or washes are still incorporated into treatments. Although there is variation in used dosage ranges, the predominant system is that of pharmacologically active doses of highly concentrated fluid extracts. The professional prescription of Western herbal medicines is different to commercial usage. As opposed to pre-formulated tablets, or use of single herbals, the vast majority of Western herbalists in Australia construct in idualised herbal formulations for their patients after consultation. The preferred form of administration of these prescriptions is as highly concentrated liquid herbal extracts in pharmacologically active doses.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2015.07.004
Abstract: To examine the association between self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine use and menopause-related symptoms, stratified by menopausal status. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative s le of 10,011 menopausal women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, conducted in 2010. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to identify if the use of selected self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine was significantly associated with a range of menopause-related symptoms. Vitamins/minerals were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=1.20) and/or stiff ainful joints (adjusted OR=1.16). Yoga/meditation was more likely to be used by women with hysterectomy (adjusted OR=1.76) or natural menopausal women (adjusted OR=1.38) experiencing anxiety. Herbal medicines were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=1.22), tiredness (adjusted OR=1.20), and/or stiff ainful joints (adjusted OR=1.17), and by women with oophorectomy experiencing tiredness (adjusted OR=1.45). Aromatherapy oils were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing night sweats (adjusted OR=1.25) and by women with hysterectomy experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=2.02). Chinese medicines were more likely to be used by women with oophorectomy experiencing stiff ainful joints (adjusted OR=4.06) and/or palpitations (adjusted OR=3.06). Our study will help improve the patient-provider communication regarding complementary and alternative medicine use for menopause, and we conclude that menopausal status should be taken into account by providers for menopause care. The women's experience and motivations of such use warrant further research.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.SRHC.2015.04.002
Abstract: A woman's choice of birth setting can depend on a variety of factors including her preference, availability of services and legislative environment. However, examination of the characteristics of women in relation to their birth environment has been limited in scope and design. This study presents the comparative characteristics of women who birth at home, in a birth centre or in a standard hospital setting. Cross-sectional survey of women (n = 2445) identified as pregnant or recently given birth in the 2009 survey of the "young" cohort (n = 8012) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women's birth setting was associated with a variety of factors including employment status, private health insurance, attitudes towards obstetric care, health status, use of intrapartum pain management, and adverse birth events. Women's choice of birth setting may be affected by factors such as government and institutional policy, personal values, and economic situation. The confluence of these factors for in idual women can impact on the birth settings available to women and the corresponding choices they make. A clear understanding of these factors is important to ensure women access the most appropriate birth environment to achieve the best maternal and foetal health outcomes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-02-2011
DOI: 10.1007/S00520-010-0822-0
Abstract: People with advanced cancer who may benefit from specialised palliative care (SPC) do not necessarily access such services. To obtain a deeper understanding of issues affecting access to SPC, five focus groups were undertaken with nurses (35), physicians (three), allied health professionals (seven) and an academic involved in providing care. Thematic analysis revealed that palliative care providers consistently view palliative care as a broad holistic approach to care benchmarked on good symptom management. Whilst participants themselves perceived SPC as aiming to maximise the quality of life of the patient and family across all domains of care, they perceived that some health professionals and community members viewed palliative care largely as symptom control and terminal care for access after all disease-modifying treatment has been exhausted. Concern was expressed that such misconceptions were an important barrier to timely SPC. Participants did not nominate a time or particular milestone in the disease process which should prompt referral and suggested that SPC be available at any time where needs are complex and/or are not being met. Failure to properly recognise and understand the breadth of care provided within the palliative care framework may result in people with advanced cancer and their caregivers not accessing SPC services or accessing them too late to receive maximum benefit. Education may be required to promote the holistic nature of SPC services amongst health professionals and the community and to help realise the potential benefits to patients, families and health professionals resulting from timely access to SPC services.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2013.11.013
Abstract: To examine the prevalence and characteristics of women who self-prescribe complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for back pain. A cross-sectional survey of a nationally-representative s le of women aged 60-65 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). A significant number of women (75.2%, n=985) self-prescribed one or more CAM for back pain in the previous twelve months. Use of self-prescribed CAM for back pain was not associated with socio-economic status. The most common self-prescribed CAM used by women was supplements (n=776, 59.2%), vitamins/minerals (n=592, 45.2%), yoga/meditation (n=187, 14.3%), herbal medicines (n=172, 13.1%) and aromatherapy oils (n=112, 8.6%). Women who visited general practitioners (GPs) more than three times in the previous twelve months were 1.59 times (95% CI: 1.14, 2.22) more likely to self-prescribe CAM for back pain than those women who did not visit GPs. Women who visited a pharmacist three or more times in the previous twelve months were 2.90 times (95% CI: 1.65, 5.09) more likely to self-prescribe CAM for back pain than those women who did not visit a pharmacist. This study identifies substantial use of self-prescribed CAM by women for back pain regardless of their education, income or urban/rural residency. In order to ensure safe, effective practice it is important that all providing and managing health services for back pain sufferers remain mindful of patients' possible use of self-prescribed CAM.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/AH10874
Abstract: Objective. To examine the experiences of occupational violence in general practitioner (GP) and non-GP staff. Further objectives were to compare prevalence of violence in GP and non-GP staff and to examine levels of apprehension and perceptions of control over violence. Design. Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Setting. A network of research general practices, New South Wales, Australia. Participants. GPs and non-GP staff – receptionist, practice-management, nursing and allied health staff. Main outcome measure(s). Experience of occupational violence during the previous 12 months. Other outcomes examined were workplace apprehension regarding violence, perception of occupational violence as a problem in general practice, and perception of control over violence in the workplace. Results. A total of125 questionnaire replies were received (response rate 55%), 59.3% of GPs and 74.6% of non-GPs had experienced work-related violence during the previous 12 months. The difference was not significant (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.20–2.06). Subjects in rural practices were more likely than those in urban practices to have experienced violence (OR 3.79, 95% CI 1.15–12.5). Personal experience of violence (OR 35.9, 95% CI 6.24–207) and a perception that violence is increasing (OR 8.33, 95% CI 1.89–36.6) were associated with apprehension regarding violence at work. What is known about the topic? The prevalence and impact upon GPs of occupational violence is well established, but occupational violence has been little-researched in non-GP staff. What does this paper add? This study demonstrates that occupational violence is a major issue for non-GP staff – at least as much as it is for GPs. What are the implications for practitioners? Apprehension and fear among general practice staff are strongly associated with experiences of violence and must be addressed at a whole-of-practice level with measures to reduce violence and improve safety.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 11-2012
Abstract: Specialist referral practices regarding palliative care are variable and their decision-making practices regarding timing and communication remains an under-researched issue. More effective referral practices have been shown to enhance patient and carer experiences at the end of life, reduce the burden on pre-palliative care services, and even extend life expectancy in some cases. The aim of this study was to examine the logics underpinning the timing of referral to palliative care according to a range of medical specialists in a regional center on the east coast of Australia, in order to facilitate improvements in referral practices. We conducted semi-structured, qualitative interviews with 20 medical specialists and carried out a thematic analysis of the interview data, utilising the framework analysis approach and NVivo 9 software. Key themes were tested for rigour through inter-rater reliability. The major themes identified within this analysis of the interviews were: a) strategies for preparing for palliative care and the importance of planning timely referrals b) perception of inter-professional variation and reasons for delayed or difficult referrals and c) the importance of inter-specialty communication and cross-disciplinary dialogue. Significant barriers exist to the timely referral to palliative care, and, in order to improve patient and care quality of life and lessen clinical difficulties, further work is needed to develop streamlined practices that are sensitive to specialty needs and patient desires.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 05-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2354.2008.01049.X
Abstract: The aim of the study was to identify the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners among current and previous cancer patients in a total population. A secondary analysis of data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (otherwise known as the HUNT 2 Study) - a total population survey conducted in central Norway - was undertaken. Analysis focused upon the response of 1406 in iduals who reported to have or have had cancer and who answered a question on visits to CAM practitioners. The study identified 16.1% of respondents had visited a CAM practitioner in the prior 12 months compared with 12.8% in the total population, and the likelihood of consulting a CAM practitioner was significantly increased among those who had a university degree, who reported a lower perceived global health and who had experienced a health complaint during the last 12 months. Complementary and alternative medicine practitioner consultations among in iduals with a previous or current malignant disease were highest for those with poor self-reported health status and with a recent health complaint. From the socio-demographic variables studied only the reporting of a university degree was significantly associated with higher CAM practitioner use.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 10-07-2016
Abstract: Misuse of antibiotics in hospitals in Australia and internationally is common. The combination of multi-resistant organisms and continued misuse of antibiotics is contributing to a predicted ‘antimicrobial perfect storm’ in the coming decades. Attempts to influence doctors’ use of antibiotics have seen limited success internationally, yet few studies have explored the potential social factors driving current practices within hospitals and the interpersonal processes that underpin persistent ‘suboptimal’ antibiotic use. In this qualitative study of hospital-based Australian doctors we explore some of these dynamics including: the role of clinical uncertainty and ambivalence experiences of immediate risk interpersonal and intra-professional pressure and the role of localised norms and ‘craft groups’ in driving antibiotic practices. We argue that the development of a sociological understanding of antibiotic misuse in the hospital sector (and beyond) is vital for progress to be made in protecting antibiotics for future generations.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-08-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S40271-014-0082-Z
Abstract: By going online or overseas, patients can purchase a range of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), without prescription and without input from a qualified health professional. Such practices raise questions about medicine safety and how and why patients choose to procure medicines using such methods. The aim of this paper is to examine two unconventional types of medicine procurement-medical returns and purchasing medicines online-from the patient perspective. Data are drawn from a large qualitative study examining health-seeking practices among Indian-Australians (28) and Anglo-Australians (30) living with depression in Melbourne, Australia. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were undertaken. Thematic analysis was performed. A total of 23 (39.6 %) participants reported having obtained medicines either through the internet or via medical returns. Indian-Australians sourced medicines from India while Anglo-Australians purchased CAM products from domestic and international e-pharmacies. Neither group encountered any difficulties in the medicines entering Australia. Cost and convenience were the main reasons for buying medicines online but dissatisfaction with Australian health services also influenced why Indian-Australians sought medicines from India. Nearly all participants reported benefits from consuming these medicines only one person reported adverse effects. The increased availability of medicines transnationally and patients' preparedness to procure these medicines from a range of sources raise important issues for the safe use of medicines. Further research is needed to understand how patients forge their own transnational therapeutic regimes, understand and manage their levels of risk in relation to safe medicine use and what points of intervention might be most effective to promote safe medicine use.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-04-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-11-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1748-0361.2010.00348.X
Abstract: CONTEXTS: The consumption of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in rural areas is a significant contemporary health care issue. An understanding of CAM use in rural health can provide a new perspective on health beliefs and practice as well as on some of the core service delivery issues facing rural health care generally. This article presents the first review and synthesis of research findings on CAM use and practice in rural communities. A comprehensive search of literature from 1998 to 2010 in CINAHL, MEDLINE, AMED, and CSA Illumina (social sciences) was conducted. The search was confined to peer-reviewed articles published in English reporting empirical research findings on the use or practice of CAM in rural settings. Research findings are grouped and examined according to 3 key themes: "prevalence of CAM use and practice,""user profile and trends of CAM consumption," and "potential drivers and barriers to CAM use and practice." Evidence from recent research illustrates the substantial prevalence and complexity of CAM use in rural regions. A number of potential gaps in our understanding of CAM use and practice in rural settings are also identified.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2000
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 06-10-2015
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.12275
Abstract: This study examined factors influencing decision-making on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use for back pain and back pain sufferers' communication about CAM use. A cross-sectional postal survey was conducted in 2011/2012 as a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). The s le contained 1620 women from the 1945-1951 cohort of the ALSWH, aged 60-65 years who were eligible for the sub-study, as they had experienced back pain during 12 months prior to the survey. Of these, 1310 (80.9%) returned completed questionnaires. A significant proportion of women consulted a CAM practitioner (76%, n = 1001) and/or had self-prescribed CAM treatment (75%, n = 985). Of the women who used CAM for their back pain, 20% consulted their general practitioner (GP) prior to using CAM and 34% always informed their GP following CAM use. Forty-three per cent of the women were influenced by their doctors, 39% by friends/colleagues, 36% by family/relatives, 33% by their partner, 30% by a CAM practitioner, 20% by a pharmacist, 16% by a book/magazine, 11% by mass media, 10% by an allied health worker and 6% by the Internet. Our results show that information sources used by women for their decision-making on CAM use differed according to the symptoms. While non-professional information sources (e.g. family/relatives) positively influenced women in their decision to use CAM for a range of back pain-related symptoms (e.g. headaches/migraines), doctors and allied health workers (e.g. nurses) negatively influenced women in their decision to consult a CAM practitioner for a range of back pain-related symptoms (e.g. headaches/migraines, neck pain). Women seek information from a wide range of professional and non-professional sources with regard to their decision-making around CAM use for back pain. Back pain care providers need to ensure effective communication with their back pain patients regarding safe, effective and co-ordinated back pain care options.
Publisher: IMPERIAL COLLEGE PRESS
Date: 05-06-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.HEALTHPLACE.2012.12.005
Abstract: This article explores why women in rural and remote areas of Australia use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at higher rates than their counterparts in urban areas. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 60 women 60-65 years of age, currently living in rural Australia, we explore the possibility that CAM use in rural areas may be embedded in processes of spatialised identity-building and the health-creating practices of mobile, ex-urban, in iduals who drive this process. We problematise previous explanations which suggest CAM use in rural areas is principally derived from a lack of biomedical service provision and enhanced community ties showing instead how and why identity and mobility are useful additional variables for understanding CAM use in rural areas.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-09-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S11325-015-1250-7
Abstract: Sleeping problems and fatigue in pregnancy are often accepted as a normal part of pregnancy however, these conditions can be linked to serious consequences for both the mother and child. Despite established links between sleeping disturbance and a wide range of pregnancy complications, little is known about the health-care utilisation of women experiencing sleeping problems and fatigue. This study addresses the existing gap in the literature by examining cross-sectional data to identify health service utilisation patterns of pregnant women experiencing sleeping problems and/or tiredness or fatigue. In 2010, a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health was conducted as a cross-sectional survey of 2445 women who had recently given birth. Associations between reported symptoms of sleeplessness and/or tiredness or fatigue and health service utilisation were determined using logistic regression analysis. During their pregnancy, 15.2 % of women experienced sleeping problems while 35.4 % experienced tiredness or fatigue. Women most commonly consulted with an obstetrician (n = 96) or a general practitioner (GP) (n = 74) for their tiredness or fatigue rather than a midwife (n = 56). A substantial number of women sought help from a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner for sleeping problems (33 %) or tiredness/fatigue (28 %). Sleeping problems and/or tiredness or fatigue is reported by a reasonable percentage of pregnant women, and women obtain assistance from conventional and CAM practitioners for their symptoms, but not all seek help. Given the serious implications of untreated sleep- and fatigue-related symptoms for mother and baby, this area of research deserves and requires more attention.
Publisher: Mark Allen Group
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.12968/IJPN.2010.16.9.78638
Abstract: An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken with the aim of examining oral discomfort from the perspective of terminally ill patients. Interviews focusing on the experiences and perceptions of oral discomfort and effects on day-to-day functioning among 14 palliative care patients from a mid-size hospital in a regional city in Australia were conducted. The findings reveal that a range of oral problems significantly impact on the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of terminally ill patients to varying degrees, sometimes over extended periods of time. In particular, dry mouth (xerostomia) was experienced as a significantly troubling and ongoing symptom, and bouts of ulceration and infection were also commonly discussed. Furthermore, participants reported a lack of oral assessment and virtually no input from dental experts to assist with palliating oral problems. A better understanding of the impact of oral discomfort among terminally ill patients is a significant care issue for hospice and palliative care teams, especially nursing staff, and further research of this significant issue is required. The results of the current study provide preliminary evidence to support raising the clinical focus and priority of oral care for terminally ill patients in all settings.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1136/ACUPMED-2012-010244
Abstract: To ascertain the extent of and trends in the use of acupuncture in Australian general practice and the characteristics of patients receiving publicly subsidised acupuncture services from general practitioners (GPs). Secondary analysis of national patient Medicare data for claims by all non-specialist medical practitioners for Medicare Benefits Schedule items for an attendance where acupuncture was performed by a medical practitioner from 1995 to 2011. Use of acupuncture by GPs, patients’ sex and age and the socioeconomic disadvantage index of GP's practice. There has been a 47.7% decline in the number of acupuncture claims by GPs per 100 000 population in the period from 1995 to 2011. Acupuncture claims were made by 3.4% of GPs in 2011. Women were almost twice as likely to receive acupuncture from a GP as men, and patients in urban areas were more than twice as likely to receive acupuncture from a GP as patients in rural areas. Acupuncture claims were highest in areas that were socioeconomically advantaged. Claims for reimbursement for acupuncture by GPs have declined significantly in Australian general practice even though the use of acupuncture by the Australian public has increased. This may be due to increased use of referrals or use of non-medical practitioners, barriers to acupuncture practice in general practice or non-specific factors affecting reimbursement for non-vocationally registered GPs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.JMPT.2016.08.006
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to report on the recruitment and promotion strategies employed by the Australian Chiropractic Research Network (ACORN) project aimed at helping recruit a substantial national s le of participants and to describe the features of our practice-based research network (PBRN) design that may provide key insights to others looking to establish a similar network or draw on the ACORN project to conduct sub-studies. The ACORN project followed a multifaceted recruitment and promotion strategy drawing on distinct branding, a practitioner-focused promotion c aign, and a strategically designed questionnaire and distribution/recruitment approach to attract sufficient participation from the ranks of registered chiropractors across Australia. From the 4684 chiropractors registered at the time of recruitment, the project achieved a database response rate of 36% (n = 1680), resulting in a large, nationally representative s le across age, gender, and location. This s le constitutes the largest proportional coverage of participants from any voluntary national PBRN across any single health care profession. It does appear that a number of key promotional and recruitment features of the ACORN project may have helped establish the high response rate for the PBRN, which constitutes an important sustainable resource for future national and international efforts to grow the chiropractic evidence base and research capacity. Further rigorous enquiry is needed to help evaluate the direct contribution of specific promotional and recruitment strategies in attaining high response rates from practitioner populations who may be invited to participate in future PBRNs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.JMPT.2012.12.010
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate survey data from a national cross-sectional s le of 1427 urban and nonurban Australian women focusing on the relationship between the use of specific complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner types and the levels of CAM use across urban and nonurban areas. A cross-sectional survey of 1427 middle-aged participants from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health conducted in 2009 was performed. The survey was designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well-being of a cohort of women, with a particular emphasis on urban and nonurban residence. Women in 3 age groups ("young" 18-23 years, "mid-age" 45-50 years, and "older" 70-75 years) were randomly selected from the national Medicare database. The survey covered place of residence, measures of health status, rating of health care providers/services, and consultation with CAM practitioners. The most commonly consulted CAM practitioners for this s le were massage therapists (n = 912 63.9%), doctors of chiropractic/chiropractors (n = 614 43.0%), and naturopaths/herbal therapists (n = 327 22.9%). Statistically significant differences between the areas of residence were found for women who used chiropractors (P = .0165), yoga practitioners (P = .0087), and osteopaths (P < .0001). Women residing in nonurban areas were more likely to consult with a chiropractor compared with women residing in major cities. Women in major cities were more likely to consult with a yoga practitioner or osteopath than women from nonurban areas. Women from nonurban areas who consulted a chiropractor were significantly less satisfied with their access to a medical specialist (P < .0001), access to a female general practitioner (P = .043), the number of general practitioners they have to choose from (P = .001), how long they have to wait for an appointment (0.0146), and the amount of information sharing by their general practitioner (P = .003), compared with urban women. For the population s le studied, the higher overall consultation rates with CAM therapists by Australian nonurban women were caused by consultations for chiropractic care.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 28-08-2013
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine is increasingly popular in Australia and particularly among women. While existing research provides some understanding of women’s engagement with complementary and alternative medicine and biomedicine, there has been comparatively little examination of the day-to-day character of their experiences. In this study, we utilise solicited diaries with women aged 60–65 years drawn from the 1946–1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health to capture the temporal dimension of their therapeutic engagement. Focusing on 30 active complementary and alternative medicine users, we explore women’s experiences of managing their health, illness and well-being over a 1-month period. The themes that emerge from their diaries illustrate the day-to-day enactment of lay expertise through informal knowledge networks, practices of self-trialling and experimentation and the moralities underpinning self-care. The diaries provide unprecedented temporal insight into the (often problematic) enactment of lay expertise at the nexus of complementary and alternative medicine and biomedicine. They also point to the value of longitudinal techniques of data collection for augmenting more traditional sociological ways of exploring therapeutic pluralism.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.JMPT.2013.09.003
Abstract: Massage therapists are an important part of the health care setting in rural and regional Australia and are the largest complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) profession based on both practitioner numbers and use. The purpose of this study was to survey medical general practitioners (GPs) in rural and regional New South Wales, Australia, to identify their knowledge, attitudes, relationships, and patterns of referral to massage therapy in primary health care. A 27-item questionnaire was sent to all 1486 GPs currently practicing in rural and regional Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia. The survey had 5 general areas: the GP's personal use and knowledge of massage, the GP's professional relationships with massage practice and massage practitioners, the GP's specific opinions on massage, the GP's information-seeking behavior in relation to massage, and the GP's assumptions on massage use by patients in their local areas. A total of 585 questionnaires were returned completed, with 49 survey questionnaires returned as "no longer at this address" (response rate of 40.7%). More than three-quarters of GPs (76.6%) referred to massage therapy at least a few times per year, with 12.5% of GPs referring at least once per week. The GP being in a nonremote location (odds ratio [OR], 14.28 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7-50.0), graduating from an Australian medical school (OR, 2.03 95% CI, 1.09-3.70), perceiving a lack of other treatment options (OR, 2.64 95% CI, 1.15-6.01), perceiving good patient access to a wide variety of medical specialists (OR, 11.1 95% CI, 1.7-50.0), believing in the efficacy of massage therapy (OR, 2.75 95% CI, 1.58-4.78), experiencing positive results from patients using massage therapy previously (OR, 13.95 95% CI, 5.96-32.64), or having prescribed any CAM previously (OR, 1.83 95% CI, 1.03-3.27) were all independently predictive of increased referral to massage therapy among the GPs in this study. There appears to be substantial interface between massage therapy and GPs in rural and regional Australia. There are high levels of support for massage therapies among Australian GPs, relative to other CAM professions, with low levels of opposition to the incorporation of these therapies in patient care.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-10-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2016.01.006
Abstract: This manuscript presents a preliminary examination of the characteristics of women who choose intrapartum hypnosis for pain management. Cross-sectional analysis of 2445 women (31-36 years) from a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), employing Fisher exact tests. Australia. Use of intrapartum hypnosis, or hypnobirthing, for pain management during labour and birth. Women using hypnobirthing were more likely to have consulted with an acupuncturist or naturopath, or attended yoga/meditation classes during pregnancy (p<0.0001). Use of CM products such as herbal medicines, aromatherapy oils, homoeopathy, herbal teas or flower essences (p<0.001) was also more common amongst these women. Women choosing hypnotherapy for intrapartum pain management less commonly identified as feeling safer knowing that an obstetrician is providing their care (p<0.001), and were more likely to labour in a birth centre or in a community centre (i.e. at home). This analysis provides preliminary analysis into an as yet unexamined topic in contemporary maternity health service utilisation. The findings from this analysis may be useful for maternity health professionals and policy makers when responding to the needs of women choosing to use hypnotherapy for intrapartum pain management.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-07-2012
Abstract: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased significantly in Australia over the past decade. Back pain represents a common context for CAM use, with increasing utilisation of a wide range of therapies provided within and outside conventional medical facilities. We examine the relationship between back pain and use of CAM and conventional medicine in a national cohort of mid-aged Australian women. Data is taken from a cross-sectional survey (n = 10492) of the mid-aged cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, surveyed in 2007. The main outcome measures were: incidence of back pain the previous 12 months, and frequency of use of conventional or CAM treatments in the previous 12 months. Back pain was experienced by 77% (n = 8063) of the cohort in the previous twelve month period. The majority of women with back pain only consulted with a conventional care provider (51.3%), 44.2% of women with back pain consulted with both a conventional care provider and a CAM practitioner. Women with more frequent back pain were more likely to consult a CAM practitioner, as well as seek conventional care. The most commonly utilised CAM practitioners were massage therapy (26.5% of those with back pain) and chiropractic (16.1% of those with back pain). Only 1.7% of women with back pain consulted with a CAM practitioner exclusively. Mid-aged women with back pain utilise a range of conventional and CAM treatments. Consultation with CAM practitioners or self-prescribed CAM was predominantly in addition to, rather than a replacement for, conventional care. It is important that health professionals are aware of potential multiple practitioner usage in the context of back pain and are prepared to discuss such behaviours and practices with their patients.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JNEB.2017.04.011
Abstract: Examine the prevalence, patterns, and associated factors of using a vegetarian or vegan diet for health reasons in the US general population. Cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Nationally representative s le (N = 34,525). Prevalence of ever use and 12-month use of vegetarian or vegan diet for health reasons, patterns of use, and sociodemographic and health-related factor associated with use. Multiple logistic regression analysis. Prevalence of ever use and 12-month use was 4.0% (n = 1,367) and 1.9% (n = 648), respectively. Health vegetarians and vegans were more likely aged 30-65 years, female, not Hispanic, from the Western US region, at least high school educated, chronically ill, and physically active. They were less likely to be in a relationship, overweight or obese, or smoking, or to have public or private health insurance. Among health vegetarians and vegans, 6.3% consulted with a practitioner for special diets 26.1% followed the diet because of a specific health problem, mainly high cholesterol, overweight, hypertension, and diabetes and 59.4% disclosed the diet to their health care provider. Less than 2% of participants reported using a vegetarian or vegan diet for health reasons within the past 12 months. Despite potential benefits of plant-based nutrition, more research is warranted on the actual use and its effects and safety.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHIN.2012.01.012
Abstract: Just two decades ago, 30 of today's countries in Europe and Asia had socialist governments under Soviet dominance or direct administration. Intensive health system reforms have altered infection control in many of these countries. However, much of the literature from these countries is difficult to access by international scientists. To summarize existing infection control policies and practices in post-Soviet Bloc countries. In addition to PubMed and Google search engines, we explored local websites and grey literature. In total, 192 references published in several languages were reviewed. Infection control in these countries is in the midst of transition. Three groups of countries were identified. First, Eastern European and Baltic countries building surveillance systems for specific pathogens and antibiotic use second, European post-Soviet Bloc countries focusing on the harmonization of recently established infection control infrastructure with European surveillance programmes third, countries such as those formerly in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Mongolia and post-conflict Eastern European countries that are in the first stages of reform. Poor commitment, resource scarcity and shortages of expertise were identified. Underreporting of official infection control statistics is widespread. Guidance from international organizations has been crucial in initiating and developing contemporary infection control programmes. More support from the international community will be needed for the third group of countries, where infection control has remained a neglected issue.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-06-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2009.01.001
Abstract: To report on the design, significance and potential impacts of the first documented human clinical trial assessing the anxiolytic and thymoleptic efficacy of an aqueous mono-extract of Piper methysticum (kava). The significance of the qualitative element of our clinical trial is also explored. The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS) is a 3-week placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial involving 60 adult participants (18-65) with elevated stable anxiety and varying levels of depressive symptoms. The aims of KADSS are: (1) to determine whether an aqueous standardised extract of kava is effective for the treatment of anxiety (2) to assess the effects of kava on differing levels of depression and (3) to explore participants' experience of taking kava via qualitative research. The study also provides preliminary assessment of the safety of an aqueous extract of kava in humans. If results reveal that the aqueous kava preparation exerts significant anxiolytic effects and appears safe, potentially beneficial impacts may occur. Data supporting a safe and effective kava extract may encourage a re-introduction of kava to Europe, UK and Canada. This may provide a major socioeconomic benefit to Pacific Island nations, and to sufferers of anxiety disorders.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.JBMT.2016.04.008
Abstract: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonplace in Australia with massage being a popular CAM modality. This is a sub-study from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). A total of 2120 mid-age (56-61 year old) women who consulted a CAM practitioner were invited to participate in this study. The Short-Form (SF-36) questionnaire was used to measure women's health-related quality of life. A total of 1800 women returned the questionnaire generating a response rate of 85.0%. Overall, 912 (50.7%) women visited a massage therapist in the previous 12 months. Women with lower quality of life scores in terms of bodily pain (p = 0.012) and/or emotional health (p = 0.029) were more likely to consult a massage therapist than those with higher scores. The implications of these associations are important for informing healthcare providers in providing effective and coordinated care for patients with pain and mood symptoms.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.DLD.2016.07.017
Abstract: Little research has been conducted regarding the comprehensive health service utilisation in constipation care. This study investigates the comprehensive health service utilisation amongst Australian women with constipation. This study draws upon data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. A total of 8074 young women were asked about their frequency of constipation, measures of quality of life, and use of a range of health services and self-prescribed treatments via two postal surveys conducted in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The prevalence of constipation was 18.5% amongst women in 2009. Constipated women had poorer quality of health than women without constipation. Women who sought help for constipation were more likely to visit multiple groups of conventional and complementary health practitioners compared to women who did not experience constipation (p<0.005). However, women were less likely to visit a specialist for the management of constipation over time (2006 to 2009). There was an increase in the proportion of women with constipation who self-prescribed vitamins/minerals over time (p<0.001). Although only 4.5% of women sought help for their constipation, given the increasing use of multiple health services across time, more studies are required regarding the optimal treatment in constipation care.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-08-2014
Abstract: Specialist palliative care is a prominent and expanding site of health service delivery, providing highly specialised care to people at the end of life. Its focus on the delivery of specialised life-enhancing care stands in contrast to biomedicine’s general tendency towards life-prolonging intervention. This philosophical departure from curative or life-prolonging care means that transitioning patients can be problematic, with recent work suggesting a wide range of potential emotional, communication and relational difficulties for patients, families and health professionals. Yet, we know little about terminally ill patients’ lived experiences of this complex transition. Here, through interviews with 40 inpatients in the last few weeks of life, we explore their embodied and relational experiences of the transition to inpatient care, including their accounts of an ethic of resilience in pre-palliative care and an ethic of acceptance as they move towards specialist palliative care. Exploring the relationship between resilience and acceptance reveals the opportunities, as well as the limitations, embedded in the normative constructs that inflect in idual experience of this transition. This highlights a contradictory dynamic whereby participants’ experiences were characterised by talk of initiating change, while also acquiescing to the terminal progression of their illness.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.JMPT.2008.06.006
Abstract: Qualitative research holds potential for helping understand core aspects of chiropractic. Nevertheless, these methods remain underused in the field. This article overviews a qualitative perspective, introduces qualitative methods, and offers one possible framework to develop chiropractic research.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 03-11-2017
DOI: 10.1111/IJCP.13040
Abstract: There is growing acupuncture use amongst people with osteoarthritis, and acupuncture has been shown to have a positive effect on osteoarthritis. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of Australian women who consult acupuncturists for osteoarthritis treatment in order to help inform patients, practitioners and policy makers about the range of health care options accessed by older women with osteoarthritis. The research reported here involved participants from a sub-study of the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study in Australia. The data of 403 Australian women aged 45 and over with osteoarthritis were analysed. Chi-squared tests and stepwise multiple logistic regression modelling were used to determine the characteristics of women who used acupuncture for the treatment of their osteoarthritis. Analysis revealed that 7.7% of women reported using acupuncture in the previous 12 months for their osteoarthritis. Acupuncture use is positively associated with women experiencing longer duration of time since initial diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OR = 1.04), undertaking more exercise (OR = 5.41), living in a rural area (OR = 3.62), having consulted a psychologist (OR = 12.21), and having consulted another complementary and alternative medicine practitioner (OR = 4.18). Our study reveals considerable acupuncture use amongst women with osteoarthritis. There is a need for health care practitioners to be mindful of acupuncture use among their patients presenting with osteoarthritis. Further research is needed to examine the potential benefits of acupuncture for osteoarthritis and to help inform efficient and safe use of this treatment alongside conventional care.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-11-2009
Abstract: to determine the factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among older Australian women over time. a longitudinal analysis of postal questionnaires completed in 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2005 as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. the percentage of women who consulted a CAM practitioner in the years 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2005 were 14.6%, 12.1%, 10.9% and 9.9%, respectively. Use of CAM increased as the number of reported symptoms increased and physical health deteriorated, for non-urban residents compared to urban residents. use of CAM amongst older women appears to be strongly influenced by poor physical health. There is also a suggestion that lack of access to conventional health care providers increases CAM use. There is also an overall decline in the use of CAM among older women as they age.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-09-2017
DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2017.1351424
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an increasingly prevalent part of contemporary health care. Whilst there have been some attempts to understand the dynamics of CAM integration in the health care system from the perspective of conventional care providers and patients, little research has examined the view of CAM practitioners. This study aims to identify the experiences of integration within a conventional healthcare system as perceived by naturopaths. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted using a purposeful s le of 20 practising naturopaths in South East Queensland, Australia to discuss their experiences and perceptions of integrating with conventional medical providers. Analysis of the interviews revealed five broad challenges for the integration of CAM according to naturopaths: competing paradigms between CAM and conventional medicine co-option of CAM by conventional medical practitioners the preservation of separate CAM and conventional medical worlds by patients and providers due to lack of formalised relations negative feedback and biases created through selective or limited experience or information with CAM and indifferent, reactive and one-sided interaction between CAM and conventional medical providers. Naturopaths support the integration of health services and attempt to provide safe and appropriate care to their patients through collaborative approaches to practice. The challenges identified by naturopaths associated with integration of CAM with conventional providers may impact the quality of care of patients who choose to integrate CAM and conventional approaches to health. Given the significant role of naturopaths in contemporary health-care systems, these challenges require further research and policy attention.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 08-2018
DOI: 10.1136/ACUPMED-2017-011527
Abstract: Emerging evidence has shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a positive effect on arthritis. This research provides the first critical, systematic examination of TCM practitioners’ perceptions of TCM use for people with arthritis. An online survey was distributed to all TCM professionals including acupuncturists and Chinese herbal medicine practitioners registered with the Practitioner Research and Collaborate Initiative (PRACI) practitioner database. The survey questions focus on practitioner characteristics, practice characteristics and clinical management approaches regarding arthritis care. The survey attracted a response rate of 53% (n=52). The average age of the respondents was 49.9 years, more than half were female, and the majority held a bachelor degree or higher qualification. More than two thirds of TCM practitioners in our study worked with other health professionals, while they had a high level of referral relationships with a wide range of conventional, allied health and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers. Most of the TCM practitioners reported that their patients with arthritis used other treatments alongside TCM and a large number of the TCM practitioners who participated believed that TCM was effective for treating arthritis. The TCM profession represents a substantial component of the healthcare field in Australia, and treating patients with arthritis appears to be an important area of TCM practice, among others. Further detailed research is needed to help ensure effective, safe patient care for those with arthritis who may be utilising TCM alongside a broader range of conventional medicine, allied health, and other CAM treatments.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2015
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-04-2012
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 12-09-2016
DOI: 10.1111/IJCP.12870
Abstract: Back, neck and/or pelvic pain are common symptoms experienced by pregnant women. Although pregnant women are known to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) frequently, no research to date has provided in-depth examination of healthcare practitioner utilisation of pregnant women who experience back, neck and/or pelvic pain. A sub-study of 1835 pregnant women from the nationally representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Demographics, health status and healthcare utilisation measures were analysed for symptoms of back, neck and/or pelvic pain during pregnancy, using regression models. During their pregnancy, 39.5% women experienced back pain, 12.4% experienced neck pain and 16.3% women experienced pelvic pain. Pregnant women were more likely to consult a massage therapist for their back pain (32.3%) and neck pain (39.9%), and another alternative practitioner (27.3%) or obstetrician (22.1%) for pelvic pain, while some women did not seek treatment (<30%). Women who sought help for each symptom reported significantly worse levels of mental and physical health across most SF-36 domains (P<.05). Women without health insurance, or pregnancy-related healthcare insurance were less likely to seek treatment. Pregnant women experiencing back, neck and/or pelvic pain frequently consult CAM practitioners, particularly if they have healthcare insurance. There is a need for all healthcare practitioners providing maternity care to enquire about possible back, neck and pelvic pain amongst women in their care and be cognisant of possible corresponding CAM use for such symptoms.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.WHI.2015.03.001
Abstract: Recent research points to high levels of herbal medicine use during pregnancy. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the prevalence and understand the determinants of both the use and self-prescription of herbal medicine during pregnancy. The study s le was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women who were pregnant or who had recently given were invited to complete a subsurvey in 2010 about pregnancy, and complementary and alternative medicine use. A response rate of 79.2% (n=1,835) was attained and 34.4% (n=588 of 1,835) of the s le were utilizing herbal medicine during pregnancy, of which 77.9% (n=458 of 588) were self-prescribing these products. The women in our study (aged 33-38) were more likely to use herbal medicine if they had anxiety (odds ratio [OR], 1.30 95% CI, 1.02-1.64 p=.031), sleeping problems (OR, 1.55 95% CI, 1.15-2.11 p=.005), or fatigue (OR, 1.32 95% CI, 1.04-1.68 p=.025), but less likely to use herbal medicine if they had nausea (OR, 0.71 95% CI, 0.56-0.91 p=.007). Women were more likely to self-prescribe herbal medicine if they suffered from varicose veins (OR, 2.46 95% CI, 1.04-5.84 p=.041) and less likely to self-prescribe herbal medicine if they suffered from preecl sia (OR, 0.23 95% CI, 0.81-0.63 p=.005). Women who self-prescribed herbal medicine during pregnancy were also more likely to live in a rural environment (OR, 2.22 95% CI, 1.32-3.73 p=.003). Many Australian women are consuming herbal medicine during pregnancy. The self-prescription of herbal medicine by pregnant women is of particular concern owing to potential safety issues, and it is important that maternity health care providers have an open and nonjudgmental conversation with women about herbal medicine use during pregnancy.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-01-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00520-016-3563-X
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore Indigenous Australian cancer survivors' perspectives of follow-up cancer care and management.. This is a qualitative study employing in idual interviews with 21 Indigenous cancer survivors (13 females, 8 males) recruited from a rural primary health service and large tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Queensland. Yarning methods were used to conduct semi-structured interviews. Yarning is a culturally appropriate, informal conversational process emphasising the importance of storytelling. Findings describe a range of ways in which follow-up cancer care is experienced with four major categories elucidated, namely: links to tertiary health services, links to primary health services, communication between tertiary and primary health services, and lost in transition. Both positive and negative experiences were described however, the importance of timely and informative discharge information, continuity of care, good communication between tertiary and primary health services, and strong therapeutic relationships were salient issues raised by participants. These findings highlight the importance of establishing strong therapeutic relationships between patients and tertiary and primary health professionals. Also important for survivorship is provision of discharge summaries or care plans at discharge for survivors and general practitioners as well as access to a range of allied health services. Alternative means for follow-up could be investigated for regional and rural survivors to facilitate convenient and cost-effective follow-up care. Finally, provision of responsive and flexible follow-up care to cater for the erse range of needs and preferences of cancer survivors is required. A patient navigator available across the cancer continuum could go some way to addressing this.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-09-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2002
Abstract: Over recent years a sporadic, but not insignificant, sociology of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has begun to emerge. However, to date, the systematic sociological study of the apparent affinity between CAM, nursing as a profession and its practitioners has been absent from it. In this paper we argue for the need for a rigorous sociology of nursing and CAM and set out a provisional framework through which this might be operationalized. Three broad themes, as well as cross-cutting issues, are outlined. The way in which the challenges of CAM are mediated at the level of the in idual and the profession are pivotal to analysis. An understanding of this mediation is crucial both as a means of extending knowledge, and as a means of engaging with complex issues such as the role of evidence, and the equity of provision, that are likely to accompany any extension of CAM mainstreaming.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2008
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 06-2006
Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in patients with acne, psoriasis, or atopic eczema and the attitudes about CAM of these patients. This was a qualitative study, utilizing semistructured interviews and thematic analysis. Patients were recruited from the practices of dermatologists and general practitioners in a noncapital Australian city. Twenty-six (26) interviews were conducted with patients with acne, 29 with psoriasis, and 7 with atopic eczema. Use of CAM therapies was common. Participants tended to value CAM over orthodox therapies because of their preference for natural approaches to their skin diseases and the perceived lesser potential for adverse effects of CAM therapies. Respondents with acne were more confident about the efficacy of CAM than were those with psoriasis or eczema. The resulting sense of control attenuated psychologic sequelae of acne. This was not apparent in psoriasis or eczema. Practitioners should be cognizant of the likely use of CAM and its implications (including the potential for attenuation of psychologic morbidity) in their patients who have skin diseases.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-05-2009
DOI: 10.1007/S00213-009-1549-9
Abstract: Piper methysticum (Kava) has been withdrawn in European, British, and Canadian markets due to concerns over hepatotoxic reactions. The WHO recently recommended research into "aqueous" extracts of Kava. The objective of this study was to conduct the first documented human clinical trial assessing the anxiolytic and antidepressant efficacy of an aqueous extract of Kava. The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study was a 3-week placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial that recruited 60 adult participants with 1 month or more of elevated generalized anxiety. Five Kava tablets per day were prescribed containing 250 mg of kavalactones/day. The aqueous extract of Kava reduced participants' Hamilton Anxiety Scale score in the first controlled phase by -9.9 (CI = 7.1, 12.7) vs. -0.8 (CI = -2.7, 4.3) for placebo and in the second controlled phase by -10.3 (CI = 5.8, 14.7) vs. +3.3 (CI = -6.8, 0.2). The pooled effect of Kava vs. placebo across phases was highly significant (p < 0.0001), with a substantial effect size (d = 2.24, eta(2)(p)). Pooled analyses also revealed highly significant relative reductions in Beck Anxiety Inventory and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores. The aqueous extract was found to be safe, with no serious adverse effects and no clinical hepatotoxicity. The aqueous Kava preparation produced significant anxiolytic and antidepressant activity and raised no safety concerns at the dose and duration studied. Kava appears equally effective in cases where anxiety is accompanied by depression. This should encourage further study and consideration of globally reintroducing aqueous rootstock extracts of Kava for the management of anxiety.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2006.08.001
Abstract: This paper examines the topics discussed over the course of the Complementary Therapies in Medicine (CAM) research methods series and looks ahead at research methods that either have not been discussed so far in the series or are currently emerging as potentially useful research tools. It is emphasised that an in-depth knowledge of methodological advances (and existing tools) is vital if researchers are to design and implement appropriate programs with the ability to adequately address the vast range of research questions pertinent to CAM.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-11-2021
DOI: 10.1002/HPJA.556
Abstract: To identify points for improvements within the health system where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer patients may experience a lack of continuity in their cancer care. The optimal care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer (OCP) framework was utilised as a tool in this work. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with health professionals at the primary health care (PHC) and hospital setting. Data were categorised into six steps using the OCP framework. This study identified multiple time‐points in the cancer pathways that could be strengthened to increase the continuity of cancer care for these patients. In addition, the provision of person‐centred care and adequate education tailored to patients' and health professionals' needs can help minimise the likelihood of patients experiencing a lack of continuity in their cancer care. Participants were recruited from an urban hospital (n = 9) and from six Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (n = 17) across geographical locations in Queensland. The provision of culturally competent care, effective communication, coordination and collaboration between services along the cancer pathway from prevention and early diagnosis through to end‐of‐life care were highlighted as important to enhance care continuity for Indigenous Australians. The implementation of recommendations outlined in the OCP framework may help with improving cancer care continuity for Indigenous patients with cancer. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can sometimes find cancer care pathways complex and difficult to navigate. This study identified points in the cancer pathways that could be strengthened to increase the continuity of cancer care for these patients which could potentially lead to improved outcomes.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.INHE.2009.12.007
Abstract: Community-based perceptions and behaviour around water source preference, household water storage patterns and water use, and householders' knowledge and behaviour with respect to dengue etiology and transmission, were examined in three communes located in the Mekong Delta area in southern Vietnam. Through focus group discussions, most participants identified poorly screened or uncovered water containers (including household water storage containers and other types of artificial containers) as habitats for mosquitoes that transmit dengue viruses, and thereby demonstrated a clear understanding of the links between household water storage practices and the threat of dengue. Our qualitative analyses also revealed broader community-based concerns about the limited availability of water and strong preferences for storage of rainwater based upon perceptions of cost, quality and security of supply. These perceptions are central to shaping householders' responses to water infrastructure projects. The limited availability of water during the dry season and insufficient numbers of water storage containers are over-riding community concerns which provide an important context to understanding community behaviours and responses to public health interventions against dengue. Such concerns are important precursors to selecting the type of intervention.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-08-2013
DOI: 10.1111/AJO.12123
Abstract: Despite growing interest and controversy regarding the value of doulas in contemporary maternity care, little is known about the profile of women who choose to involve a doula in their care team. This preliminary analysis indicates that women's attitudes towards maternity care may influence their use of a doula more so than demographic factors. Further research examining these issues in more detail is needed for all those involved in maternity care to ensure safe maternal and fetal outcomes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-11-2009
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2003
DOI: 10.1007/S00520-003-0490-4
Abstract: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the general population has grown considerably in recent years. However, little is known about the prevalence of CAM use amongst women with cancer. Our research provides the first step in addressing this gap in knowledge by reporting on a survey of 9375 Australian women aged 73-78. We found that, for all cancers combined, 14.5% of women with cancer consulted an alternative practitioner. This percentage varied depending on the type of cancer: skin (15.0%), breast (11.5), bowel (8.8%), and other (16.5%). Our findings suggest that CAM is now a significant practice issue for those delivering cancer-patient care and management.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 02-11-2011
DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X10000668
Abstract: Evidence suggests that people with strong social support have lower mortality and morbidity and better self-rated health in later life, but few studies have used longitudinal data to examine the factors that inhibit or enhance social support. This study used both quantitative data and qualitative texts to explore older women's social networks. The mixed-methods design drew participants from the 1921–26 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Regression modelling for repeated measures was used to analyse the longitudinal data. The qualitative data was content analysed by the themes identified from the quantitative analyses. The quantitative analyses revealed that larger social networks associated with better mental health, widowhood, illness or death of a family member, and no mobility problems. Women who were not Australian-born, had sight problems or who had moved house were more likely to have smaller social networks. The qualitative data provided insight into the lived experiences of this group of women. The use of a mixed methodology enabled the longitudinal quantitative results to be enriched by the women's own words. The findings highlight the importance to older women of being able to access their social network members to gain the psychological and emotional benefits.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1155/2014/963967
Abstract: Objectives . To examine: (i) the extent to which victims of intimate partner abuse (IPA) use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and (ii) the effects of CAM on their mental health. Methods . Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies measuring the extent of CAM use amongst victims of IPA and trials assessing the impact of CAM on mental health amongst this population. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane collaboration tool. Results . No studies measuring the level of CAM use amongst IPA victims, and only three studies assessing the effect of CAM on the mental health of this population were identified. Two studies looked at yogic breathing, while one assessed the effect of music therapy. All three studies showed some beneficial effects however, each had a small s le, brief intervention period, and no follow-up measurement and were considered to be at high risk of bias. Conclusions . The review found little evidence for the benefits of CAM for IPA victims. Findings suggest positive effects of music therapy and yogic breathing however, methodological limitations mean that these results should be interpreted with caution. It is important that more research into the use and effects of CAM amongst this population are undertaken.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2007.06.002
Abstract: To examine the clinical practices and perceptions of herbalists providing patient care concurrently with conventional medical practice. A postal survey was sent to all full members of the National Herbalists' Association of Australia (NHAA). There were 649 members in practice at the time of the survey and the total response rate was 58.2%. Most of the patients who visit professional herbalists seek care for chronic conditions have been medically diagnosed and continue to consult a general practitioner (GP). Study findings indicate that many patients who visit herbalists are taking herbal and pharmaceutical medicines concurrently. Therapists reported a high rate of referral to GPs for medical diagnosis, treatment and/or prescription. The majority of herbalists also routinely include a pharmaceutical case history as part of their consultation and patients are encouraged to inform their GPs if they are taking any herbal therapies. The majority of herbalists reported a need for closer collaboration and cooperation with the medical community in the future. Herbalists in Australia are fully aware of the value of medical diagnosis and inter-referrals, are well informed about patient medications and require a closer working relationship with the medical community. Further research is needed to investigate potential interactions between herbal and pharmaceutical medicines to maintain high safety standards for the public.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-10-2012
Abstract: People with dementia and their family carers need to be able to access formal services in the community to help maintain their wellbeing and independence. While knowing about and navigating one’s way through service systems is difficult for most people, it is particularly difficult for people from culturally and linguistically erse (CALD) communities. This study addresses a lack of literature on the use of formal services for dementia by people from CALD backgrounds by examining the experiences and perceptions of dementia caregiving within four CALD communities – Italian, Chinese, Spanish and Arabic-speaking – in south western Sydney, Australia. The study used a qualitative design and the methods included focus groups with family carers and one-to-one interviews with bilingual/bicultural community workers, bilingual general practitioners and geriatricians. A total of 121 family carers participated in 15 focus groups and interviews were held with 60 health professionals. All fieldwork was audiotaped, transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis. People from CALD communities are often unfamiliar with the concept of formal services and there may be strong cultural norms about maintaining care within the family, rather than relying on external services. CALD communities often have limited knowledge of services. There is a preference for services that will allow families to keep their relative at home, for safety as well as cultural reasons, and they are particularly reluctant to use residential care. While there is a preference for ethno-specific or multicultural services, mainstream services also need to ensure they are more flexible in providing culturally appropriate care. Positive outcomes occur when ethno-specific services work in partnership with mainstream programs. Dementia service providers need to develop a trusting relationship with their local CALD communities and promote their services in a way that is understandable and culturally acceptable to members of these communities. While members of CALD communities may have difficulties accessing formal services, they will use them if they are culturally and linguistically appropriate and can meet their needs. There are a number of ways to improve service provision to CALD communities and the responsibility for this needs to be shared by a range of stakeholders.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1155/2015/413173
Abstract: We examined the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2012 to explore how US adult consumers of CAM differ by gender in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics, current health conditions, and perceived benefits of CAM. All in iduals who completed the adults core interviews ( N = 34,525) were included. CAM use, major sociodemographic variables, perceived benefits of using CAM, and top ten reported health conditions for which CAM was used were selected and analyzed by Stata. Findings revealed that 29.6% ( n = 10,181) reported having used at least one form of CAM in the previous 12 months. Compared to male CAM users, female CAM users were more likely to have a bachelor degree, to be orced/separated or widowed, and less likely to earn $75,000 or more. Back pain roblem was the most common problem reported by both male and female CAM users (32.2% and 22.6%, resp.). A higher proportion of female CAM users reported using CAM for perceived benefits such as general wellness or general disease prevention. This paper provides foundation information regarding gender differences in CAM use and is a platform for further in-depth examination into how and why males and females differ in their reasons for CAM use.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-04-2016
DOI: 10.1007/S12603-016-0721-2
Abstract: There has been a dramatic increase in the use of dietary supplements over the last few decades and both omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine are two of the best-selling dietary supplements in many countries. An understanding of omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine consumption is of significance to health care providers and for future health promotion activities. This research involved analysis of data collected from a nationally-representative s le of Australian women as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Participants' use of omega-3 fatty acids (FA), glucosamine, their demographics, health status and health care utilisation were measured. Analysis included logistic regression modelling. Of the 10,638 women in the study, 26.8% reported use of omega-3 FA and 15.9% glucosamine. Women with osteoarthritis (OR=2.529 95% CI: 2.190, 2.921), other arthritis (OR= 1.618 95% CI: 1.375, 1.905), and joint pain (OR= 2.699 95% CI: 2.305, 3.160) were more likely to use glucosamine (all p<0.001). In contrast, those with diabetes (OR= 0.471 95% CI: 0.343, 0.646) or depression (OR= 0.764 95% CI: 0.657, 0.887) were less likely to use glucosamine (both p<0.001). Women with osteoarthritis (OR=1.481 95% CI: 1.297, 1.691) and joint pain (OR= 1.456 95% CI: 1.306, 1.622) were more likely to use omega-3 FA (all p<0.001). Substantial prevalence rates for use of glucosamine and omega-3 FA amongst mid-aged women highlights the need for health practitioners and policymakers to be mindful of the possible significant role of such supplement use as part of patient health-seeking behaviours.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-2015
DOI: 10.2217/WHE.14.84
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine is used by a substantial number of pregnant women and maternity care providers are often faced with the task of ensuring women are using safe and effective treatments while respecting a woman's right to autonomous decision-making. In the era of evidence-based medicine maternity health professionals are expected to draw upon the best available evidence when making clinical decisions and providing health advice. This review will outline the current trends in research evidence associated with the outcomes of complementary and alternative medicine use amongst pregnant and birthing women as well as highlight some potential directions for future development in this important yet largely unknown topic in contemporary maternity care.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-01-2018
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-2007
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-04-2012
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 27-01-2014
Abstract: Communication about palliative care represents one of the most difficult interpersonal aspects of medicine. Delivering the “terminal” diagnosis has traditionally been the focus of research, yet transitions to specialist palliative care are equally critical clinical moments. Here we focus on 20 medical specialists’ strategies for engaging patients around referral to specialist palliative care. Our aim was to develop an understanding of the logics that underpin their communication strategies when negotiating this transition. We draw on qualitative interviews to explore their accounts of deciding whether and when to engage in referral discussions the role of uncertainty and the need for hope in shaping communication and their perceptions of how patient biographies might shape their approaches to, and communication about, the end of life. On the basis of our analysis, we argue that communication is embedded in social relations of hope, justice, and uncertainty, as well as being shaped by patient biographies.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.UROLOGY.2016.07.060
Abstract: To examine the relationship between health status and health service utilization (including conventional and complementary and alternative medicine [CAM]) accessed by women experiencing urinary incontinence (UI). Although a high number of younger women report symptoms of UI, such as leaking urine, only a small proportion seek help for these symptoms. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health is a large nationally representative study that investigates the health and well-being of women. The 2 most recent surveys (2006 and 2009) of the young cohort (women aged 28-33 and 31-36 respectively) were analyzed. The presence of UI was 8.5% in 2006 (n = 859) and 23.3% in 2009 (n = 1878), whereas the percentage of women who sought help for their UI was 18.6% (n = 160) and 2.2% (n = 182) respectively. Women with UI had poorer health compared with women without UI (P < .005), and women who sought help for their symptoms had poorer physical functioning than women who did not (P < .005). Women who sought help were greater users of conventional and CAM health services (P < .005), including a general practitioner, specialist, hospital doctor, physiotherapist, and naturopath. UI is relatively common in younger women. However, many do not seek help. Of the women who do seek care, a large number visit CAM professionals as well as conventional medical professionals, despite a lack of research evaluating the efficacy of CAM treatment. Research is needed to explore CAM practitioner approaches to the treatment of UI and to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-04-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.JAD.2012.11.064
Abstract: The burden of rising health care expenditures has created a demand for information regarding the clinical and economic outcomes associated with Complementary and Alternative Medicines. Clinical controlled trials have found St. John's wort to be as effective as antidepressants in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. The objective of this study was to develop a model to assess the cost-effectiveness of St. John's wort based on this evidence. A Markov model was constructed to estimate health and economic impacts of St. John's wort versus antidepressants. Outcomes were treatment costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and Net Monetary Benefits (NMB). Probabilistic analyses were conducted on key model parameters. The average NMB across 5000 simulations identified St. John's wort as the strategy with the highest net benefit. The total cost savings for SJW were $359.66 and $202.56 per in idual for venlafaxine and sertraline respectively, with a gain of 0.08 to 0.12 QALYs over the 72 weeks of the model. A lack of direct comparative clinical trial data comparing SJW to venlafaxine and limited data with sertraline as a comparator was a major limitation. In this model, St. John's wort was shown to be a cost-effective alternative to generic antidepressants. Patients are more likely to receive treatment for a duration consistent with professional guidelines for treatment of major depression due to reduced incidence of adverse effects, improving outcomes. This represents an important option in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2012
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 22-03-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-05-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.SPINEE.2015.04.049
Abstract: Back pain is the most prevalent of musculoskeletal conditions, and back pain sufferers have been identified as high users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Despite lacking evidence, CAM treatments (e.g., acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage) and CAM products (eg, vitamins, supplements, and aromatherapy oils) for back pain care have become widely available internationally, and CAM use by back pain sufferers has become a significant health service issue. However, to date, there has been no integrative review on CAM use for back pain. This study aims to conduct an integrative review on CAM use for back pain focusing on prevalence of use, commonly used CAM, characteristics of users, factors influencing decision making, self-perceived effectiveness, and communication with health-care providers. The study is based on an integrative literature review. A comprehensive search of international literature from 2000 to 2014 in MEDLINE, CINHAL, AMED, DARE, EMBASE, ExceptaMedica, psycINFO, and SCOPUS databases was conducted. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published in English language and reporting empirical research findings on CAM use for back pain. The review reveals a considerable variation in prevalences of CAM use for back pain internationally. Acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, and massage therapy are the commonly used CAM treatments besides a range of self-prescribed CAM, and back pain sufferers use CAM alongside conventional medical treatments. Female gender, chronicity of back pain, and previous exposure to CAM are key predictors of CAM use for back pain as highlighted from the reviewed literature. Family, friends, and recommendation by doctors appear to influence decision making on CAM use for back pain. The review reveals that users of CAM for back pain tend to report CAM as beneficial, but there is little knowledge on communication between CAM users with back pain and health-care providers about such use. Existing literature is largely based on the research investigating CAM use for back pain among a range of other health conditions. Further rigorous research is needed to investigate the use of a wider range of CAM treatments, particularly self-prescribed CAM for back pain. The review findings provide insights for health-care providers and policy makers on the range of CAM treatments used by back pain sufferers. Conventional medical and CAM practitioners should be aware of back pain sufferers' decision making regarding a range of CAM treatments and be prepared to communicate with patients on safe and effective CAM treatments for back pain.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-07-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2015.06.011
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is increasingly popular amongst general populations around the world with women constituting substantial CAM users. However, self-prescribed CAM use does raise potential safety concerns and so it is important to identify those risk factors associated with self-prescribed CAM use. Data was obtained from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Longitudinal data analyses were conducted on questionnaire data from the 1973-78 cohort (n=9,145) and the 1946-51 cohort (n=10,638), collected over the period 2006-2010. In the 1973-78 cohort, use of self-prescribed CAM was 73.2% in 2006 and 75.3% in 2009. For the 1946-51 cohort, use of self-prescribed CAM was 73.9% in 2007 and 74.7% in 2010. There were similar levels of use of in idual self-prescribed CAM, with the exception that the use of herbal medicine was much higher among the 1946-51 cohort (20% vs. 27%). There was a substantial increase over three years in the use of vitamins/minerals in both cohorts (21% and 19%, respectively). In contrast, there was a considerable decline over three years in use of aromatherapy oils in both cohorts (34% and 28%, respectively). Self-prescribed CAM use is popular amongst women in Australia and it is important that conventional practitioners providing women's health care be cognizant of such use amongst their patients. In order to ensure effective practice, there is a need for further research to explore women's decision-making and experiences around self-prescribed CAM use.
Publisher: Society for Meridian and Acupoint
Date: 27-12-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-07-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WHI.2016.09.010
Abstract: Preconception is acknowledged globally as an important part of ensuring health for the next generation and is underpinned by principles of health promotion and preventive medicine. There is a demand for more holistic, preventive health care within preconception health services. Many women are also using complementary medicine during their reproductive years. This paper presents a longitudinal analysis of women's consultations with a complementary medicine practitioner while attempting to become pregnant, and the characteristics of women who choose to consult a complementary medicine practitioner during the preconception period. The cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses conducted in this study utilise data from the 1973 through 1978 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (n = 13,224). Multivariate logistic regression models and generalized estimating equation models, with and without time lag, were used. Women who identified as attempting to conceive were more likely to consult with an acupuncturist (adjusted odds ratio, 1.46) or a naturopath/herbalist (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30). Women who consulted with an acupuncturist were likely to be consulting with a specialist doctor (odds ratio, 3.73) and/or have previous fertility issues (odds ratio, 2.30). Women who consulted with a naturopath were more likely to report experiencing premenstrual tension (odds ratio, 2.30) but less likely to have had a previous miscarriage (odds ratio, 0.18). Policymakers and other health professionals need to be aware that health professionals who are largely unregulated and structurally isolated from conventional health care may be actively contributing to women's reproductive and physical health during the preconception period.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2013.09.005
Abstract: While some studies have reported effectiveness of aromatherapy oils use during labour there is no reported evidence of efficacy or risks of aromatherapy oils use for pregnancy-related symptoms or conditions. A number of aromatherapy oils are unsafe for use by pregnant women yet there is currently no research examining the prevalence and characteristics of women who use aromatherapy oils during pregnancy. To conduct an empirical study of the prevalence and characteristics of women who use aromatherapy oils during pregnancy. The research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), focusing on the nationally representative s le of Australian women aged 31-36 years. Data were collected via a cross-sectional questionnaire (n=8200) conducted in 2009. Self-prescribed aromatherapy oils were used by 15.2% of pregnant women. Pregnant women were 1.57 (95% CI: 1.01, 2.43) times more likely to self-prescribe use of aromatherapy oils if they have allergies or hayfever, and 2.26 (95% CI: 1.34, 3.79) times more likely to self-prescribe use of aromatherapy oils if they have a urinary tract infection (UTI). Our study highlights a considerable use of aromatherapy oils by pregnant women. There is a clear need for greater communication between practitioners and patients regarding the use of aromatherapy oils during pregnancy, as well a need for health care practitioners to be mindful that pregnant women in their care may be using aromatherapy oils, some of which may be unsafe.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 30-07-2010
DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2010.484463
Abstract: Quantitative questionnaire-based research has suggested a considerable effect of skin disease on the sexual life of sufferers. In this study, we explored the effects of acne, psoriasis and atopic eczema upon sexual functioning and sexual relationships in the context of a wider exploration of the psychological sequelae of these diseases. We employed a qualitative methodology employing in-depth semi-structured interviews and involving thematic analysis and constant comparison. Participants were patients with currently active acne, psoriasis or atopic eczema. Purposive s ling aimed to obtain a s le reflecting a wide range of participant characteristics including skin disease severity, age, sex, and care by general practitioner or dermatologist. Sixty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted. Acne had adverse effects on participants' self-perceived sexual attractiveness and self-confidence, as did psoriasis and eczema. But psoriasis and eczema also had marked effects on sexual well-being and on capacity for intimacy. These were related to issues of self-esteem and sexual self-image and were often pervasive, resulting in marked behavioural avoidance of intimate situations and continuing effects on sexual well-being even in long-established sexual relationships. Effects of psoriasis and eczema on sexual well-being and sexual relationships were mediated more by appearance and texture of non-genital skin than by involvement of genital skin. We conclude that, while recognising the distressing effects of acne on self-perceived sexual attractiveness, clinicians should be especially aware of the capacity of psoriasis and eczema to profoundly affect patients' psychological and sexual well-being.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 19-06-2015
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.12112
Abstract: The professionalisation of doula care and research interest in this area of maternity care/support have both grown internationally in recent years highlighting important broader issues around the access, continuity and delivery of maternity care services. However, no work to date has provided a critical appraisal of the international literature on this topic. In response, this paper presents the first critical review of international empirical literature examining professional doula care for pregnant and birthing women. A database search of AMED, CINAHL, Maternity and Infant Care, and MEDLINE using the search term, "doula" was undertaken. A total of 48 papers published between 1980 and March 2013 involving trained or professional doulas were extracted. Four descriptive categories were identified from the review: 'workforce and professional issues in doula care' 'trained or professional doula's role and skill' 'physical outcomes of trained or professional doula care' and 'social outcomes of trained or professional doula care'. Of the studies evaluating outcomes of doula care, there were a number with design and methodology weaknesses. The review highlights a number of gaps in the research literature including a lack of research examining doula workforce issues focus upon the experience and perspective of significant stakeholders such as expectant fathers with regard to trained or professional doula care clinical trials measuring both subjective experiences and physical outcomes of trained or professional doula support synergy between the design of clinical trials research examining trained or professional doula care and the clinical reality of professional doula practice. It is imperative that key aspects of trained doula care be subject to further rigorous, empirical investigation to help establish an evidence base to guide policy and practice relating to this area of support and care for pregnant and birthing women.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-06-2017
DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2017.1337773
Abstract: In this article, we explore the use of health services and self-prescribed treatments among 8088 young Australian women with severe tiredness. Data were obtained from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The prevalence of severe tiredness was 49.2%. The frequency of visits to healthcare practitioners was greater among women who sought help for their severe tiredness, compared to women who did not seek help for their severe tiredness or who did not report severe tiredness. Given the impact of this health problem on Australian women, we call for further research on the optimal treatment for severe tiredness.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-01-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-02-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S12906-021-03217-1
Abstract: This descriptive study provides the first examination of global naturopathic education, regulation and practice frameworks that have potential to constrain or assist professional formation and integration in global health systems. Despite increasing public use, a significant workforce, and World Health Organization calls for national policy development to support integration of services, existent frameworks as potential barriers to integration have not been examined. This cross-sectional survey utilized purposive s ling of 65 naturopathic organisations (educational institutions, professional associations, and regulatory bodies) from 29 countries. Organizational representatives completed an on-line survey, conducted between Nov 2016 – Aug 2019. Frequencies and cross-tabulation statistics were analyzed using SPSSv.25. Qualitative responses were hand-coded and thematically analysed where appropriate. Sixty-five of 228 naturopathic organizations completed the survey (29% response rate) from 29 of 46 countries (63% country response rate). Most education programs (68%) were delivered via a national framework. Higher education qualifications (60%) predominated. Organizations influential in education were professional associations (75.4%), particularly where naturopathy was unregulated, and accreditation bodies (41.5%) and regulatory boards (33.8%) where regulated. Full access to controlled acts, and to health insurance rebates were more commonly reported where regulated. Attitude of decision-makers, opinions of other health professions and existing legislation were perceived to most impact regulation, which was globally heterogeneous. Education and regulation of the naturopathic profession has significant heterogeneity, even in the face of global calls for consistent regulation that recognizes naturopathy as a medical system. Standards are highest and consistency more apparent in countries with regulatory frameworks.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2004
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-03-2000
Abstract: To review patient information leaflets on hypertension to determine the quality of information currently available to patients. A standardised systematic rating of patient information leaflets for hypertension in the UK. A quality score per leaflet based on a pre-determined rating scale. using recognised criteria with marks allocated for content, writing style, readability and design. Sixty-one leaflets were received, 42 from the Internet and 19 from other sources. Leaflets could achieve a maximum of 84 points. Scores ranged from 30 to 70 for non-Internet leaflets and 28 to 67 for Internet leaflets. Leaflets produced by Boeringer Ingelheim for the British Hypertension Society and Greenlines Publishing (with a medical education grant from Knoll Ltd) scored highest overall. A detailed analysis of the non-Internet leaflets showed that few leaflets contained the full range of information considered important though most should be readable by the majority of the adult population and are written using appropriate language and typeface. High quality information is available for patients, though some leaflets fall below an adequate standard. Professionals providing advice to patients should have some knowledge of what constitutes good quality information and be critical of the resources they use. Ideally surgeries and clinics should stock a range of the best information available so that patients can chose the leaflet most appropriate to their needs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-01-2013
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-09-2012
Abstract: The proliferation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and women’s high level of engagement with these practices, has presented sociology with a range of questions regarding gender, embodiment and identity work in the context of contemporary medical pluralism. The current study, drawing on 60 qualitative interviews with women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH), examines how a group of Australian women negotiate CAM and biomedicine in a range of health and illness contexts. Selected from the mid-aged cohort of this national study, here we explore their accounts of engagement with CAM and biomedicine, unpacking their logics underpinning, and rhetorical practices surrounding, their therapeutic engagement. The results provide significant insight into: the importance of ideas about nature, holism and strengthening perceptions of the harshness and softness of medicines for women’s bodies and, the relative importance of scientific proof vis-a-vis in idual subjectivities. Ultimately, their accounts illustrate gendered and embodied strategies of strategic integration, and importantly, border crossing. We conclude that while women’s engagement with CAM and biomedicine may be indeed be gendered in character, we suggest a rethinking of gender-based resistance (to biomedicine) or gender-alignment (to CAM) arguments the notion of women as designers would more adequately capture the landscapes of contemporary medical pluralism.
Publisher: Royal College of General Practitioners
Date: 08-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2007
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-07-2017
DOI: 10.1111/HEAD.13148
Abstract: Given the safety concerns regarding pharmacological agents, and the considerable impact of headache and migraine on the sufferer's quality of life, many people seek other treatment options beyond conventional medication and care to address their symptoms this includes complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Some CAM interventions have shown promising results in clinical trials of headache and migraine management. Nonetheless, there has been little research exploring the reasons for using CAM, and the types of CAM used, among this population. The study aimed to answer the following questions: (1) Which CAM modalities are used most frequently among migraine/headache sufferers? and (2) What are the self-reported reasons for CAM use among migraine/headache sufferers? This secondary analysis of data from the 2012 U.S. NHIS (a national cross-sectional survey) examined the use of CAM among migraine/headache sufferers, including the main reasons related to CAM use. Data were weighted and analyzed using STATA 14.0. The s le of 34,525 adults included 6558 (18.7%) headache/migraine sufferers. Of the headache/migraine sufferers, a substantial proportion (37.6%, n = 2427) used CAM for various conditions however, CAM use specifically for headache/migraine was much less prevalent (3.3%, n = 216). Of those who used CAM for headache/migraine, about half used CAM in conjunction with prescription (47.8%, n = 100) or over-the-counter medication (55.1%, n = 113). As severity of headache/migraine increased so did the likelihood of using CAM (severe migraine odds ratio [OR] = 2.32 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41, 3.82 both recurring headache/severe migraine OR = 3.36 95% CI: 2.08, 5.43 when compared to those with recurring headache only). The most frequently used CAM modality among all headache/migraine sufferers (N = 6558) was manipulative therapy (22.0%, n = 1317), herbal supplementation (21.7%, n = 1389) and mind-body therapy (17.9%, n = 1100). The top 3 reasons for using CAM for headache were general wellness (28.7%, n = 60/209), improving overall health (26.8%, n = 56/209), and reducing stress (16.7%, n = 35/209). Although CAM is used by many sufferers of headache/migraine, the use of CAM specifically for the treatment of headache/migraine is relatively low in the United States. The study also assesses the key differences of CAM use among headache/migraine sufferers in NHIS 2012 compared with those in NHIS 2007, and identifies shortfalls in the evidence-base of several CAM modalities used by U.S. adults for headache/migraine. This information may assist health providers and consumers in making informed decisions about the safest and most appropriate approach to managing headache/migraine.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.SOCSCIMED.2012.11.008
Abstract: Accompanying patients from active treatment towards specialist palliative care is a complex sphere of clinical practice that can be fraught with interpersonal and emotional challenges. While medical specialists are expected to break 'bad news' to their patients and ease their transitions to specialist palliative care if required, few have received formal training in such interpersonal complexities. Furthermore, there also often exists clinical ambiguity around whether to continue active treatment vis-à-vis refocusing on quality of life and palliation. In this paper we explore the experiences of twenty Australian medical specialists, focussing on issues such as: dilemmas around when and how to talk about dying and palliation the art of referral and practices of representation and, accounts of emotion and subjective influences on referral. The results illustrate how this transitional realm can be embedded in emotions, relationships and the allure of potentially life-prolonging intervention. We argue that the practice of referral should be understood as a relational and contextually-bound process.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-01-2014
DOI: 10.1057/STH.2013.26
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-09-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-10-2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-06-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2003
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHIN.2010.01.016
Abstract: Health statistics of Mongolia indicate that hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) occur in 0.01-0.05% of all hospital admissions. This is considerably lower than internationally reported rates. A one-day survey was conducted in two tertiary hospitals of Ulaanbaatar in September 2008 to estimate HAI prevalence, associated risk factors and patterns of antibiotic usage. Among 933 patients surveyed, 50 (5.4%) were diagnosed with HAI. Prevalence of surgical site infection was 1.1% (3.9% among surgical patients), bloodstream infection 0.3%, respiratory tract infection 1.3%, urinary tract infection 1.3%, and other HAI 1.4%. Microbiological investigations were only documented for 18.9% of all patients. A total of 558 patients (59.8%) were taking 902 courses of antibiotics 92.1% of patients were prescribed antibiotics without a sensitivity test. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that HAI was significantly associated with the admission source, the hospital, length of hospital stay, surgical and other invasive procedures, urinary catheters and other indwelling devices. The study results were comparable with reports from some other developing countries and confirm that official statistics underestimate the true frequency of HAI in Mongolia.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 04-2009
Abstract: In Australia, little research has been undertaken on the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to assist with the impact of postdeployment ill-health including medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and it has been unclear whether such a development is desired by Australian primary care practitioners. In response an empirical investigation into the perceptions and experiences of 24 medical officers from the Australian military with regard to postdeployment ill-health, medically unexplained symptoms, and the potential development of CPGs in this area was undertaken. The analysis suggests that although MUS are accepted as common in general practice they are not perceived by practitioners to be as prevalent in the Australian Defense Forces. Although the medical officers do not perceive clinical practice guidelines as the best tool for managing MUS, there was interest in the development of practical tools to assist in the diagnosis of medically unexplained symptoms. The response by practitioners is of critical importance for the potential implementation of clinical practice guidelines in this area.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2003
DOI: 10.1016/S0965-2299(03)00062-1
Abstract: In this paper we identify the need for further research exploring the relationship between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and women's health. We offer our personal thoughts on the direction such future research might take outlining a number of research domains (type of CAM consumption, longitudinal analysis of women's use of CAM, cross-cultural analysis of women's CAM consumption, reasons for women's CAM consumption). We hope that this brief paper helps inspire greater research attention upon what we believe to be a well deserving sub-field of study within the social science of CAM.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 02-2011
DOI: 10.3109/00048674.2010.526094
Abstract: The burden of rising health care expenditures has created a demand for information regarding the clinical and economic outcomes associated with complementary and alternative medicines. Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials have found Hypericum perforatum preparations to be superior to placebo and similarly effective as standard antidepressants in the acute treatment of mild to moderate depression. A clear advantage over antidepressants has been demonstrated in terms of the reduced frequency of adverse effects and lower treatment withdrawal rates, low rates of side effects and good compliance, key variables affecting the cost-effectiveness of a given form of therapy. The most important risk associated with use is potential interactions with other drugs, but this may be mitigated by using extracts with low hyperforin content. As the indirect costs of depression are greater than five times direct treatment costs, given the rising cost of pharmaceutical antidepressants, the comparatively low cost of Hypericum perforatum extract makes it worthy of consideration in the economic evaluation of mild to moderate depression treatments.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 28-11-2012
Abstract: People are increasingly compelled to take responsibility for their health and illness trajectories. The existing literature on what may be termed self-care points to the ways that public health initiatives have instigated the transfer of governance onto the in idual through c aigns promoting physical activity and diet among other things. Meanwhile, cultural trends may have been enhanced and/or transformed by the increased prominence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) which often include a focus on self-determination and self-responsibility for achieving health and wellbeing. This article examines women’s contemporary self-care practices and the logics underpinning their approaches to health, illness and healing. Our findings show that although these women were often positive about the prospects of being autonomous decision-makers, their search for alternatives and practices of self (health) care can be problematic in certain cases and may be viewed as reproducing neoliberal forms of governance and their derivative inequalities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2010.12.009
Abstract: To determine the characteristics of yoga and meditation users and non-users amongst young and mid-aged Australian women. The research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) which was designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well being of women over a 20-year period. The younger (28-33 years) (n=8885) and mid-aged (56-61 years) (n=10,324) cohorts of the ALSWH who completed Survey 5 in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Use of yoga. This study estimates that 35% of Australian women aged 28-33 and 27% of Australian women aged 56-61 use yoga or meditation. Younger women with back pain (OR=1.28 95% CI: 1.08, 1.52) and allergies (OR=1.25 95% CI: 1.06, 1.49) were more likely to use yoga or meditation, while younger women with migraines or headaches (OR=0.73 95% CI: 0.62, 0.87) were less likely to use yoga or meditation. Mid-age women with low iron (OR=1.68 95% CI: 1.29, 2.19) and bowel problems (OR=1.37 95% CI: 1.13, 1.65) were more likely to use yoga or meditation, while mid age women with hypertension (OR=0.62 95% CI: 0.52, 0.76) were less likely to use yoga or meditation. A large percentage of the female population are using yoga or meditation. Given that women who regularly use yoga or meditation positively associated with measures of mental and physical health, there is a need for further research to examine the experiences and potential benefits of these mind-body practices for women's health.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.SOCSCIMED.2008.10.022
Abstract: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is strongly shaping the nature and direction of biomedical practice and organisational culture. Clinicians are now expected to adopt the principles of EBM and evidence-based practice (EBP) whilst also maintaining such things as professional autonomy, clinical judgement and therapeutic integrity. Little sociological work has been done on the implications of EBM in oncology contexts. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 13 oncology consultants and 12 oncology nurses in Australia, in this paper we explore how oncology clinicians utilise and/or critique types of evidence and statistical probabilities the organisational systematisation of care and, wider policies of EBM. The results illustrate significant variation in perception of EBM between the oncology sub-specialties examined, and the central role of organisational structures and intra-professional hierarchies in how evidence is viewed and utilised in practice. The interviews also capture the ways in which oncology specialists are negotiating the systematisation of care under the rubric of EBM, and the contradictory effects of professional de-skilling vis-à-vis the reinforcement of biomedical objectivity ower. Finally, we examine the experiences and perceptions of oncology nurses in relation to evidence and EBM, exploring the interplay of processes of professionalisation and distinction in shaping the evidence-based trajectories of nursing. We contrast these results with previous sociological writings on EBM, reflecting on the applicability and limitations of these theoretical positions when applied to the experiences of oncology clinicians.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 26-02-2016
DOI: 10.1111/ECC.12467
Abstract: To investigate health professionals' perspectives about factors that impede or facilitate cancer care for Indigenous people. Semi-structured interviews with 22 health professionals involved in Indigenous cancer care. Data were interpreted using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Participants presented their perspectives on a number of barriers and enablers to Indigenous cancer care. Barriers were related to challenges with communication, the health system and coordination of care, issues around in idual and community priorities and views of cancer treatment and health professional judgement. Enablers to cancer care were related to the importance of trust and rapport as well as health care system and support factors. The findings highlighted the need for recording of Indigenous status in medical records and a coordinated approach to the provision of evidence-based and culturally appropriate cancer care. This could go some way to improving Indigenous patient's engagement with tertiary cancer care services.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 12-2005
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2354.2005.00610.X
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is now a significant practice issue for those delivering cancer care with a range of CAM being utilized by a significant number of patients with cancer. While various studies have explored the prevalence of CAM use among cancer patients, little is currently known about naturopathy/herbalism use by patients with cancer in Australia. This paper reports the prevalence of naturopath/herbalist consultations among mid-aged Australian women with cancer. The research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, with the data for this analysis coming from the third survey of 11,202 women aged 50-55, conducted in 2001. For all cancers combined, 15.7% of women with cancer were found to consult a naturopath/herbalist. Mid-aged women with cancer were found to be more likely to consult a naturopath/herbalist than mid-aged women without cancer. Naturopathy/herbalism consultations appear to be utilized by the women with cancer alongside and as a supplement to conventional health services. Given the prevalence of consultations with herbal therapists/naturopaths among mid-aged women with cancer in Australia, it is important that physicians and others involved in cancer patient care and management are informed and educated about naturopathy/herbalism and its use among their patients.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 10-2011
Abstract: Although there has been much international commentary, little is known about the interface between traditional knowledge and scientific research in modern naturopathic practice. This study aimed to explore this interface from the perspective of naturopaths. Semistructured interviews were conducted with naturopaths in current practice. The participants were selected using purposive s ling, and the data from the interviews were interpreted using thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted in a place suitable to each participant. Twelve (12) naturopaths in current clinical practice were interviewed. The participants represented a ersity of characteristics including gender, time in practice, level of qualification, and clinical contact hours per week. Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes from the interviews. Analysis identified a disparity in practitioner definition of what constitutes traditional information. However, it also identified that traditional knowledge is considered a valid source of information, whereas the validity and value of modern research is questioned. There is also tension between these two information sources, with science being argued to both support traditional knowledge, while also undermining its value. This tension seems to be overcome by practitioners' use of traditional knowledge to direct their own research, as well as drawing upon their knowledge of science to explain traditional knowledge as yet not researched. The findings of this qualitative study reveal tensions and ambiguities around the interface between tradition and science with regard to naturopathic clinical practice. Understanding these findings may assist in iduals and groups within the naturopathic profession, as well as those outside the profession engaging and collaborating with naturopaths.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.AMJCARD.2015.03.014
Abstract: The uptake of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common, especially among patients with chronic illness. However, the use of CAM by women with cardiovascular disease and how this influences the interface with conventional medicine is poorly understood. To examine the relation between heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes and the use of CAM and conventional medicine in a cohort of women, data were taken from the 2010 survey (n = 9,748) of the 1946 to 1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Analyses focused on women who had been diagnosed or treated for heart disease, diabetes, and/or hypertension. The outcome measures were the use of conventional or CAM treatments in the previous year. Most women had hypertension only (n = 2,335), and few (n = 78) reported having heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Women with hypertension were less likely (odds ratio [OR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74 to 0.91) to consult with a CAM practitioner and less likely (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97) to use self-prescribed CAM, while women with diabetes were also less likely (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.81) to consult with a CAM practitioner and less likely (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.83) to use self-prescribed CAM. In conclusion, compared with studies conducted on CAM use and other chronic illness groups, the use of CAM by women with heart disease, hypertension, and/or diabetes in this study was lower, and future research is needed to explore patients' perceptions of cardiovascular risk and the role of CAM in their self-management in the community, among other issues.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTCP.2010.06.003
Abstract: The type of information used and its application in clinical practice has generated interest due to its relationship to evidence-based medicine (EBM). However, it is also acknowledged that the principles of EBM place less value on practitioners' experience and intuitive insights when making clinical decisions. Research in this area has been conducted with conventional health professionals, meanwhile complementary and alternative medicine practitioners such as naturopaths have received little attention. In response interviews were undertaken with naturopaths to explore their approach to information-seeking and application in clinical settings. Thematic analysis identified how naturopaths incorporate deductive reasoning alongside intuition and clinical experience to overcome difficulties in applying information to relevant clinical situations. This research provides an understanding of the approach taken by naturopaths to improve the relevance of available data when making clinical decisions and is of significance for health policy and health service delivery in this area.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-07-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1584.2011.01200.X
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is high in rural health and an agenda for research in the geography of CAM has been outlined. Unfortunately, no studies to date have mapped the geographic distribution of CAM practitioners in rural areas. For the first time we investigate CAM practitioner distributions across a large district/region in rural Australia. A CAM infrastructure audit of practitioners was performed in rural Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia. CAM providers form a significant part of the health care system in rural New South Wales with substantial representation across all degrees of rurality and in both under-serviced and well-serviced areas. CAM practitioners outnumbered GPs in four NSW Divisions of General Practice and in no Division numbered less than half of the total number of GPs. Given the challenges of access to and recruitment and retention of conventional health care providers in rural settings and the significant presence of CAM practitioners, it is possible to consider such practitioners as an untapped resource in rural health care delivery. Assuming appropriate regulatory and quality standards are in place this resource should attract careful attention as part of future rural health policy and planning. The significant presence and high prevalence of use of CAM practitioners should also serve as an impetus to reform CAM service delivery in Australia.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-05-2020
Publisher: Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.HOMP.2016.12.003
Abstract: The popularity of homeopathy is seemingly at odds with the scientific controversy over its effectiveness. Several studies have reported on effectiveness of clinical homeopathy, but few studies have been conducted on practices and perceptions of homeopaths, and none in New Zealand (NZ). To address this gap, this paper reports findings from the first national survey examining the characteristics, perceptions and experiences of NZ-based homeopaths regarding a wide range of issues relating to their role and practice. There were 176 homeopaths in NZ at the time of this survey, who were members of a voluntary register (The New Zealand Council of Homeopaths), homeopaths are not statutorily registered in NZ. A 65 question, online survey was sent to homeopathic practitioners via their professional associations. A total of 176 homeopaths were invited to participate. Of these 176, 57 (32%) responded. The majority of homeopaths were female (93%). Twelve percent were under 45 years and 20% over 55 years. Most (85%) had qualification in homeopathy of diploma or certificate level and most (66%) were engaged in part-time practice. Mean year of experience was 12.6 and mean caseload per month was 25. 90% considered research useful to validate practice, while 88% considered that it impacted on practice, although only 48% had skills to interpret research papers. There was an association between skills to interpret research and its impact on practice (p = 0.038). The majority (87%) were in favour of registration, with a statistically significant association between attitudes to registration and age (p = 0.027), the older homeopaths being more in favour. Most (68%) were in favour of integration with conventional practitioners and many referred to conventional practitioners (mean referrals per annum to GPs = 57 and midwives = 30). Homeopaths assessed their contribution to New Zealand Ministry of Health objectives as significant, with 77% perceiving that they improved nutrition, 75% increasing physical activity and 63% reducing smoking. These findings enable greater understanding of the way in which homeopaths practice in New Zealand and how they perceive their role in health care. The findings potentially assist communication between homeopaths and other health professionals. There is a need to further investigate homeopaths' practices and perceptions in NZ.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 08-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-07-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-03-2011
DOI: 10.3109/02770903.2011.560323
Abstract: There is evidence of asthma patients using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This article reports the findings of the first ever longitudinal study of CAM use among women with asthma from a large nationally representative s le. A longitudinal analysis of questionnaires completed in 1996, 2000, 2003, and 2006 as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The cohort began with 14,701 randomly selected young women (aged 18-22 years). CAM use was defined as a consultation with a range of complementary practitioners in the 12 months prior to each survey. Statistical analyses included the use of generalized estimating equations. Over the 10-year period, approximately 26% of the women were asthmatic. Asthmatic women were significantly more likely to use CAM (19%, 22%, and 36% for surveys 2-4, respectively) than non-asthmatic women (15%, 20%, and 32% for surveys 2-4, respectively). CAM use increased as time since asthma diagnosis increased. However, only the increase in consultations with a naturopath/herbalist remains statistically significant when the CAM modalities are considered in idually alongside asthma status. The longitudinal model suggests that women with asthma are 1.13 (95% CI: 1.05-1.21) times more likely to consult with a CAM practitioner (p< .001). The study also shows that CAM users have a higher dissatisfaction with conventional healthcare services and consultations when compared to CAM non-users. These findings suggest that women with asthma may turn to CAM after conventional care fails to adequately address their healthcare needs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJID.2012.03.006
Abstract: This study aimed to determine the extent to which a checklist has potential for identifying barriers to compliance with central line management guidelines, to evaluate the potential utility of checklists to improve the management of central lines in Mongolia, and to define the gap between current and best practices. A 22-item checklist was developed based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, USA) guidelines and existing central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) checklists. The checklist was used to observe 375 central line procedures performed in the intensive care units of four tertiary hospitals of Mongolia between July and December 2010. In parallel, 36 face-to-face interviews were conducted in six other tertiary hospitals to explain practice variations and identify barriers. The baseline compliance level across all components of the checklist was 68.5%. The main factors explaining low levels of compliance were outdated local standards, a lack of updated guidelines, poor control over compliance with existing clinical guidelines, poor supply of medical consumables, and insufficient knowledge of contemporary infection control measures among health care providers. The health authorities of Mongolia need to adequately address the prevention and control of CLABSIs in their hospitals. Updating local standards and guidelines and implementing adequate multifaceted interventions with behavioral, educational, and logistical components are required. Use of a checklist as a baseline evaluation tool was feasible. It described current practice, showed areas that need urgent attention, and provided important information needed for future planning of CLABSI interventions.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-08-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1471-6712.2007.00547.X
Abstract: Acne, psoriasis and atopic eczema are common diseases and have been consistently associated with adverse psychological sequelae including stigmatization. Being teased on the basis of appearance has been associated with psychiatric morbidity in children and adolescents. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of teasing and bullying in patients with acne, psoriasis and eczema, and the role of appearance-related teasing and bullying as mediators of psychological morbidity in these patients. Data collection consisted of 62 in-depth semi-structured interviews with patients with acne, psoriasis or atopic eczema recruited from both specialist dermatology and general practices. Data analysis was cumulative and concurrent throughout the data collection period reflecting a grounded theory approach. Analysis followed the analytic induction method, allowing themes to emerge from the data. Teasing, taunting or bullying was a considerable problem for a significant minority of acne, psoriasis and atopic eczema participants. Themes that emerged were the universally negative nature of the teasing, the use of teasing as an instrument of social exclusion, and as a means of establishing or enforcing power relationships, teasing related to contagion and fear, the emotional and psychological sequelae of teasing and the theme of 'insensate' teasing. For those who had suffered teasing or bullying, this was causally linked in respondents' accounts with psychological sequelae, especially self-consciousness and effects on self-image and self-esteem. Experiences of teasing and bullying were found to have principally occurred during the adolescence of participants and the perpetrators were other adolescents, but there were findings of respondents with psoriasis also having been subjected to ridicule or derogatory remarks by health professionals. Teasing, taunting and bullying may represent an underappreciated source of psychological morbidity in children and adolescents with these common skin diseases.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 28-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/IJCP.12829
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly used by those suffering from constipation. This paper reports the first critical integrative review of CAM use for people with constipation focusing upon the prevalence, type and cost of CAM use, as well as CAM users' profile, perception and motivations. A comprehensive search of international literature was conducted in MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED). The search was limited to original research peer-reviewed English language articles concerning CAM use for constipation published with an abstract and full text between 2005 and 2015. A total of 35 papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The review shows approximately one in every three people suffering from constipation use CAM with herbal medicine the most commonly used CAM treatment for constipation and a large proportion of CAM use occurring concurrent with or in addition to conventional medical treatments. While early investigation suggests the cost of herbal medicine use in constipation care may be lower than that associated with the use other CAM modalities and conventional medications, this issue requires further research. Although a high percentage of people with constipation using CAM consider these treatments effective, there remains a need for further in-depth examination of both patient and provider perspectives as well as communication and decision-making around CAM use for constipation to inform safe, effective and coordinated care for patients with constipation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTCP.2011.04.004
Abstract: It is known that women are high users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) including naturopathy and that CAM is frequently used by pregnant women. However, we still know little about the consumption, practice and role of naturopathy in pregnancy, labour and post-natal care. With this in mind, this paper proposes a possible framework for advancing further research on this topic. The framework is ided into issues associated with three core stakeholder groups - pregnant women, naturopaths/herbalists and other maternity health professionals including obstetricians, midwives and general practitioners. The development of a rigorous health services research agenda around this topic has much to offer maternity-care users, practitioners and policy makers and the framework outlined here is offered with the hope of inspiring further inquiry into this significant issue in women's health.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-2009
DOI: 10.1017/S0959259809990360
Abstract: The increasing prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is a significant health care issue in contemporary societies and researchers have identified CAM as holding potential for treating and coping with chronic illness and other conditions experienced in later life. This paper focuses upon contemporary research literature to provide a critical review of the prevalence, correlates, conditions, perceptions and communication of CAM use in later life. Evidence from recent research illustrates the substantial prevalence and complexity of CAM use amongst older people and such ‘community’ use requires all providers, regardless of their experience or perception of the worth of CAM, to at least acknowledge and enquire with their older patients about the potential use of these other medicines.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-12-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1741-6612.2010.00498.X
Abstract: To review findings from the Men, Women and Ageing (MWA) longitudinal studies and consider their implications for national health guidelines. Guidelines for good health for older adults in the areas of body mass index (BMI), physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking behaviours are compared with MWA findings. Findings from MWA suggest that current BMI guidelines may be too narrow because BMI in the overweight range appears to be protective for both older men and women. Across all levels of BMI, even low levels of physical activity decrease mortality risk compared with being sedentary. Our findings suggest that consideration should be given to having different alcohol guidelines for older men and women and should include recommendations for alcohol-free days. The benefit of quitting smoking at any age is apparent for both women and men. Current national guidelines in the areas discussed in this paper should be reviewed for older people.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.MATH.2016.10.067
Abstract: In recent years, evidence has emerged regarding the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatments (OMT). Despite growing evidence in this field, there is need for appropriate research designs that effectively reflect the person-centred system of care promoted in osteopathy and provide data which can inform policy decisions within the healthcare system. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify, appraise and synthesise the evidence from comparative effectiveness and economic evaluation research involving OMT. A database search was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, PEDro, AMED, SCOPUS and OSTMED.DR, from their inception to May 2015. Two separate searches were undertaken to identify original research articles encompassing the economic evaluation and comparative effectiveness of OMT. Identified comparative effectives studies were evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and appraised using the Good Reporting of Comparative Effectiveness (GRACE) principles. Identified economic studies were assessed with the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) guidelines. Sixteen studies reporting the findings of comparative effectiveness (n = 9) and economic evaluation (n = 7) research were included. The comparative effectiveness studies reported outcomes for varied health conditions and the majority (n = 6) demonstrated a high risk of bias. The economic evaluations included a range of analyses and considerable differences in the quality of reporting were evident. Despite some positive findings, published comparative effectiveness and health economic studies in OMT are of insufficient quality and quantity to inform policy and practice. High quality, well-designed, research that aligns with international best practice is greatly needed to build a pragmatic evidence base for OMT.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 19-03-2013
Abstract: Australia, like other ethnically erse societies, needs to provide culturally appropriate health care to all its citizens. One way of facilitating this is to ensure that health services research adequately reflects the circumstances and needs of culturally and linguistically erse (CALD) communities within the population. This article discusses the fieldwork phase of a qualitative research project on dementia caregiving in 4 CALD communities in south west Sydney, Australia. Rather than focusing on the study results—which have been published elsewhere—this article presents and discusses crucial fieldwork issues that arose in the conduct of the project, particularly regarding participant recruitment and facilitation of focus groups. In being transparent about some of the difficulties encountered and how these were managed, we offer suggestions for other researchers wanting to include CALD communities in a meaningful way in their research projects.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/AOGS.12921
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used for treating cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort. This critical review examines women's reported CAM use, its perceived effectiveness and information relating to women's attitudes, behaviors, motivations and patterns of CAM use in its treatment. An extensive search of the main medical databases EBSCO, CINAHL, Medline, AMED and SCOPUS, as well as additional hand searches, was conducted. Papers included were confined to those that had been peer-reviewed, written in English and that contained original research into CAM use for cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort among adult women. CAM, particularly herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and massage, is widely used for a range of cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort symptoms. A large number of CAM modalities are adopted, often simultaneously and with little professional oversight. Women's assessment of efficacy of different CAM modalities is positive, though the majority of users are self-prescribing apparently without professional guidance. Although the uptake of CAM for cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort is widespread, few empirical data are available regarding which women are using CAM, their motivations for doing so and, importantly, the sources through which women receive information about CAM. This review highlights the extensive use of (often self-prescribed) CAM in a number of countries to alleviate the widespread symptoms of cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort. An understanding of all health care use by women with perimenstrual pain and discomfort is vital to help ensure safe, effective and coordinated health care that can lead to optimal patient outcomes.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-06-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12906-022-03620-2
Abstract: Psychologists, and their clients, are engaging with complementary medicine (CM). Increasing evidence for CM approaches, such as improved nutrition and St John’s wort, has led to their inclusion in the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders. This research aims to determine in what ways, and to what extent, Australian psychology regulatory bodies and associations consider CM relevant to psychology practice. Specifically, how these regulatory bodies and professional association’s ethical and practice guidelines engage with CM. Documents from Australian regulatory bodies and professional associations, that relate to the governance or guidance of psychologists’ clinical practice, were systematically searched for key terms relating to CM. There were no direct references to CM in the 58 ethical and practice guidelines reviewed. There was also no reference to the relevance of CM to ethnocultural groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional healing practices. While other mental health care disciplines are working toward integrating CM, the discipline of psychology in Australia is not currently engaged in such developments. Given the exponential rise of CM use amongst those with mental health problems, psychology associations should consider developing resources and guidelines to assist psychologists in navigating CM in relation to clinical practice to help minimise risks, such as patient safety associated with concurrent CM use.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 04-2012
Abstract: In line with increasing complementary medicine (CAM) use, the Australian government has committed considerable resources to the training of CAM practitioners. However, it has generally failed to complement this support with regulation or accountability measures. This is particularly true in Australia's largest CAM profession (naturopaths), which remains entirely unregulated but attracts approximately AUD$40 million each year in government funding for its education sector. This article explores the consequences of such unfettered support on professional outcomes. Data on Australian government funding for naturopathic student places were collated and compared with various outcome measures including research and professional outcomes. Lack of accountability measures attached to government support has enabled the proliferation of commercial education providers in the sector. This is often at the expense of the university sector, which is financially disadvantaged in naturopathic education delivery through extra academic and research obligations not shared by private for-profit providers. The major beneficiaries of government funding have facilitated few formal contributions to naturopathic research or professional development, whereas those with the highest research, professional, and academic output attracted the least government funding. Course content has declined in the previous 5 years, and government funding is still directed to courses that do not meet the minimum education levels for the prescribed government definition of naturopath. Unfettered support has also resulted in a significant increase in student numbers growth, which significantly outstrips growth in utilization, potentially affecting the profession's sustainability. Lack of regulation in naturopathic education has resulted in significant risks to patients (through reduced standards) as well as the naturopathic profession itself. Although CAM advocates often focus on pushing for government support for the development CAM, support without the development of appropriate regulatory and accountability measures can ultimately be detrimental to the development of CAM.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.APNU.2011.10.002
Abstract: Depression is a common mental disorder and a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. In Australia, depression is reportedly the leading cause of morbidity for young women. In addition to conventional treatments, there is also some evidence that there is common use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among people with depressive symptoms. However, there has been little research focus upon broad health care and practitioner use (including consumption of both conventional and CAM practitioners as well as self-prescribed care) among young adults with depression. This article aims specifically to address this knowledge gap by providing the first longitudinal analysis of the use of health service among women with self-reported depression. Data from a longitudinal cohort study (Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health) conducted over a 3-year period on 7,164 young Australian women were analyzed. Information on health status, health service use, and self-prescribed treatments was obtained from two questionnaires mailed to study participants in 2003 and 2006. The study identified that only a small proportion of the women had sought professional assistance for their self-reported depression. It also shows that many women who reported depression used CAM alongside or as a complement to conventional health care services. In particular, young women who did not seek help for their depression were more likely to self-prescribe CAM than were women without depression. The frequent use of a range of conventional providers and practitioner-based CAM and self-prescribed CAM among women with self-reported depression warrants further investigation.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MATURITAS.2015.10.010
Abstract: Falls are the leading cause of injuries in women across all ages. While yoga has been shown to increase balance, it has also been associated with injuries due to falls during practice. This study aimed to analyse whether regular yoga or meditation practice is associated with the frequency of falls and fall-related injuries in upper middle-aged Australian women. Women aged 59-64 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were queried regarding falls and falls-related injuries and whether they regularly practiced yoga or meditation. Associations of falls and falls-related injuries with yoga or meditation practice were analysed using chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression modelling. Of 10,011 women, 4413 (44.1%) had slipped, tripped or stumbled, 2770 (27.7%) had fallen to the ground, 1398 (14.0%) had been injured as a result of falling, and 901 (9.0%) women had sought medical attention for a fall-related injury within the previous 12 months. Yoga or meditation was practiced regularly by 746 (7.5%) women. No associations of falls, fall-related injuries and treatment due to falls-related injury with yoga or meditation practice were found. No association between yoga or meditation practice and falls or fall-related injuries have been found. Further studies are warranted for conclusive judgement of benefits and safety of yoga and meditation in relation to balance, falls and fall-related injuries.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 13-09-2013
Abstract: Members of minority populations often have difficulty knowing about and accessing dementia services. One of the strategies used to promote access is the employment of bilingual/bicultural workers (sometimes referred to as multicultural, link or outreach workers). This study involved interviews with 24 bilingual/bicultural workers in south western Sydney, Australia to gain a better understanding of their role within the dementia field. Seven themes emerged: importance of working with family process of building trust when moving between two cultures importance of understanding the culture self-care and culture flexibility of their role linking community members and linking communities to mainstream services. Bilingual/bicultural workers play a significant and complex role in supporting in iduals and families within their community who are affected by dementia. The significance of their role needs to be more clearly acknowledged in the development of policy, further research and service provision within the dementia field.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 08-2011
Abstract: The objectives of this study were to chart the patterns and determine the factors associated with acupuncture consultations among a large cohort of mid-aged women in Australia over a 6-year period. A longitudinal analysis of questionnaires completed in 2001, 2004, and 2007 as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Statistical analyses included Generalized Estimating Equations. Mid-aged women (n=11,200) were randomly selected from the Australian Medicare database, with overs ling of women from rural and remote areas. The outcome measure was consultation with an acupuncturist in the 12 months prior to each survey. The percentage of women who consulted an acupuncturist in the years 2001, 2004, and 2007 were 4.2%, 4.3%, and 5.9%, respectively. Only 0.5% of women consulted with an acupuncturist at all survey periods, 2.0% at two survey periods, and 7.4% at only one survey period. Acupuncture consultations significantly increased if the women had back problems (odds ratio [OR]=1.5), arthritis (OR=1.3), had higher levels of education (OR=1.9), were high users of general practitioners/family practitioners (OR=2.6), and high users of biomedical specialists (OR=1.4). Use of acupuncturists among mid-age women appears to be strongly influenced by poor physical health. The percentage of women in the community who use acupuncture remained relatively consistent over the study period. Women do not tend to consistently use acupuncture over time, but instead appear to use acupuncture as a one-off treatment or at selected time points.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.MIDW.2014.03.015
Abstract: there is evidence of high use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by pregnant women. Despite debate and controversy regarding CAM use in pregnancy there has been little research focus upon the impacts of CAM use on birth outcomes. This paper reports findings outlining the incidence of adverse birth outcomes among women accessing CAM during pregnancy. a survey-based cohort sub-study from the nationally-representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) was undertaken in 2010. women (aged 31-36 years) who identified in 2009 as pregnant or recently given birth (n=2445) from the younger cohort (n=8012) of ALSWH were recruited for the study. participants' responses were analysed to examine the relationship between use of CAM and adverse birth outcomes from their most recent pregnancy. Of the respondents (n=1835 79.2%), there were variations in birth outcomes for the women who used different CAM. Notably, the outcome which was most commonly associated with CAM use was emotional distress. This was found to occur more commonly in women who practised meditation/yoga at home, used flower essences, or consulted with a chiropractor. In contrast, women who consulted with a chiropractor or consumed herbal teas were less likely to report a premature birth, whilst participation in yoga classes was associated with an increased incidence of post partum/intrapartum haemorrhage. the results emphasise the necessity for further research evaluating the safety and effectiveness of CAM for pregnant women, with a particular focus on birth outcomes. health professionals providing care need to be aware of the potential birth outcomes associated with CAM use during pregnancy to enable the provision of accurate information to women in their care, and to assist in safely supporting women accessing CAM to assist with pregnancy, labour and birth.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 28-03-2019
DOI: 10.1111/IJCP.13343
Abstract: To describe the healthcare behaviours of Australian women (45 years and over) diagnosed with a chronic illness. This is a cross-sectional sub-study of the 45 and Up Study-the largest study of healthy ageing conducted in the Southern Hemisphere-including 1,932 Australian women (45 years and older) with a self-reported diagnosis of either depression, asthma, diabetes, osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. Questionnaires were posted to eligible participants between September and December 2016 and included self-reported use of formal and informal health services and healthcare behaviours, and health practitioner recommendations and monitoring of informal care. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the s le characteristics and chi-square tests assessed associations between variables. The average age of participants was 69. We found that 53.7% of the women used informal healthcare products or practices for their chronic illness (eg exercise, nutritional supplements). These women were significantly (P < 0.001) more likely to consult with all types of health practitioners, compared with women not using informal healthcare. Physical activity and nutritional supplements were the most commonly recommended product or practice by all healthcare practitioners. However, informal healthcare behaviours were not regularly recommended or monitored by health practitioners. Women use a range of informal products and practices to manage chronic illness, but many fail to communicate with their health practitioners about such use. Future research should consider how to encourage better communication between health practitioners and patients related to informal healthcare for chronic illness to help ensure safe, effective, coordinated patient management.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-12-2017
DOI: 10.1002/PTR.6001
Abstract: To explore the prevalence with which Australian Western herbalists treat menstrual problems and their related treatment, experiences, perceptions, and interreferral practices with other health practitioners. Members of the Practitioner Research and Collaboration Initiative practice-based research network identifying as Western Herbalists (WHs) completed a specifically developed, online questionnaire. Western Herbalists regularly treat menstrual problems, perceiving high, though differential, levels of effectiveness. For menstrual problems, WHs predominantly prescribe in idualised formulas including core herbs, such as Vitex agnus-castus, and problem-specific herbs. Estimated clients' weekly cost (median = $25.00) and treatment duration (median = 4-6 months) covering this Western herbal medicine treatment appears relatively low. Urban-based women are more likely than those rurally based to have used conventional treatment for their menstrual problems before consulting WHs (p = .001). Only 19% of WHs indicated direct contact by conventional medical practitioners regarding treatment of clients' menstrual problems despite 42% indicating clients' conventional practitioners recommended consultation with WH. Western herbal medicine may be a substantially prevalent, cost-effective treatment option amongst women with menstrual problems. A detailed examination of the behaviour of women with menstrual problems who seek and use Western herbal medicine warrants attention to ensure this healthcare option is safe, effective, and appropriately co-ordinated within women's wider healthcare use.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2016
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 15-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.13540
Abstract: Healthcare professionals' advice on lifestyle behaviours is a key factor in improving a nation's health. Although allied health professionals have been well placed to provide such advice as part of patient care, little is known about the characteristics of allied health practitioners who discuss lifestyle topics with patients. This paper focused upon an overlooked avenue for lifestyle advice regarding an allied health profession - osteopathy. A workforce survey including questions about four lifestyle topics (including diet/nutrition, smoking/drugs/alcohol, physical activity/fitness, and stress management) was distributed to a nationally representative s le of Australian registered osteopaths in 2016. Separate multivariate logistic regression and Poisson regression models were developed to determine the most important predictors of the discussion of lifestyle factors. Amongst the 992 participating osteopaths, 89%, 49%, 38%, and 18% often discussed physical activity/fitness, stress management, diet/nutrition, and smoking/drugs/alcohol with their patients, respectively. Approximately 30% of participating osteopaths discussed at least three lifestyle topics with patients. Varied predictors were identified for discussing each lifestyle topic. Osteopaths who often discuss diet/nutrition in patient management plans were more likely to often discuss smoking/drugs/alcohol (OR = 14.13), physical activity/fitness (OR = 2.71), and/or stress management (OR = 1.69). In conclusion, lifestyle factors are often discussed with patients as part of osteopathy treatments in the Australian healthcare context. Osteopaths are well positioned to initiate discussions regarding patient lifestyles, and such discussions may be an effective contribution to health promotion.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-09-2023
DOI: 10.1080/10749357.2022.2127651
Abstract: Self-management is generally considered a dynamic and collaborative process by in iduals and caregivers to manage a chronic condition. Self-management has recently emerged as a promising strategy for stroke rehabilitation. This scoping review aims to examine and summarize self-management strategies utilized by stroke survivors for stroke rehabilitation. PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase, and ProQuest were searched for articles published between January 2010 and December 2021. Studies were selected if they were published in English in a peer-reviewed journal, utilized a non-experimental research design, and focused on adult stroke survivors. All relevant information from the included articles was extracted in a systematic way using a pre-developed data extraction form. Two authors performed data extraction and quality evaluation independently. All issues were resolved through discussion among the authors. We narratively summarized the findings of 15 quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies, including a total of 1,494 stroke survivors. The stroke survivors used a range of self-management strategies for their stroke rehabilitation, including domains related to lifestyle, social support, communication, knowledge and information, and goal-setting. Gender, age, stroke-related disability, fatigue, self-management education, social support, and communication with others were found to be associated with self-management use in stroke rehabilitation. This scoping review provides an important overview on stroke survivors' use of self-management strategies and their experience. Their use of self-management strategies is complicated and multifaceted, comprising several domains and involving a erse range of approaches and personal experiences. However, we identified several gaps in the literature and more research is required.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2015.03.007
Abstract: There is worldwide concern with increasing rates of pharmacologically induced labour and operative birth. Many women would like to avoid medical or surgical interventions in childbirth a desire that may contribute towards the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine/therapies. This systematic review examines the effects of acupressure on labour onset and duration of labour. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, Cochrane Collaboration, and Science Direct from 1999 to 2013 for published randomised controlled trials and controlled trials comparing acupressure with placebo and no treatment. Studies recruited primiparous and/or multiparous women with either spontaneous or induced onset of labour. The outcome measures were labour onset and duration of all stages of labour. Seven trials with data reporting on 748 women using different acupressure points and methods of administration were included in the review. One study examined the initiation of labour and six studies examined labour duration and/or pain levels. The two most studied acupoints were Sanyinjiao/Spleen 6 and Hegu/Large Intestine 4. Results suggest acupressure may reduce the length of labour particularly in the first stage. Further research is required on whether acupressure can shorten labour duration, augment prolonged labour or initiate onset of labour by stimulating uterine contractions. Clinical trials should report the basis for acupressure treatment described in the STRICTA (minus needling) and CONSORT non-pharmaceutical guidelines.
Publisher: Emerald
Date: 08-2001
Abstract: There has been a movement towards integrating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the NHS and a growing number of general practitioners (GPs) are personally practising CAM to treat their NHS patients (direct integrative practice). While research has begun to examine DIP, time constraints and related issues – of importance not only to practitioners but also to those purchasing and planning health care – have not yet received in depth attention. In response this paper examines GP therapists’ experiences of the clinical reality of their DIP. The analysis reveals how a lack of time is perceived by GP therapists as a serious constraint upon their CAM practice and also how they employ a number of strategies in an attempt to overcome such difficulties.
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1159/000479855
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-02-2015
Publisher: Men's Studies Press, LLC
Date: 06-2013
DOI: 10.3149/JMH.1202.150
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2015.09.003
Abstract: To analyze back pain sufferers' attitudes toward consultations with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and self-prescribed CAM products. A cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative s le of Australian women aged 60-65 years. A significant number of women with back pain consulted a massage therapist (41.4%, n=578), a chiropractor (37.3%, n=488), an acupuncturist (13.3%, n=174), used self-prescribed supplements (59.2%, n=776), vitamins/minerals (45.2%, n=592) and/or herbal medicines (13.1%, n=172). Women who perceived CAM as providing greater control over their body/health were more likely to have consulted a chiropractor (OR=4.21 95% CI 2.16, 8.19) and/or self- prescribed supplements (OR=2.38 95% CI: 1.05, 3.49) than those who did not perceive CAM as providing greater control over their body/health. Women who perceived CAM as natural (OR=1.56 95% CI: 1.02, 2.37) or promoting a holistic approach to health (OR=2.73 95% CI: 1.60, 4.64) were more likely to have self-prescribed vitamins/minerals than those who did not perceive CAM as natural and promoting a holistic approach to health. Women who expressed that knowledge about evidence of CAM as important to them were more likely to have self-prescribed herbal medicines (OR=7.15 95% CI: 1.72, 29.64) than those who did not express an interest in knowledge about evidence of CAM. Certain key attitudes toward CAM influence back pain sufferers' choice of CAM use, highlighting the need for back pain care providers to ensure appropriate enquiry and discussion with their patients regarding consulting CAM practitioners and/or self-prescribing CAM products for back pain.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-01-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2648.2010.05510.X
Abstract: This paper presents an integrative literature review examining the attitudes and referral practices of midwives and other maternity care professionals with regard to complementary and alternative treatment and its use by pregnant women. Use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy is a crucial healthcare issue. Recent discussion has identified the need to develop an integrated approach to maternity care. However, there is a lack of understanding of attitudes and behaviours of maternity care professionals towards these treatments. A database search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Health Source, AMED and Maternity and Infant Care for the period 1999-2009. An integrative review method was employed. Studies were selected if they reported results from primary data collection on professional practice/referral or knowledge/attitude towards complementary and alternative medicine by obstetricians, midwives and allied maternity care providers. A total of 21 papers covering 19 studies were identified. Findings from these studies were extracted, grouped and examined according to three key themes: 'prevalence of practice, recommendation and referral', 'attitudes and views' and 'professionalism and professional identity'. There is a need for greater respect and cooperation between conventional and alternative practitioners as well as communication between all maternity care practitioners and their patients about the use of complementary and alternative medicine. There is a need for in-depth studies on the social dimension of practice as well as the inter- and intra-professional dynamics that shape providers' decision to use or refer to complementary and alternative medicine in maternity care.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2011.09.008
Abstract: While several cross-sectional studies have examined psychological correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and cancer, few prospective longitudinal investigations have been reported. This study examined whether CAM use moderated distress and quality of life (HRQoL) from pre- to post-cancer. A prospective longitudinal national cohort design. Participants were 718 mid-aged women from the Australian longitudinal study on women's health who did not have cancer at survey 1, but who subsequently developed cancer. For each participant, three waves of data were extracted: the wave prior to diagnosis ('pre'), at diagnosis ('cancer'), and after cancer ('post'). CAM use was measured by the question 'in the past 12 months have you consulted an alternative health practitioner'. Distress was measured by perceived stress (PSS) and depression (CES-D 10), HRQoL was measured by physical and mental health functioning (SF-36). CAM use significantly moderated the change over time in stress [F(561)=3.09, p=0.04], depression [F(494)=3.14, p=0.04], but not HRQoL. CAM-users were significantly more stressed than non-users pre-cancer (p<0.05), but there were no significant differences at subsequent surveys. CAM-users were significantly less depressed post-cancer compared to non-users (p<0.05). Findings indicated that CAM users may be more psychologically vulnerable than non-users with respect to stress, with CAM acting as an effective psychological, but not HRQoL, intervention.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-11-2010
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-05-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00296-017-3744-Z
Abstract: Yoga exercises have been associated with joint problems recently, indicating that yoga practice might be potentially dangerous for joint health. This study aimed to analyse whether regular yoga practice is associated with the frequency of joint problems in upper middle-aged Australian women. Women aged 62-67 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were questioned in 2013 whether they experienced regular joint pain or problems in the past 12 months and whether they regularly practiced yoga. Associations of joint problems with yoga practice were analysed using Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression modelling. Of 9151 women, 29.8% reported regular problems with stiff or painful joints, and 15.2, 11.9, 18.1 and 15.9% reported regular problems with shoulders, hips, knees and feet, respectively, in the past 12 months. Yoga was practiced sometimes by 10.1% and often by 8.4% of women. Practicing yoga was not associated with upper or lower limb joint problems. No association between yoga practice and joint problems has been identified. Further studies are warranted for conclusive judgement of benefits and safety of yoga in relation to joint problems.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 04-01-2017
Abstract: Objective: This research aims to investigate the health service use—including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)—and self-care by women aged 62 to 67 with sleeping problems. Method: In total, 9,110 participants (99.6%) responded to questions about sleeping problems, health service utilization and self-care (e.g., herbal medicines and vitamins), demographics, and chronic illnesses. Results: In all, 48.2% ( n = 4,394) women indicated that they had a sleeping problem. Women with sleeping problems consulted a general practitioner (GP) more frequently (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.36, 2.17] p .005) and were more likely to be using herbal medicines (OR = 1.24 95% CI = [1.13, 1.36] p .005) than women without sleeping problems. Discussion: Health professionals, particularly GPs, may need to actively inquire with older patients in their care with sleeping problems about the use of herbal medicines, to ensure their sleeping problems are being directly and effectively treated, particularly in light of increased risks associated with sleeping problems for this age cohort.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 09-2017
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2017-015830
Abstract: The Australian Chiropractic Research Network (ACORN) practice-based research network (PBRN) cohort was established to provide sustainable infrastructure necessary to address lack of rigorous investigation and to bridge the research–practice gap focused on chiropractic care for future years. This paper presents the profile of chiropractors recruited to the ACORN PBRN, a nationally representative s le of chiropractors working in Australia. Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a cohort study of chiropractors in Australia. All registered chiropractors in Australia were invited to participate in the ACORN study and those who completed a practitioner questionnaire and consent form were included in the PBRN cohort. A total of 1680 chiropractors (36%) were recruited to the cohort database. The average age of the PBRN participants is 41.9 years and 63% are male. The vast majority of the PBRN participants hold a university degree. General practitioners were identified as the most popular referral source for chiropractic care and low back pain and neck pain were the most common conditions ‘often’ treated by the PBRN chiropractors. The chiropractors in this PBRN cohort rated high velocity, low litude adjustment/manipulation/mobilisation as the most commonly used technique/method and soft tissue therapy as the most frequently employed musculoskeletal intervention in their patient management. The ACORN PBRN cohort constitutes the largest coverage of any single healthcare profession via a national voluntary PBRN providing a sustainable resource for future follow-up. The ACORN cohort provides opportunities for further nested substudies related to chiropractic care, chiropractors, their patients and a vast range of broader healthcare issues with a view to helping build a erse but coordinated research programme and further research capacity building around Australian chiropractic.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHIN.2010.02.022
Abstract: As with other areas of the public sector in Mongolia, the healthcare system has undergone significant structural and policy reforms since the early 1990s. The previous infection control system, characterised as a sanitary-epidemiological network, was dismantled with no replacement. A new infection control management system was established in 1997 with the adoption of infection control policies and guidelines, establishment of hospital infection control programmes in all major hospitals, training of health professionals and the commencement of passive surveillance of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Recent health statistics claim that HAIs occur in 0.01-0.02% of all hospital admissions with the highest percentage (0.05%) in tertiary hospitals in the capital city Ulaanbaatar, but this is very likely to be an underestimate. In 2002 the Government approved a national programme to establish a sentinel surveillance system for HAIs with improved laboratory-based monitoring. However, implementation has been delayed due to insufficient support from stakeholders and a shortage of resources and trained infection control professionals. Non-governmental infection control initiatives are limited by time and coverage.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-07-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1741-6612.2011.00554.X
Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among older adults. Cross-sectional analysis of data from two cohort studies of community-dwelling women (n = 5399) and men (n = 3188) aged 82-87 and 77-91 years, respectively. The main outcome measure was self-report of consultations with an alternative health practitioner. Men were 1.79 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46, 2.20) times more likely to use CAM than women. People born in a non-English speaking country were 1.49 times (95% CI: 0.94, 2.35) more likely to use CAM. Self-reported general health (P = 0.01) and bodily pain (P < 0.01) were significantly associated with CAM use. In contrast to previous research, CAM use is more prevalent among older men than older women in our s le. Both men and women are using CAM to maintain good health and for the treatment of ongoing conditions.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1136/ACUPMED-2016-011179
Abstract: Traditional Chinese Medicine has considerable public support in Australia and elsewhere around the world the literature suggests Chinese medicine (CM) and acupuncture are particularly popular. To examine factors associated with CM/acupuncture use among young/middle-aged Australian women. This research formed part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), a population-based cohort study. Data were obtained from the ‘young’ (34–39 years n=8010) and ‘middle-aged’ (62–67 years n=9151) ALSWH cohorts, who completed survey 6 (in 2012) and survey 7 (in 2013), respectively. Outcome measures included use of CM and visits to an acupuncturist in the previous 12 months. Predictive factors included demographic characteristics, and measures of health status (diagnosed chronic medical conditions) and health service utilisation. Statistical analyses included bivariate χ 2 tests, two proportions Z-tests and backward stepwise multiple logistic regression modelling. In total, 9.5% and 6.2% of women in the young and middle-aged cohorts, respectively, had consulted an acupuncturist, and 5.7% and 4.0%, respectively, had used CM. Young women with low iron levels and/or endometriosis were more likely to use CM and/or acupuncture. Middle-aged women with low iron levels and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were more likely to use CM, while middle-aged women with arthritis and/or CFS were more likely to use acupuncture. Women with chronic conditions (including arthritis, low iron, CFS and endometriosis) were associated with higher odds of CM/acupuncture use. There is a need for further research to examine the potential benefits of CM/acupuncture for these chronic illnesses.
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: Journal of Chinese Integrative Medicine Press
Date: 15-03-2011
DOI: 10.3736/JCIM20110301
Abstract: Integrative medicine (IM) research in China has largely focused on clinical and experimental research, which is critical to determining the efficacy of treatments and enhancing the standing of IM. Nevertheless, there is also a need to extend research activities to include methods and research perspectives from public health, which will provide a greater understanding of clinical practice and assist government and professional organizations to shape policies and directives in IM. In this article we outline the public health research methods we have used in relation to our program of research on complementary and alternative medicine use and area of residence/geography, to highlight the usefulness of these methods in IM.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2011
Abstract: Dementia incidence rates are rapidly increasing among culturally and linguistically erse (CALD) Australians, and there is very little local research to inform practice. In response, a qualitative study employing focus group methods was undertaken with carers from 4 CALD communities—Arabic-speaking, Chinese-speaking, Italian-speaking and, Spanish-speaking. The study examined the experiences and perceptions of these family carers with regard to their caregiving for a person living with dementia (PLWD). Analysis revealed that while considerable similarities exist across the experiences and perceptions of carers from all 4 CALD communities, there were nevertheless some important distinctions across the different groups. These study findings have significant implications for those working with CALD communities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2001
DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00179-9
Abstract: An enhanced role for primary health care (PHC) is currently a matter of political priority in the UK. This higher profile is drawing attention to a range of unresolved challenges and issues, relating to both the structure and content of provision, which currently permeate the system. Running in parallel with this is a recognition that: to date, PHC has been under-researched that, as a result, our understanding of it is frequently poor and that, as a consequence, fresh perspectives are needed in order to effectively research this uncertain, evolving and increasingly important healthcare sector. In this paper we argue that social worlds theory (SWT) provides, albeit in a suitably modified form, an ideal conceptual framework for the analysis of contemporary primary care. SWT is an approach which assumes complexity and constant evolution, and its core concepts are directed towards unravelling the consequences of encounters between different interest groups--something which is of particular utility at this time given the increasing attention to user participation, and an ongoing questioning of established patterns of professional authority. It is an approach which has rarely been employed empirically, even beyond medicine. In order to illustrate the wide relevance of the approach, we discuss how it can facilitate research at all levels of PHC: i.e., in relation to aspects of medical practice (the case of medically unexplained symptoms) shifts in service organisation (changing professional roles and the introduction of policy reforms) and issues which straddle both organisation and content (the increasing use of complementary medicine in primary care). In each case the approach is able to embrace the complexity of situations characterised by the intersection of professional and lay social worlds and is able to provide the conceptual tools through which resultant processes can be tracked and investigated.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTCP.2012.06.009
Abstract: A higher percentage of referrals to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by midwives can be linked to their affinity with CAM. However, midwifery education does not commonly include CAM as part of the curriculum leaving potential for misinformation and unsafe practice. An approach to CAM education which encourages collaboration between all care providers is needed to ensure safe, woman-centred maternity care. Whilst a number of models have been considered in health education they are not without their limitations when aiming to promote interprofessional collaboration. It is proposed through this paper that improved communication between midwives and qualified CAM practitioners may be developed through employing the interprofessional education model. This model develops attributes for collaborative practice and improves the delivery of interprofessional care. Achieving this collaboration is vital for safe, woman-centred care for the many pregnant women accessing CAM and conventional care for their pregnancy and birth.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2004
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTNM.2004.07.001
Abstract: This paper outlines an exploratory study charting the circumstances of use and patient perspectives regarding the acupuncture service offered in an antenatal clinic at an Australian public hospital. Study participants were recruited from women attending the antenatal clinic. Upon completion of their course of acupuncture treatment, 52 women were given a questionnaire, of which 37 (71%) were completed and returned. Of the 37 women who attended the acupuncture clinic, 18 (49%) had previously used at least one form of complementary medicine/therapy. The most common reason for treatment was physiological symptoms including back pain, symphysis pubis dysfunction and sciatica. All 37 women stated that the acupuncture improved their well-being and this finding was statistically significant (P<0.001). These findings are offered as a means of identifying potential issues for future investigation in this under-researched area.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 21-05-2018
Abstract: Background: Cancer ‘patients’ are increasingly using traditional indigenous and complementary medicines (T& CM) alongside conventional medical treatments to both cure and cope with their cancer diagnoses. To date T& CM use among Indigenous cancer patients from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States has not been systematically reviewed. Methods: We systematically searched bibliographic databases to identify original research published between January 2000 and October 2017 regarding T& CM use by Indigenous cancer patients in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Data from records meeting eligibility criteria were extracted and appraised for quality by 2 independent reviewers. Results: Twenty-one journal articles from 18 studies across all 4 countries met our inclusion criteria. T& CM use ranged from 19% to 57.7% (differing across countries). T& CM was mostly used concurrently with conventional cancer treatments to meet their spiritual, emotional, social, and cultural needs however, bush, traditional, and herbal medicines were used in a minority of cases as an alternative. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of T& CM use to Indigenous cancer patients across these 4 countries we identified multiple perceived spiritual, emotional and cultural benefits to its use. The patient’s perception of their health professional’s attitudes toward T& CM in some cases hindered or encouraged the patient’s disclosure. Additional research is required to further explore the use and disclosure of T& CM among Indigenous cancer patients to help inform and ensure effective, safe, coordinated care for Indigenous cancer patients that relies on shared open decision making and communication across patients, communities, and providers.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-12-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2015
Publisher: Ubiquity Press, Ltd.
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.5334/IJIC.5456
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-03-2020
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 12-2013
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 02-2014
Abstract: This study examines involvement with a range of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) during pregnancy on the use of pharmacologic (PPMT) and nonpharmacologic (NPMT) pain management techniques for labor and birth. Longitudinal analysis of survey data. A substudy (n=2445) of the "young" cohort of the nationally representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health was conducted. Use of PPMT and NPMT during labor and birth. The survey was completed by 1835 women (response rate, 79.2%). Most respondents used either intrapartum PPMT (81.9%) or NPMT (74.4%). Many (60.7%) used some form of CAM during pregnancy and also used PPMT during birth. More than two thirds of women (66.7%) who used NPMT used CAM during pregnancy. There was a general trend of increased likelihood of NPMT use by women who applied CAM during pregnancy. There was an inverse effect on use of epidural analgesia for women who consumed herbal teas during pregnancy (odds ratio, 0.60). Because of the study design, this paper does not confirm a causative relationship between the use of CAM during pregnancy and intrapartum pain management choices. It does, however, indicate that the use of CAM during pregnancy may not significantly affect the uptake of intrapartum PPMT, despite possible attempts to reduce PPMT by using NPMT. It also highlights the possibility of potential interactions between CAM and PPMT, given the high prevalence of concomitant use.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-10-2016
DOI: 10.1111/BIRT.12251
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1159/000450818
Abstract: b i Background: /i /b Homeopathy use continues to grow in many European countries, and some studies have examined the characteristics of patients using homeopathy within the general population. The aim of this study was to identify predictors for homeopathy use among internal medicine patients. b i Patients and Methods: /i /b A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among all patients being referred to the Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine at Essen, Germany, over a 3-year period. The analysis examined whether patients had used homeopathy for their primary medical complaint before, the perceived benefit, and the perceived harm of homeopathy use. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis. b i Results: /i /b Of 2,045 respondents, 715 (35.0%) reported having used homeopathy for their primary medical complaint (diagnosis according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems), with 359 (50.2%) reporting perceived benefits and 15 (2.1%) reporting harm. Homeopathy use was positively associated with female gender, high school level education, suffering from fibromyalgia or subthreshold depression, and being fast food abstinent, while patients with osteoarthritis, spinal or other pain, smokers, and patients with a high external-social health locus of control were less likely to use homeopathy. b i Conclusion: /i /b Personal characteristics and health status may impact on the use and the perceived helpfulness of homeopathy.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-01-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-2013
DOI: 10.1136/ACUPMED-2013-010393
Abstract: Acupuncture services form a significant part of the Australian healthcare setting, with national registration of acupuncture practitioners, public subsidies for acupuncture services and high use of acupuncture by the Australian public. Despite these circumstances, there has been little exploration of the interface between acupuncture providers and conventional primary healthcare practitioners in rural and regional Australia. A 27-item questionnaire was sent by post in the second half of 2010 to all 1486 general practitioners (GPs) currently practising in rural and regional Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia to explore their practices and attitudes to a variety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices. Their responses on other therapies have been published previously this report covers acupuncture. A total of 585 GPs completed the questionnaire 49 were returned as ‘no longer at this address’, resulting in an adjusted response rate of 40.7%. Two-thirds of GPs (68.3%) referred patients to an acupuncturist at least a few times per year, while only 8.4% stated that they would not refer patients to an acupuncturist under any circumstances. GPs being older (OR=6.08), GPs being women (OR=2.94), GPs practising in a rural rather than remote area (OR=6.25), GPs having higher levels of self-reported knowledge of acupuncture (OR=5.54), the use of complementary medicine (CAM) by a GP for their personal health (OR=2.37), previous prescription of CAM to other patients (OR=2.99), lack of other treatment options (OR=4.31) and GPs using CAM practitioners as the major source of their CAM information (OR=3.05) were all predictive of increased referral to acupuncture among rural GPs. There is a significant interface between acupuncture and Australian rural and regional general practice, with generally high levels of support for acupuncture.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-02-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-03-2014
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 30-09-2014
Abstract: Chronic back pain affects a significant proportion of older women, often with severe implications for their social lives, relationships and families. It is often characterized by intractability and causative ambiguity, challenging a range of medical and moral boundaries around sickness and wellness. In this study, we utilize solicited diaries with women to capture the day-to-day undulations of living with chronic back pain. These diaries provide rich insight into issues around: disrupted roles and social lives experiences of perpetuality and isolation acts of pretense and withdrawal and, its perceived illegitimacy as an illness experience. Situated within gendered and life-stage cultural scripts, these women’s diaries illustrate how ideas about legitimacy and worthiness circulate within and around the social milieu of chronic back pain. We posit that in idualized shame and dynamics of recognition are central to women’s suffering, reflecting persistent and disruptive social hierarchies of illness.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTCP.2016.06.007
Abstract: Feasibility randomised controlled trials of complementary medicine are important to evaluate acceptability and practicality. This study examined participants' and health professionals' perceptions of CAM and participation in a feasibility RCT of acupressure for labour onset. A qualitative study incorporated within an RCT. Data were collected from postnatal women via questionnaires and health professionals via focus groups. Four themes emerged from the women's views: "Using CAM to start labour", "Feeling empowered through action", "Desiring randomisation to acupressure group", and "Welcoming the opportunity to assist in research". Five themes emerged from the health professionals' views: "Personal awareness and attitudes towards CAM" "Supporting and empowering women" "Complements the wellness model of pregnancy and childbirth" "Need for evidenced based practice" and "Randomisation 'doing it on the sly'". Themes from the groups were similar. The study protocol will be refined with a placebo group to improve equipoise with a powered RCT planned.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-11-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00296-016-3616-Y
Abstract: A critical review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among people with arthritis was conducted focusing upon prevalence and profile of CAM users as well as their motivation, decision-making, perceived benefits and communication with healthcare providers. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature published from 2008 to 2015 was undertaken via CINAHL, Medline and AMED databases. The initial search identified 4331 articles, of which 49 articles met selection criteria. The review shows a high prevalence of CAM use (often multiple types and concurrent to conventional medical care) among those with arthritis which is not restricted to any particular geographic or social-economic status. A large proportion of arthritis sufferers using CAM consider these medicines to be somewhat or very effective but almost half do not inform their healthcare provider about their CAM use. It is suggested that rheumatologists and others providing health care for patients with arthritis should be cognizant of the high prevalence of CAM use and the challenges associated with possible concurrent use of CAM and conventional medicine among their patients.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.AJIC.2010.10.033
Abstract: This study aimed to gain insight into the extent to which gaming is responsible for the underreporting of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Mongolian hospitals, to identify gaming strategies used by health professionals, and to determine how gaming might be prevented. Eighty-seven health professionals, including policy- and hospital-level managers, doctors, nurses, and infection control practitioners, were recruited for 55 interviews and 4 group discussions in Mongolia in 2008. All study participants were aware of gaming, which could occur via the following mechanisms: (1) doctors or nurses concealing HAI by overprescribing antibiotics or discharging patients early (2) infection control practitioners failing to report HAI cases to hospital directors and (3) hospital directors preventing reporting of HAI cases to the Ministry of Health. Gaming was consistently perceived to be a response to punitive performance evaluation by the Ministry of Health and penalization of hospitals and staff by the State Inspection Agency when HAIs were detected. Participants held ergent views regarding the best approach to reduce gaming, including excluding the current single indicator (ie, HAI rate) from the performance indicator list, developing multiple specific infection control indicators, improving the awareness of health managers regarding the causes of HAI, and increasing funding for infection control activities. Inclusion of the overall HAI rate in the targeted performance indicator set and the strict control and penalization of hospitals with reported HAI cases are factors that have contributed to gaming, which has resulted in deliberate, extreme underreporting of HAIs in Mongolian hospitals.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-05-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2017.12.008
Abstract: This study aimed to determine whether the use of complementary medicine (CM) is associated with body satisfaction and weight management methods in Australian women. Women aged 34-39 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were surveyed regarding satisfaction with their body weight and shape, and the use of weight management methods. Associations with CM use were analysed using logistic regression modelling. Women using CM less likely wanted to lose weight and were more likely to cut down on fats and/or sugars, use low glycaemic diets, diet books and 'other' methods (OR: 1.33-2.83) compared to CM non-users. Women using herbal medicine products 'sometimes' were more likely to use meal replacements/slimming products (OR: 1.50-1.67) compared to non-users. Australian women using CM are more likely to be satisfied with their body weight and shape, and to use a range of weight management approaches compared to CM non-users.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-04-2022
Abstract: Providers who work closely with ethnic minority people with dementia and their families are pivotal in helping them access services. However, few studies have examined how these providers actually do this work. Using the concept of “boundary crossers,” this article investigates the strategies applied by these providers to facilitate access to dementia services for ethnic minority people with dementia and their families. Between 2017 and 2020, in-depth video-recorded interviews were conducted with 27 health, aged care, and community service providers working with ethnic minority people living with dementia across Australia. Interviews were conducted in one of seven languages and/or in English, then translated and transcribed verbatim into English. The data were analyzed thematically. Family and community stigma associated with dementia and extra-familial care were significant barriers to families engaging with services. To overcome these barriers, participants worked at the boundaries of culture and dementia, community and systems, strategically using English and other vernaculars, clinical and cultural terminology, building trust and rapport, and assisting with service navigation to improve access. Concurrently, they were cognizant of familial boundaries and were careful to provide services that were culturally appropriate without supplanting the families’ role. In negotiating cultural, social, and professional boundaries, providers undertake multidimensional and complex work that involves education, advocacy, negotiation, navigation, creativity, and emotional engagement. This work is largely undervalued but offers a model of care that facilitates social and community development as well as service integration across health, aged care, and social services.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2017.06.014
Abstract: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) have increasingly been used by pregnant women with a steady rise in interest by midwives. Literature describing CAM and self-help options midwives recommend to women experiencing a post-date pregnancy is sparse. This study aimed to investigate if Australian midwives' personal CAM use impacts on discussions and recommendations of CAM/Self-help strategies. A survey of a national midwifery association midwifery members (n=3,552) was undertaken at a midwifery conference (October 2015) and via e-bulletins (November 2015-March 2016). The self-administered survey included questions on what self-help and CAM strategies midwives discuss and recommend to women with a post-date pregnancy, midwives' confidence levels on discussing or recommending CAM, midwives' own personal use of CAM. A total of 571 registered midwives completed the survey (16%). Demographics (age, years as a midwife, state of residence) reflected Australian midwives and the midwifery association membership. Most respondents discuss (91.2%) and recommend (88.6%) self-help/CAM strategies to women with a post-date pregnancy. The top five CAM recommended were Acupuncture (65.7%), Acupressure (58.1%), Raspberry Leaf (52.5%), Massage (38.9%) and Hypnosis/Calmbirthing/Hypnobirthing (35.7%). Midwives were more likely to discuss strategies if they personally used CAM (p<.001), were younger (p<.001) or had worked less years as midwives (p=.004). Midwives were more likely to recommend strategies if they used CAM in their own pregnancies (p=.001). Midwives' personal use of CAM influenced their discussions and recommendations of CAM/self-help strategies to women experiencing a post-date pregnancy. This study has implications for inclusion of CAM in midwifery education curricula.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-10-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1526-4610.2012.02271.X
Abstract: CONTEXTS: An evidence base for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) consumption within general populations is emerging. However, research data on CAM use for headache disorders remain poorly documented. This paper, constituting the first critical review of literature on this topic, provides a synopsis and evaluation of the research findings on CAM use among patients with headache and migraine. A comprehensive search of literature from 2000 to 2011 in CINAHL, MEDLINE, AMED, and Health Sources was conducted. The search was confined to peer-reviewed articles published in English reporting empirical research findings of CAM use among people with primary headache or migraine. The review highlights a substantial level of CAM use among people with headache and migraine. There is also evidence of many headache and migraine sufferers using CAM concurrent to their conventional medicine use. Overall, the existing studies have been methodologically weak and there is a need for further rigorous research employing mixed method designs and utilizing large national s les. The critical review highlights the substantial prevalence of CAM use among people with headache and migraine as a significant health care delivery issue, and health care professionals should be prepared to inquire and discuss possible CAM use with their patients during consultations. Health care providers should also pay attention to the possible adverse effects of CAM or interactions between CAM and conventional medical treatments among headache and migraine patients.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 21-02-2009
DOI: 10.1080/13548500802512294
Abstract: Psoriasis is a common condition with recognised psychological comorbidity in specialist practice. The objective of this study was to investigate the psychological comorbidities in psoriasis in patients from general (family) practices and specialist dermatology practices, using a qualitative methodology. This was a qualitative study, utilising semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Twenty-nine patients with psoriasis were recruited from general practices and specialist dermatology practices in an Australian non-capital city. Respondents represented a broad range of ages and psoriasis severities. The principle study finding was that psychological morbidity in psoriasis is considerable. Though mood and anxiety symptoms were present in participants, and were occasionally severe, more prominent sequelae of psoriasis were embarrassment, shame, impaired self-image, low self-esteem, self-consciousness and stigmatisation. Psoriasis was associated with behavioural avoidance and effects on respondents' sexuality. The perception of psoriasis as an incurable disease beyond respondents' control, with consequent pessimism regarding prognosis and treatment efficacy, was a contributor to psychological morbidity. Some respondents reported psoriasis having permanently and adversely affected their personality - avoidant personality traits were ascribed to the experience of living with psoriasis. Our conclusion is that the psychological effects of psoriasis can be considerable and long-lasting and are evident across a broad range of psoriasis severities. Clinicians should be aware that psychological sequelae are complex and encompass a range of psychological morbidities beyond conventional psychiatric diagnoses.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-1999
Publisher: World Scientific Pub Co Pte Lt
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X13500201
Abstract: This study aimed to examine the factors associated with Chinese medicine use amongst a s le of 10,287 Australian women aged 56–61 years. Data was obtained from a cross-sectional postal questionnaire conducted in 2007, this being the fifth survey of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. This representative s le of 10,287 women was randomly selected from the Health Insurance Commission (Medicare) database. The outcome measure was the use of Chinese medicine in the previous 12 months. The predictive factors included demographics, health status measures and health service utilization measures. Statistical analyses included univariate chi-square and ANOVA tests and backward stepwise multiple logistic regression modelling. The use of Chinese medicine amongst women aged 56–61 years appears to be strongly influenced by their country of birth, consultation with a range of CAM practitioners, and the use of some self-prescribed CAM. Interestingly, severe tiredness was the only symptom or diagnosis that predicted Chinese medicine use. Given the substantial prevalence of Chinese medicine use and the finding that the use of Chinese medicine is heavily integrated alongside the use of many other CAM and conventional treatments, it is imperative for the safety of patients that health professionals (across complementary and conventional healthcare) fully recognise the possible Chinese medicine use amongst their practice populations. In order to help inform relevant practice and policy development it is also important that future research further examining women's decision-making, motivations and evaluations regarding Chinese medicine use considers such issues within the context of broader CAM and conventional health care utilization.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-10-2009
DOI: 10.1007/S10067-009-1299-4
Abstract: Back problems and back pain are amongst the most prevalent conditions afflicting Australians and carry high direct and indirect costs for the health care systems of all developed countries. A major gap in the research literature on this topic is the longitudinal analysis of health seeking behaviour for people with back pain. All studies to date have been cross-sectional and it is important that the use of different providers (both conventional and complementary and alternative medicine, CAM) is examined over time. This study analysed data from a longitudinal study conducted over a 3-year period on 8,910 young Australian women. Information on health service use, self-prescribed treatments, and health status was obtained from two questionnaires mailed to study participants in 2003 and 2006. We found that there is little difference in the consultation practises or use of self-prescribed CAM between women who recently sought help for back pain and women who had longer-term back pain the only difference being that women with longer-term back pain consulted more with chiropractors. We conclude that women who seek help for their back pain are frequent visitors to a range of conventional and CAM practitioners and are also high users of self-prescribed CAM treatments. The frequent use of a range of conventional providers and practitioner-based and self-prescribed CAM amongst women with back pain warrants further investigation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-01-2013
Publisher: IMPERIAL COLLEGE PRESS
Date: 31-05-2013
DOI: 10.1142/P875
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 19-06-2021
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.13072
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.MATURITAS.2014.08.002
Abstract: Large population-based studies of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medicine use amongst menopausal women are lacking. This study helps address this gap by analysing data from a nationally representative s le of 10011 Australian women aged 59-64 years. Overall, 39% of menopausal women consulted CAM practitioners, 75% used self-prescribed CAM, 95% consulted general practitioners (GP) and 50% consulted specialists during the previous year, and 12% were current hormone replacement therapy (HRT) users. Our findings suggest that CAM is a significant healthcare option utilized by women to treat menopausal symptoms, and so requires attention from GPs and specialists.
Publisher: Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Date: 07-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.HOMP.2013.03.002
Abstract: Homeopathy has attracted considerable recent attention from the Australian conventional medical community. However, despite such increased attention there has been little exploration of the interface between homeopathy and Australian conventional medical practice. This article addresses this research gap by exploring homeopathic practice and referral by rural and regional Australian general practitioners (GPs). A 27-item questionnaire was sent to all 1486 GPs currently practising in rural and regional New South Wales, Australia (response rate 40.7%). Few GPs in this study utilised homeopathy in their personal practice, with only 0.5% of GPs prescribing homeopathy in the past 12 months, and 8.5% referring patients for homeopathic treatment at least a few times over the past 12 months. Nearly two-thirds of GPs (63.9%) reported that they would not refer for homeopathy under any circumstances. Being in a remote location, receiving patient requests for homeopathy, observing positive responses from homeopathy previously, using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners as information sources, higher levels of knowledge of homeopathy, and being interested in increasing CAM knowledge were all independently predictive of increased referral to homeopathy amongst GPs in this study. GPs in this study were less likely to refer to homeopathy if they used peer-reviewed literature as the major source of their information on CAM. Homeopathy is not integrated significantly in rural general practice either via GP utilisation or referral. There is significant opposition to homeopathy referral amongst rural and regional GPs, though some level of interaction with homeopathic providers exists.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTCP.2005.09.003
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly popular amongst midwives in Australia. A growing number of hospital midwives are personally integrating one or a range of CAM within their midwifery practice. Despite this trend we still know little about CAM in midwifery, particularly at a grass-roots level. This paper reports findings from one section of a larger exploratory study examining grass-root practitioners' understandings and experiences of complementary therapies in nursing and midwifery. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with midwives working in New South Wales public hospitals and currently integrating CAM within their general midwifery practice. Analysis illustrates how midwives' explanations of, and affinity claims regarding, CAM feed into wider ongoing issues relating to professional autonomy and the relationship between midwifery and obstetrics.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 19-04-2004
Abstract: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has become increasingly popular amongst healthcare consumers world-wide. As such, CAM is now an important public health issue with taking non-prescription medications. This paper constitutes an exploratory investigation into CAM use over time. As such, there is need for further research to provide in-depth examination of the adoption and relinquishment of CAM use over a longer time period. serious implications for healthcare organization and delivery. While previous studies have provided a profile of CAM users, there remains very limited analysis of CAM consumption over time. The purpose of this paper is to describe the changing use of CAM practitioners over time by 11,454 mid-age women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Over the study period (1996-1998), 10% of women adopted the use of CAM and 9% relinquished CAM. The predominant factor found to be predictive of CAM adoption was changes in health status. Specifically, those women experiencing more illness over time are more likely to adopt CAM than those experiencing no change or better health. CAM relinquishment was associated with use of non-prescription medications, where women were more likely to relinquish CAM if they never used non-prescription medications or if they stopped.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2012.02.003
Abstract: The existing knowledge base on the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with allergies is built upon findings of cross-sectional surveys and there is a lack of longitudinal data. There is also a lack of studies that examine both the use of conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine among allergy patients. This paper reports the findings of the first ever longitudinal study of the use of conventional providers, practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine, and self-prescribed modalities amongst women with allergies, hayfever and sinusitis from a large nationally representative s le. Analysis focused upon data from 7538 women from the younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health collected between 1996 and 2006. Chi-square tests were employed to compare the groups across consultations and self-prescribed treatments and one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the groups across health status. A modified Bonferroni test was used to correct for multiple comparisons. The study identified that women who sought help for their allergic disorder were more likely to consult a range of practitioners and self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine than women who either did not seek help or did not have allergic disorders. The analysis shows that many women with allergic disorders use complementary and alternative medicine alongside or as a complement to conventional healthcare services. The frequent use of a range of conventional providers and practitioner-based and self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine amongst women with allergic disorders warrants further investigation.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 22-09-2016
DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2016.1232711
Abstract: Nausea, vomiting and reflux are common conditions experienced by women during pregnancy. The objective of this project was to examine women's use of health services for these conditions. The study s le was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. A total of 2445 women who were pregnant or who had recently given birth in 2009 were invited to complete a sub-survey in 2010 about pregnancy and health service utilisation. A response rate of 79.2% was obtained. During their pregnancy, 604 (32.9%) respondents experienced nausea, with 255 (42.2%) of these women seeking help from a health care practitioner. A total of 201 women (11%) reported repeated vomiting, and 637 women (34.7%) reported reflux, of which 78.6% and 59.2% sought help, respectively. There were no significant differences in the mental and physical health measures between women with nausea, vomiting and/or reflux who sought help and women who did not. Having private health insurance with obstetric cover was associated with seeking help for reflux this was the only demographic measure significantly associated with seeking help for any condition. Research is required to understand why many women do not seek professional help for common gastrointestinal conditions during pregnancy.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-08-2013
DOI: 10.1007/S10067-013-2357-5
Abstract: Back pain is a significant health service issue in Australia and internationally. Back pain sufferers can draw upon a range of health care providers including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners. Women are higher users of health services than men and tend to use CAM frequently for musculoskeletal conditions. However, there remain important gaps in our understanding of women's consultation patterns with CAM practitioners for back pain. The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence of use and characteristics of women who use CAM practitioners for back pain. The method used was a survey of a nationally representative s le of women aged 60-65 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women consulted a massage therapist (44.1 %, n = 578) and a chiropractor (37.3 %, n = 488) more than other CAM practitioners for their back pain. Consultations with a chiropractor for back pain were lower for women who consulted a General Practitioner (GP) (OR, 0.56 95 % CI 0.41, 0.76) or a physiotherapist (OR, 0.53 95 % CI 0.39, 0.72) than for those who did not consult a GP or a physiotherapist. CAM practitioner consultations for back pain were greater for women who visited a pharmacist (OR, 1.99 95 % CI 1.23, 3.32) than for women who did not visit a pharmacist. There is substantial use of CAM practitioners alongside conventional practitioners amongst women for back pain, and there is a need to provide detailed examination of the communication between patients and their providers as well as across the erse range of health professionals involved in back pain care.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-06-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.JMPT.2009.10.006
Abstract: This article argues for the importance of examining the phenomenon of integrative health care in broader social and historical contexts. The authors examine mainstream approaches to identify patterns of integrative medicine and criticize them for their neglect of clashes among different philosophical paradigms and the wider social contexts that govern health care in practice. The authors outline a framework and highlight the values of a critical social science perspective in deepening our understanding of recent transformations in health care practice and issues surrounding biomedicine and complementary/alternative medicine (including chiropractic, naturopathy, massage, acupuncture/oriental medicine, etc) and traditional medicine. A critical social science perspective pays special attention to complex power relations, inclusionary/exclusionary strategies, and interprofessional dynamics in medicine. Drawing upon recent research findings, the authors illustrate how such a perspective reveals the intricacies and tensions that surround the integration of different paradigms of health care practice. The authors summarize the importance of situating integrative health care in structural contexts and affirm their commitment to a critical social science approach.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-03-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2753.2007.00864.X
Abstract: Occupational violence is increasingly recognized as a problem in general practice, and has been suggested as adversely affecting general practitioners' (GPs) provision of services to patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of experiences of violence and perceptions of risk of violence with provision of after-hours GP care and home visits. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of GPs in three Australian Urban Divisions of General Practice was used. Five hundred and twenty-eight GPs completed the survey (response rate 49%). Of the GPs surveyed, 63.7% were subjected to some form of violence in the previous 12 months. Risk of violence influenced 10.2% of GPs' delivery of in-hours home visits and 22.0% of GPs' delivery of after-hours home visits. A further 4.7% of GPs reported not performing after-hours home visits at all during the previous 12 months because of safety concerns. On logistic regression, gender, location of practice and country of medical qualification were significantly associated with provision of in-hours and after-hours home visits. Experience of violence during the previous 12 months was not significantly associated with provision of home visits. This study's finding of GPs' self-reported restriction of practice and withdrawal from home visits and after-hours calls in response to risk of violence represents a significant primary health care issue. GPs' decision to provide after-hours calls and home visits is complex, and the finding of lack of significant association of experiences of violence with provision of home visits and after-hours calls is likely to be due to the cross-sectional nature of the study.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-07-2014
DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2014.904850
Abstract: To provide the first critical review of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use amongst symptomatic menopausal women, drawing upon work examining the perspectives of both TCM users and TCM practitioners. A search was conducted in three English-language databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and AMED) and three Chinese-language databases (CNKI, VIP and CBM Disc) for 2002-2013 international peer-reviewed articles reporting empirical findings of TCM use in menopause. A total of 25 journal articles reporting 22 studies were identified as meeting the review inclusion criteria. Chinese herbal medicine appears to be the most common therapy amongst symptomatic menopausal women, and vasomotor symptoms and emotional changes are the most frequent symptoms for which TCM is sought. However, evidence regarding the prevalence of TCM use and users' profile in menopause is limited. Existing studies are of varied methodological quality, often reporting low response rate, extensive recall bias and a lack of syndrome differentiation. This review provides insights for practitioners and health policy-makers regarding TCM care to symptomatic menopausal women. More nationally representative studies are required to rigorously examine TCM use for the management of menopausal symptoms. Syndrome differentiation of menopausal women is an area which also warrants further attention.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-03-2020
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 17-02-2014
DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2013.876488
Abstract: The objective of this study was to explore the determinants that are related to women's likelihood to consult with a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner during pregnancy. Primary data were collected as a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) in 2010. We completed a cross-sectional survey of 2,445 women from the ALSWH "younger" cohort (n=8,012), who had identified as being pregnant or had recently given birth in 2009. Independent Poisson backwards stepwise regression models were applied to four CAM practitioner outcome categories: acupuncturist, chiropractor, massage therapist, and naturopath. The survey was completed by 1,835 women (79.2%). The factors associated with women's consultation with a CAM practitioner differed by practitioner groups. A range of demographic factors were related, including employment status, financial status, and level of education. Women's health insurance coverage, health status, and perceptions toward both conventional maternity care and CAM were also associated with their likelihood of consultations with all practitioner groups, but in erse ways. Determinants for women's consultations with a CAM practitioner varied across practitioner groups. Stakeholders and researchers would benefit from giving attention to specific in idual modalities when considering CAM use in maternity care.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 05-10-2017
DOI: 10.2196/JMIR.6989
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-03-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 15-10-2016
DOI: 10.3109/01443615.2015.1072804
Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyse women's attitudes towards the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products during pregnancy. The study s le was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health or ALSWH. A response rate of 79.2% (n = 1,835) was attained. Women who use herbal medicines (34.5%, n = 588) view CAM as a preventative measure, are looking for something holistic and are concerned about evidence of clinical efficacy when considering the use of these products during pregnancy. Women who use aromatherapy (17.4%, n = 319) and homoeopathy (13.3%, n = 244) want more personal control over their body and are concerned more about their own personal experience of the efficacy of CAM than clinical evidence of efficacy. As CAM use in pregnancy appears to be increasingly commonplace, insights into women's attitudes towards CAM are valuable for maternity healthcare providers.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/PY10047
Abstract: The relationship of skin disease with societal ideals of beauty, and the role of the media in this relationship, has not previously been researched. The overall objective of this study was to explore the psychological effects of skin disease. The theme of the ideal of perfect skin and the role of the media in generating this ideal arose via an inductive study methodology and was explored in the context of respondents’ psychological morbidity. A qualitative study, 62 semi-structured interviews were conducted with respondents with acne, eczema or psoriasis recruited from both general practice and specialist dermatology practice in an Australian regional city. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis employing a process of constant comparison in which data collection and analysis were cumulative and concurrent. The themes of perfect skin, societal ideals and media influence emerged from this iterative process. Respondents identified a societal ideal of flawless skin, largely mediated by media portrayals of perfection. Failure to meet this ideal precipitated psychological morbidity in female, but not male, respondents. An appreciation of the pervasive pressures of society and media upon females with skin disease may inform management strategies, particularly psychological management strategies, in patients with skin disease.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 22-11-2021
DOI: 10.1111/IJCP.13821
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S55600
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2015.07.184
Abstract: Common discomforts of pregnancy experienced in the lower extremity include sciatica, leg cr s and varicose veins. Whilst research attention has focused on aetiology and outcomes, the health service utilisation of pregnant women suffering from these complaints has been largely overlooked. To examine the health status and health service utilisation profile of pregnant women experiencing sciatica, leg cr s or varicose veins. Linear and logistic regression was applied to a cross-sectional survey of a pregnant women drawn from the 1973 to 1978 cohort (aged 31-36 years in 2009), of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (n=1835). Participant's demographics, health status and health service utilisation were compared for all three complaints based upon three subgroups (yes, sought help yes, did not seek help no). A number of women experienced sciatica (22.1%), leg cr s (18.2%) or varicose veins (9.4%). Of these, a greater proportion of women with sciatica (79.3%) or varicose veins (71.5%) sought help for their condition compared with women with leg cr s (46.7%). Comparisons between women with the conditions of interest who did seek help and those who did not only found that women with a university degree were 0.29 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.85) times less likely to seek help for their condition compared to women with a school only education. Further research examining all health seeking behaviour and treatment use of pregnant women who experience lower extremity problems is required in order to facilitate safe, effective and coordinated maternity care to further support these women during pregnancy.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-09-2016
Abstract: The value and importance of preconception care (PCC) have been acknowledged by leading health organizations as a vital element within preventive medicine and health promotion for the wider population. The translation of PCC from position statement to relevant service and programme delivery is essential for the benefits of PCC to be realized and relies on insights from health services research. This article aims to review contemporary health services research literature examining women's and health professionals' perceptions and experiences of PCC services. A systematic review of original research published between 2003 and 2015 was conducted in November 2015. Multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, AMED and Maternity and Infant Care) were searched through two distinct searches to capture research literature reporting the perspective of health professionals and women towards PCC service delivery. The search identified 13 papers (4 reported the perceptions of women, 11 described the views of health professionals [2 papers reported findings from both groups]). The analyses of the contemporary literature revealed five broad areas of focus: women's service needs regarding PCC, PCC training and education requirements, role delineation around PCC, priority and value of PCC and barriers and obstacles to PCC. Despite the mounting evidence supporting the value and importance of PCC, there is insufficient research attention given to the clinical reality of PCC service and programme delivery. The transfer of PCC guidelines from broad policy to grass roots practice requires a more detailed consideration of the practicalities of implementing PCC within contemporary women's health care.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 13-07-2015
Abstract: Chronic back pain is a major health and social problem in Australia, often concealed and given limited credibility vis-a-vis other health conditions. Care practices are ersified with allied health, biomedical and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners regularly being consulted for help and care, often concurrently. While this differentiated ‘healthcare market’ may on one level be viewed as positive in terms of erse therapeutic choices, there is also potential for difficulties with regard to care practices and negotiating competing therapeutic modalities. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 50 women aged 60–65 from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health living with chronic back pain, this article explores their accounts of suffering and the experiences of engaging in pluralistic healthcare choices, with a particular focus on CAM. The findings reveal the ways by which healthcare pluralism is connected to the dynamics of suffering and relations of recognition.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-02-2015
DOI: 10.3109/13697137.2014.989828
Abstract: To examine the associations between consultations with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and menopause-related symptoms. A cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative s le of 10 011 women aged 59-64 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, conducted in 2010. Women, including those with hysterectomy, oophorectomy and natural menopause, were asked about their consultations with a range of CAM practitioners and menopause-related symptoms experienced. Acupuncturists were more likely to be consulted by women with hysterectomy experiencing night sweats (odds ratio, OR = 2.21), but were less likely to be consulted by those experiencing hot flushes (OR = 0.53). Acupuncturists were also more likely to be consulted by women with oophorectomy (OR = 3.11) and natural menopausal women (OR = 1.57) experiencing back pain. Massage therapists were more likely to be consulted by women with oophorectomy experiencing back pain (OR = 1.98), women with hysterectomy experiencing anxiety (OR = 1.52), and natural menopausal women experiencing back pain (OR = 1.54) and/or anxiety (OR = 1.29). Naturopaths/herbalists were more likely to be consulted by women with oophorectomy experiencing leaking urine (OR = 2.08). Chiropractors/osteopaths were more likely to be consulted by women across all menopausal status experiencing back pain (OR = 2.52, 2.31 and 2.25 for women with oophorectomy, hysterectomy and natural menopause, respectively). There are substantial levels of CAM practitioners' consultations amongst menopausal women, with a range of menopause-related symptoms associated with the use of specific CAM practitioner modalities. It is important that health-care providers are mindful of CAM practitioner use in order to ensure safe, effective and coordinated treatment and support for menopausal women in their care.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2007
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 07-05-2015
Abstract: Background. The cancer toll on Indigenous Australians is alarming with overall cancer incidence and mortality rates higher and the 5-year survival rate lower for Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians. Meanwhile, a range of approaches to health and illness—including both complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional Indigenous medicine (TM)—are used by cancer patients. Little work has focused on Indigenous cancer patients with regard to CAM/TM use. This article reports findings from the first examination of the prevalence and profile of TM/CAM use and users among Indigenous Australians with cancer. Methods. A structured questionnaire was administered via face-to-face interviews to 248 Indigenous Australian cancer patients diagnosed with a range of cancer types. All received treatment and were recruited from 1 of 4 large hospitals located in Queensland, Australia. Results. A substantial percentage (18.7%) of Indigenous cancer patients use at least one TM/CAM for support with their care, including traditional Indigenous therapy use (2.8%), visiting a traditional Indigenous practitioner (2.8%), CAM use (10.7%), visiting a CAM practitioner (2.4%), and attending relaxation/meditation classes (4.0%). Having a higher level of educational attainment was positively associated with CAM practitioner consultations (P = .015). Women with breast cancer were more likely to attend relaxation/meditation classes (P = .019). Men with genital organ cancer were more likely to use traditional Indigenous therapies (P = .017) and/or CAM (P = .002). Conclusion. A substantial percentage of Indigenous Australians reported using TM/CAM for their cancer care, and there is a need to expand examination of this area of health care using large-scale studies focusing on in-depth specific cancer(s).
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1071/PY11014
Abstract: Providing information about dementia has been shown to produce immense benefits for people living with dementia and their carers. The dementia information needs of culturally and linguistically erse (CALD) families have not been comprehensively investigated. Addressing this research gap, the current study examines the perspectives of a range of stakeholders – CALD family caregivers (Arabic, Chinese, Italian and Spanish speaking), bilingual and bicultural workers, bilingual general practitioners and geriatricians – about dementia-related information. The study focussed on sources of information, issues of access and considerations for improving information provision. The main findings that are relevant for improving policy and practice are: the need for a more strategic and coordinated approach to dissemination structures and processes, a greater emphasis on supporting and enhancing the interpersonal aspects of information provision, the need for a greater range of information for CALD communities and the need to ensure information resources and processes reflect the circumstances and needs of these communities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.MSKSP.2017.07.003
Abstract: The use of massage therapy is common, especially in patients with musculoskeletal pain. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, utilization, socio-demographic and health-related predictors of massage practitioner consultations in the US population. Cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey for adults (n = 34,525). Prevalence of massage practitioner utilization were 12.8% (lifetime) and 6.8% (last 12 months). Compared to non-users, those who used massage in the last year were more likely: female, at least high school educated, annual income ≥ US$ 15,000, diagnosed with spinal pain or arthritis, report moderate physical activity level as compared to low level, and consume alcohol as compared to being abstinent. Massage was mainly used for general wellness or disease prevention (56.3%), but also for specific, typically musculoskeletal, health problems (41.9%) for which 85.2% reported massage helped to some or a great deal. Most (59.1%) did not disclose massage use to their health care provider, despite 69.4% reporting massage therapy combined with medical treatment would be helpful. Approximately 7% (15.4 million) of US adults used massage therapy in the past year, mainly for general disease prevention, wellness or musculoskeletal pain. The majority of respondents reported positive outcomes of massage on specific health problems and overall well-being. Massage utilization was rarely covered by health insurance. Despite the majority of massage users considered massage therapy combined with medical care helpful, most did not disclose massage therapy use to their health care provider.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2003
DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00143-0
Abstract: In recent years what can loosely be described as a sociology of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has begun to emerge. Although work has been conducted with lay therapists, orthodox practitioners, and consumers, overall, research in this area remains patchy and underdeveloped. Despite its role at the forefront of integration, the sociological study of the apparent affinity between nursing and CAM is virtually non-existent. This paper provides an exploratory analysis of how writers within the CAM nursing sub-world adopt a recourse to history (nostalgic and nostophobic referencing) as a strategy to authenticate the relationship between nursing and CAM and so facilitate continuing integration. A text analysis, of articles written on CAM in four nursing journals, was conducted. Eighty papers satisfied the inclusion criteria. Evidence is presented of the way in which writers attempt to authenticate integration of CAM through reference to its apparent interconnectedness with the historically grounded core of nursing values, and more specifically, with the key historical figure of the nurse Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). It is argued that these rhetorical strategies can be understood in the context of the need to engage in (primarily) intra-professional persuasion: to protect and develop the values of their nursing sub-world over alternatives. The findings are preliminary. Themes identified are illustrative of the potential offered by an analysis of nostalgic and nostophobic referencing in this context, and not a definitive account of it. Further research should examine in idually produced texts from other sources, and documents produced by relevant professional bodies.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 14-12-2012
DOI: 10.1136/BMJSPCARE-2012-000376
Abstract: The decision to refer a patient to palliative care is complex and often highly variable between medical specialists. In this paper, we examine medical specialists' motivations and triggers underpinning decision-making around referral to palliative care in order to facilitate improvements in referral practices. We completed semistructured, qualitative interviews with 20 referring medical specialists. Medical specialists were recruited from a range of specialties in a major metropolitan area in Australia. Participants were s led through having referred at least one patient to the specialist palliative care unit during the previous 12 months. Analysis consisted of the framework approach augmented by NVivo 9 data analysis software. Key themes were identified and tested for rigour through inter-rater reliability and constant comparison. The major motivations/triggers identified were: (a) disease-based (eg, pain management and symptom control) (b) pre-emptive/strategic (eg, anticipation of need, preparatory objective) (c) crisis arallel (eg, physical and psychosocial issues) and (d) team-based (eg, referral as policy/team strategy). Referral to palliative care is motivated by a range of in idual, interpersonal and organisational factors. In order to improve the care and quality of life of patients and family caregivers, further work is needed to develop streamlined practices that are sensitive to physical and psychosocial considerations, and patient/family caregiver desires.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-10-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S10903-018-0832-4
Abstract: Ethnic minority populations have been identified as high users of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM). This paper reports the systematic review of TCAM use amongst ethnic minorities. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Ovid, PubMed and CINAHL. Included studies were original, peer-reviewed, English language articles with the primary focus on TCAM use amongst ethnic minority populations. A total of 17 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. A considerable level of TCAM use was observed amongst ethnic minority populations usually attributed to its perceived safe and natural properties. Ethnic minority populations predominantly used TCAM concurrently with conventional medicine and primary TCAM referral sources were family and friends. A substantial level of TCAM integration with conventional medicine is common practice amongst these populations and the lack of disclosure about TCAM use raises an important area for further research inquiry.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2016.04.003
Abstract: Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are popular amongst cancer patients in the Brazilian context, however little is known about oncology health professionals' attitudes toward the role of CAM and their perspectives on the potential for integration into oncological care. In this study, drawing on a series of interviews with oncology professionals (i.e. doctors, nurses, nutritionists, pharmacologists and psychologists), we provide insight into their views on the rise, validity, and role of CAM in cancer care. The results reveal two key dynamics in relation to CAM in cancer care in Brazil. First, that doctors, nurses and other allied professionals hold considerably different views on the value and place of CAM, and in turn ascribe it varying levels of legitimacy potentially limiting integration. Second, that while some health professionals may articulate a degree of support for CAM, this is limited by perceptions of CAM as lacking efficacy and intruding on their respective jurisdictional claims. Further research is needed in the Brazilian context to explore patient and professional perspectives on experiences on CAM in cancer care, including how oncology professionals' varying positions on CAM may influence what patients are prepared to use, or discuss, in the context of cancer care.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-11-2010
DOI: 10.1007/S00520-010-1041-4
Abstract: This study aims to explore and examine experiences and perceptions of follow-up care (medical and psychosocial) after active treatment for breast cancer among women living outside major Australian cities. Twenty-five semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Participants also completed a brief questionnaire to collect demographic, diagnosis, and treatment information. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, independently coded, and then thematically analysed. Themes that emerged from the interviews centred on patient experiences and perceptions of follow-up service provision and provider interactions related to medical, psychosocial, and lifestyle (e.g., diet, physical activity) care. Many women perceived a marked decline in the quality and duration of follow-up consultations with clinicians in comparison to their initial treatment experiences. Several women experienced considerable overlap in follow-up care when multiple providers were involved resulting in 'unnecessary' time and travel costs. Generally, women experienced limited availability of medical providers in rural areas, resulting in a lack of continuity in care, exacerbated by limited communication and coordination between treating health professionals. Lastly, women perceived a lack of available psychosocial support and resources for rural breast cancer survivors in their areas. Breast cancer survivors living outside major Australian cities have limited access to medical follow-up care, and psychosocial and lifestyle support programmes. There is a need for greater co-ordination of care between health professionals to improve communication and reduce patient and medical system burden. Finding solutions (such as eHealth options) could help to alleviate these barriers and improve follow-up care for rural breast cancer survivors.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 06-03-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.CTIM.2013.09.003
Abstract: Developing research capacity is an essential part of professional development in the health professions, as well as essential to improving health care delivery. CAM is one area in which the importance of research capacity has been previously highlighted. To determine whether academic and research CAM practitioners were actively engaged in high-level CAM research in Australia successful National Health and Medical Research Council grants data for projects starting between 2000 to present (2013) were collated and analyzed. CAM practitioners are not involved in most NHMRC-funded research, with non-clinical academics leading nearly half of all NHMRC-funded CAM grants. Conventional medical practitioners led the majority of CAM grants headed by clinicians. Only Chinese medicine and naturopathy practitioners appear to be building capacity, with NHMRC-funded CAM grants led by these practitioner groups increasing. University CAM faculties are for the most part not engaging in high level research, with most NHMRC-funded CAM projects being led by groups outside these faculties. Even the majority NHMRC-funded research led by CAM clinicians is administered outside university CAM faculties. The CAM professions have a low level of engagement with high-level health and medical research in Australia. Current levels of engagement appear to be dependent more on in idual clinician involvement rather than professional strategy. Failure to engage with high-level health and medical research may pose challenges for the CAM professions, unless research engagement is improved. This requires an active and concerted effort from within CAM ranks to build research capacity in the CAM professions.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1155/2015/528487
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 07-2001
DOI: 10.1177/153321010100600302
Abstract: The term holism, often associated with complementary health practice, has been the subject of extensive debate both within and beyond the medical profession. Mean while, an increasing number of general practitioners (GPs) have adjusted to practicing complementary therapies to treat their National Health Service (NHS) patients. Given these developments, this article explores GP therapists' accounts of their complementary therapies and explanations of holistic practice. The analysis identifies how the doctors' descriptions of holism legitimate the use of complemen tary therapies within general practice, and also portray integrative practice as the ultimate form of holistic medicine.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-12-2013
DOI: 10.1111/HEX.12155
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 13-05-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.NUT.2016.09.007
Abstract: To analyze whether yoga or meditation use is associated with body (dis)satisfaction and weight control methods in Australian women. Women ages 34 to 39 y from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were surveyed regarding body satisfaction, weight control behaviors, and yoga and meditation practice. Associations of body satisfaction and weight control methods with yoga/meditation practice were analyzed using chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression modelling. Of the 8009 women, 49% were overweight or obese. Sixty-five percent of women with normal body mass index (BMI) and approximately 95% of women with overweight/obesity wanted to lose weight. At least one in four women with normal BMI was dissatisfied with body weight and shape, as were more than two in three women with overweight/obesity. The most common weight control methods included exercising (82.7%), cutting down meal sizes (76.8%), and cutting down sugars or fats (71.9%). Yoga/meditation was practiced frequently by 688 women (8.6%) and occasionally by 1176 women (14.7%). Yoga/meditation users with normal BMI were less likely dissatisfied with body weight and shape. All yoga/meditation users more likely exercised and followed a low glycemic diet or diet books and women with obesity occasionally using yoga/meditation also more likely used fasting or smoking to lose weight. Yoga/meditation users with normal BMI appear to be more satisfied with their body weight and shape than non-yoga/meditation users. While women with normal BMI or overweight tend to rely on healthy weight control methods, women with obesity occasional using yoga/meditation may more likely utilize unhealthy weight control methods.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1155/2016/6960207
Abstract: High quality education programs are essential for preparing the next generation of Chinese medicine (CM) practitioners. Currently, training in CM occurs within differing health and education policy contexts. There has been little analysis of the factors influencing the form and status of CM education in different regions. Such a task is important for understanding how CM is evolving internationally and predicting future workforce characteristics. This paper compares the status of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong across a range of dimensions: historical and current positions in the national higher education system, regulatory context and relationship to the health system, and public and professional legitimacy. The analysis highlights the different ways in which CM education is developing in these settings, with Hong Kong providing somewhat greater access to clinical training opportunities for CM students. However, common trends and challenges shape CM education in both regions, including marginalisation from mainstream health professions, a small but established presence in universities, and an emphasis on biomedical research. Three factors stand out as significant for the evolution of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong and may have international implications: continuing biomedical dominance, increased competition between universities, and strengthened links with mainland China.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-07-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-04-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-05-2011
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 22-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/HSC.13853
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-01-2016
DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2016.1145170
Abstract: The objective of the authors in this study was to determine if prior visits to a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner were associated with CAM use during pregnancy. The study s le comprised the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women were surveyed prior to pregnancy in 2006, and then again in 2010 if they were pregnant or had recently given birth, and asked a range of questions relating to demographic variables, health status, and use of CAM. A multivariable analysis identified significant covariates associated with visits to specific CAM practitioner modalities during pregnancy. Of the 447 women who consulted a CAM practitioner prior to pregnancy, 62.4% (n = 279) continued this use during pregnancy. Prior use of massage therapy, acupuncture, herbalist/naturopath, or chiropractor was related to use of the same service during pregnancy. Higher income and working full-time were associated with the continued use of massage, while continued visits to a chiropractor were associated with having depressive symptoms, a urinary tract infection, and living in a rural community. Prior use of CAM was highly related to continuing use during pregnancy. Further research is required to elucidate the benefits women attain from a CAM-model of care that they do not get from their conventional maternity care providers alone.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.MIDW.2010.03.005
Abstract: to examine the use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy using data from a longitudinal cohort study. the research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health which was designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well-being of women over a 20-year period. the younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health who had completed four surveys in 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2006. the data reveal an increase both in consumption of complementary and alternative medicine and in consultations with general practitioners/specialists during pregnancy. Women utilised complementary and alternative medicine as a supplement for conventional maternity care. given the potential risks of some complementary and alternative medicine for pregnant women and their unborn child, it is essential that maternity care providers are adequately informed about these treatments and that further research investigates the details of such concurrent use.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.PUHE.2010.02.012
Abstract: While the introduction of biomedicine within the Sri Lankan healthcare system has resulted in reduced reliance on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) over the last century in Sri Lanka, treatment modalities such as Ayurveda, Sinhala and traditional religious practices still receive considerable public support. Cancer is an increasing burden in Sri Lanka, and whilst Sri Lankans are known to use TCAM for everyday ailments, there has been no research examining the role of TCAM in the context of cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of TCAM use by cancer patients. Cross-sectional survey. Data were obtained from two Sri Lankan hospitals using a consecutive convenience s le of 500 cancer patients currently receiving biomedical treatment, over a 10-week period in 2008. Analyses showed that 67.4% of those surveyed used one or more TCAM in conjunction with biomedicine for cancer treatment. The most common were Sinhala, Ayurveda and traditional religious practices. Of those patients who used TCAM, 95.0% gave the main reason for usage as 'they thought it would cure their cancer'. The strongest reason for not using TCAM was on advice from their doctor (80.5%). The high use of TCAM amongst cancer patients in Sri Lanka raises numerous important issues, including those related to patient safety, potential benefit, interactions with biomedical cancer treatments, and delays in seeking biomedical cancer care. Further research is needed to explore the decision-making processes of cancer patients, including the perceived benefits/limitations of key processes in biomedical and TCAM care.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JAD.2015.03.031
Abstract: Depression has been identified as one of the most frequent indications for CAM use and is a strong predictor of CAM use. The present article provides a critical review of CAM use for depressive disorders including bipolar depression by addressing prevalence of CAM use and CAM users׳ characteristics, motivation, decision-making and communication with healthcare providers. A comprehensive search of 2003-2014 international literature in the Medline, CINAHL, AMED, and SCOPUS databases was conducted. The search was confined to peer-reviewed articles published in English with abstracts and reporting new empirical research findings regarding CAM use and depressive disorders. A considerable level of CAM use was observed among both general and clinical populations of people suffering from depressive disorders, many of whom use CAM concurrently with their conventional medicine. In particular, high rates of CAM use were found among those with bipolar disorder, an illness known to cause substantial impairments in health-related quality of life. Concomitant prescription medication use ranged from 0.52% to as high as 100%. Study design such as the inclusion of bipolar and depression in the same diagnostic category h er the differentiation and attribution of CAM usage for symptoms. Findings of our review show that enduring impairments in function and persistence of symptoms (as reflected by increased CAM use proportional to severity of illness and comorbidity) are the impetus for sufferers of depressive illness to seek out CAM. The psychosocial factors associated with CAM use in depressive illnesses and severe mental illness are yet to be established. Subsequent research amongst those with depressive disorders would be informative in clarifying the range of motivations associated with mental illness.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-03-2013
DOI: 10.1111/AJO.12056
Abstract: Pregnant women have been identified as high users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). However, no research to date has provided a detailed analysis of the prevalence and determinants of CAM consumption amongst pregnant women. To examine the prevalence and determinants of CAM use by pregnant women, utilising a national representative s le. The study s le was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. This paper is based on a sub-study of 1,835 pregnant women, administered in 2010. The women answered questions about CAM use, demographics, pregnancy-related health concerns and health service utilisation. Complementary and alternative medicine use was found to be high with 48.1% (n = 623) of pregnant women consulting a CAM practitioner and 52.0% (n = 842) of women using CAM products (excluding vitamins and minerals) during pregnancy. CAM practitioner visits were more likely for selected pregnancy-related health concerns, namely back pain or back ache, neck pain and labour preparation. Women were less likely to consult a CAM practitioner if they suffered with headaches/migraines. Employment was also found to be predictive of pregnant women's visits to a CAM practitioner. Significant health history and demographic predictors of CAM product use were tiredness and fatigue, embarking on preparation for labour and having a university education. Most pregnant women are utilising CAM products and/or services as part of their maternity care and obstetricians, general practitioners and midwives need to enquire with women in their care about possible CAM use to help promote safe, effective coordinated maternity care.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.JMPT.2006.04.013
Abstract: The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of chiropractic and osteopathy use and the profile of chiropractor/osteopath users among middle-aged Australian women. This article reports on research conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The focus of this article is the middle-aged women who responded to Survey 3 in 2001 when they were between the ages of 50 and 55 years. The demographic characteristics, health status, and health service use of chiropractic/osteopathy users and nonusers were compared using chi2 tests for categorical variables and t tests for continuous variables. We estimate that 16% of middle-aged women consult with a chiropractor or osteopath (after adjustment for the overs ling of rural women). Area of residence, education, and employment status were all statistically significantly associated with chiropractic and osteopath use. Specifically, women who live in nonurban areas were more likely to consult a chiropractor or osteopath, compared with women who live in urban areas. Women are significantly more likely to consult with a chiropractor/osteopath if they have had a major personal injury in the previous year, and women who use chiropractic/osteopathy are also high users of 'conventional' health services. Chiropractic/osteopathy use among women in Australia is substantial and cannot be ignored by those providing or managing primary health care services for women. It is essential that the interface and communication between chiropractors/osteopaths and other health care providers be highlighted and maximized to establish and maintain effective overall patient coordination and management.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Date: 12-09-2023
Abstract: Endometriosis is a chronic gynaecological disease with varying symptomatology and negative health outcomes. To ensure the best care for women with endometriosis, women require a multidisciplinary team approach. While some women consult with naturopaths for endometriosis, there has been little research on naturopathic knowledge and the naturopathic approach to endometriosis care. This cross-sectional survey recruited naturopaths with experience in menstrual disorders from the Practitioner Research and Collaboration Initiative (PRACI) a Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN). Data collection was conducted via an online self-administrated 62-item questionnaire. Invitations were sent to 109 naturopaths who self-reported having experience in menstrual disorders, of whom 29 completed the survey (26.6% response rate). Naturopaths perceived endometriosis to be caused by inflammation (n=28, 96.5%) and risk factors associated with familial history (n=26, 89.6%). Many naturopaths aimed at reducing inflammation (n=27, 93.1%) and supporting gastrointestinal function (n=25, 86.2%) in their prescriptions. Naturopaths reported using various healthcare referrals to support women with endometriosis, primarily general practitioners (n=12, 41.3%), acupuncturists/Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners (n=11, 37.9%), and gynaecologists (n=9, 31%). Naturopaths reported receiving referrals from general practitioners (n=8, 27.5%) and psychologists (n=6, 20.6%). Naturopathic knowledge and management of endometriosis targets known problematic areas of endometriosis that can have debilitating effects on women’s quality of life. Naturopathic care has the potential to align with important health outcomes for women with endometriosis however, further attention is needed to assess the effectiveness and continue to establish a multidisciplinary approach involving naturopathic care.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 08-02-2018
DOI: 10.1017/S1463423617000664
Abstract: This study examines GP perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of complementary medicine (CM), and to understand contextual factors that influence these perceptions, attitudes and knowledge. CM use is increasing, and its influence on primary care becoming increasingly significant. Although general practitioners (GPs) often have central primary care gate-keeper roles within health systems, few studies have looked specifically at GPs’ perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of CM. A questionnaire was mailed to all 1486 GPs registered as practicing in non-metropolitan areas of New South Wales. The survey included one free-text qualitative question, where respondents were invited to highlight issues associated with CM in their own words. Free-text responses were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. In total, 585 GPs responded to the survey (adjusted response rate 40.1%), with 152 (26.0%) filling in the free-text question. Central themes which emerged were risk as a primary concern opposition to, resistance to and the inappropriateness of complementary therapies struggles with complexity and ambivalent tolerance. GPs in Australia have a wide variety of perceptions toward CM. A minority of GPs have absolute views on CM, with most GPs having numerous caveats and qualifications of in idual CM. Efficacy is only one aspect of CM critically evaluated by GPs when gauging support for in idual therapies – risk, alignment with medical principles and an openness to exploring new avenues of treatment where others have failed, all appear to be equally important considerations when GPs form their views around CM.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-03-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1471-1842.2011.00929.X
Abstract: The approach of evidence-based medicine (EBM), providing a paradigm to validate information sources and a process for critiquing their value, is an important platform for guiding practice. Researchers have explored the application and value of information sources in clinical practice with regard to a range of health professions however, naturopathic practice has been overlooked. An exploratory study of naturopaths' perspectives of the application and value of information sources has been undertaken. Semi-structured interviews with 12 naturopaths in current clinical practice, concerning the information sources used in clinical practice and their perceptions of these sources. Thematic analysis identified differences in the application of the variety of information sources used, depending upon the perceived validity. Internet databases were viewed as highly valid. Textbooks, formal education and interpersonal interactions were judged based upon a variety of factors, whilst validation of general internet sites and manufacturers information was required prior to use. The findings of this study will provide preliminary aid to those responsible for supporting naturopaths' information use and access. In particular, it may assist publishers, medical librarians and professional associations in developing strategies to expand the clinically useful information sources available to naturopaths.
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1891/1058-1243.22.1.39
Abstract: This study provides an examination of women’s perceptions of care provided by student doulas undertaking a formal qualification in doula support services. Feedback forms completed by women attended by student doulas undertaking a formal qualification in doula support services were analyzed. The women ( N = 160) consistently rated the student doulas’ contribution to their experience of birth favorably. Qualitative analysis revealed that women value the presence of their student doulas highly with reference to the student doulas’ demeanor, support provided to family, interface with other health professionals, and learned skills. Within the Australian context, this study suggests that the support provided by student doulas that have completed a formal training course is held in positive regard by the women receiving their care.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-07-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S40520-022-02179-9
Abstract: Fatigue is a common and often debilitating symptom experienced by many stroke survivors. Significant post stroke fatigue may predispose in iduals to other health complications, such as falls, which can lead to fractures and soft tissue injuries. Only limited research has examined the association between fatigue and falls in stroke survivors. Data were obtained from the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study, from a subset of in iduals who had experienced a stroke. The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale—5-item version (MFIS-5) was used to measure the level of fatigue. A logistic regression model, adjusted for stroke characteristics and comorbidities, was used to determine the magnitude of association between change in fatigue score and odds of having had a fall. A total of 576 participants completed the questionnaire. A total of 214 (37.2%) participants reported having had a fall in the previous 12 months. There was a statistically significant association between fatigue scores and fall status ( p 0.001). Specifically, for every 1-point increase in the fatigue score (MFIS-5) (i.e. higher level of fatigue), the odds of a person having a fall is 1.10 times greater (AOR = 1.10 95% CI 1.05, 1.15 p 0.001). This study revealed an association between an increasing risk of falls with increasing severity of post stroke fatigue. Accurate detection and management of fatigue may help reduce the risk of falls and should be the focus of future research.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-02-2018
DOI: 10.1111/NHS.12409
Abstract: Adverse events in health care significantly impact health professionals who become the second victims of medical error. The aim of the present study was to understand the effects of adverse events in health care on nurses in acute health-care settings in an Australian context. In this qualitative, descriptive study, we used purposeful s ling and recruited 10 acute care nurses. Interviews were conducted from 2011 to 2012 and were recorded, transcribed, and returned to participants to verify their accuracy. Data were categorized and analyzed to determine four emergent themes and subthemes. The four themes were: rescuing patients, effects on nurses, professional responsibility, and needs of nurses. Our analysis indicated that nurses need organizational responses to adverse events, including the provision of information and collegial support after adverse events occur. This will minimize the psychological trauma associated with these events for second victims and support effective communication and collegial working relationships.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-11-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP36760
Abstract: Emerging evidence suggests substantial health benefits from using meditation. While there are some indications that the popularity of meditation is increasing, little is known about the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of meditation use in the general population. In this secondary analysis of data from the 2012 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (n = 34,525), lifetime and 12-month prevalence of meditation use were 5.2% and 4.1%, respectively. Compared to non-users, those who had used meditation in the past 12 months were more likely to be 40–64 years, female, non-Hispanic White, living in the West, at least college-educated, not in a relationship, diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions, smoking, consuming alcohol and physically active. Meditation was mainly used for general wellness (76.2%), improving energy (60.0%), and aiding memory or concentration (50.0%). Anxiety (29.2%), stress (21.6%), and depression (17.8%) were the top health problems for which people used meditation 63.6% reported that meditation had helped a great deal with these conditions. Only 34.8% disclosed their use of meditation with a health provider. These findings indicate that about 9.3 million US adults have used meditation in the past 12 months and that mental health problems were the most important reason for meditation use.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-02-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2004
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.MIDW.2014.12.012
Abstract: women use various labour pain management techniques during birth. The objective of this study is to investigate women׳s use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological labour pain management techniques in relation to birth outcomes. a sub-survey of a nationally representative s le of pregnant women (n=1835) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women׳s Health. our analysis identified women׳s use of water for labour pain management as decreasing the likelihood of their baby being admitted to special care nursery (OR=0.42, p<0.004) whereas the use of epidural increased this likelihood (OR=3.38, p<0.001) as well as for instrumental childbirth (OR=7.27, p<0.001). Epidural and pethidine use decreased women׳s likelihood of continuing breast-feeding (ORs=0.68 and 0.59, respectively, both p<0.01) whereas the use of breathing techniques and massage for pain control increased the likelihood of women continuing breast-feeding (ORs=1.72 and 1.62, respectively, both p<0.01). our study illustrates associations between the use of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological labour pain management techniques and selected birth outcomes while controlling for confounding variables. There remain significant gaps in the evidence base for the use of non-pharmacological labour pain control methods and our findings provide a platform with which to develop a broad clinical research programme around this topic.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 04-2011
Abstract: Doctors in Australia play an important role in facilitating access to specialist palliative care (SPC) services for people with advanced cancer. This study aimed to describe doctors' perceptions of barriers to referring patients for SPC, and to identify triggers and facilitators for referral. Forty semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with doctors involved in the care of people with advanced cancer from a variety of settings. Six themes were identified: disease and treatment psychosocial communication and interpersonal issues health services issues timing and, health professionals' skills. All doctors considered the presence and complexity of physical symptoms, stage of the disease and treatment orientation as important in decisions to refer for SPC. Less important were the psychosocial well-being and cultural characteristics of the person with cancer and their family. Factors reportedly affecting referral and access included health professionals' ability to communicate openly and honestly about disease progression, availability and location of SPC resources and doctors' expertise. Divergent views were expressed about appropriate timing for access. The predominant view that SPC is for management of physical symptoms may result in nonreferral of those who have complex problems without physical symptoms. Given the complex relationship between psychological and physical well-being and health-related quality of life, it is important that all factors contributing to patient well-being are identified. Routine use of objective measures of unmet and complex needs may help identify people who are likely to most benefit from SPC and optimize access, regardless of timing, stage of disease, and treatment orientation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-10-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S11657-021-01021-5
Abstract: This research aimed to determine the health care cost and utilisation of older Australian women with osteoporosis. A wide range of healthcare services were used and approximately AU$593.9 was spent over a 12-month period for these services. This highlights the significant cost burden of osteoporosis on the healthcare system. Osteoporosis is a common skeletal condition among women that has a considerable impact on quality of life. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of healthcare use and to estimate associated out-of-pocket expenditure for the management of osteoporosis in older Australian women. Data was obtained from 393 Australian women from the 45 and Up Study who had osteoporosis. The women were asked about healthcare use for their osteoporosis, including conventional medicine, complementary medicine, and self-care practices or self-care products, and associated out-of-pocket expenditure for that use over 12 months. The average age of participants was 72.0 years. Over a 12-month period, the majority of participants (72%) consulted a doctor for their osteoporosis, 24% consulted an allied health practitioner, and 20% consulted a complementary medicine practitioner. Participants had a mean of 6.8 consultations with healthcare practitioners in the previous 12 months for the osteoporosis. In addition, 46% participants used three or more types of complementary medicine products ractices in the previous 12 months. Overall, the participants incurred a (arithmetic) mean ofAU$594 (median = $350 inter-quartile range = $450) in out-of-pocket expenditure for healthcare use over the 12-month period. Women with osteoporosis use a wide range of healthcare services that are associated with significant annual out-of-pocket expenditure. Preventive strategies can help decrease the cost burden of osteoporosis on the healthcare system.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-05-2016
DOI: 10.1007/S11764-016-0545-4
Abstract: The purpose of the present study is to explore the role of the general practitioners, family physicians and primary care physicians (GP) in the provision of follow-up cancer care. PubMed, MEDLINE and CINAHL were systematically searched for primary research focussing on the role of the GP from the perspective of GPs and patients. Data were extracted using a standardised form and synthesised using a qualitative descriptive approach. The initial search generated 6487 articles: 25 quantitative and 33 qualitative articles were included. Articles focused on patients' and GPs' perspectives of the GP role in follow-up cancer care. Some studies reported on the current role of the GP, barriers and enablers to GP involvement from the perspective of the GP and suggestions for future GP roles. Variations in guidelines and practice of follow-up cancer care in the primary health care sector exist. However, GPs and patients across the included studies supported a greater GP role in follow-up cancer care. This included greater support for care coordination, screening, diagnosis and management of physical and psychological effects of cancer and its treatment, symptom and pain relief, health promotion, palliative care and continuing normal general health care provision. While there are variations in guidelines and practice of follow-up cancer care in the primary health care sector, GPs and patients across the reviewed studies supported a greater role by the GP. Greater GP role in cancer care could improve the quality of patient care for cancer survivors. Better communication between the tertiary sector and GP across the cancer phases would enable clear delineation of roles.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Start Date: 2011
End Date: 2012
Funder: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 11-2016
End Date: 06-2020
Amount: $210,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 12-2014
End Date: 12-2019
Amount: $172,117.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 04-2015
End Date: 03-2019
Amount: $952,642.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2014
End Date: 10-2017
Amount: $350,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 03-2011
End Date: 02-2014
Amount: $391,622.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2010
End Date: 12-2014
Amount: $260,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 11-2012
End Date: 12-2016
Amount: $164,830.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
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