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Question 1

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a group of diverse medical and health care
systems, products, and practices that are not generally considered to be part of conventional
medicine. Such products or practices include natural products such as herbs and botanicals,
manipulative and body-based practices, and energy medicine that use magnetism.

Question 2

Complementary and Alternative Medicines are used by an extensive number of patients in the
US, UK and elsewhere. However, it has been found that patients who use CAM either suffer
from chronic conditions that might not have been treated satisfactorily by conventional medicine
or have life-threatening disease. They use CAM because of the psychological distress they are
going through hence they tend to try anything that might offer a cure. People also turn to CAM
mostly to relieve back and neck pain and arthritis.

Question 3

Common misconceptions about CAM are relative and based on the culture. They include: CAM
are not supported by scientific evidence hence not compatible with the conventional medicine;
Learning a CAM modality does not require extensive education; it is not supported by
conventional doctors; it is not as effective as conventional medicine; and that CAM is a form of
magic or witchcraft.

Question 4

The use of CAM in patient education can be accomplished through different methods. First is by
launching a CAM program as part of service delivery to the patients. The method will encourage
patients to share their experience with doctors or physicians. The second method is to include
some CAM treatments options as part of the conventional medicine. The method would help
clear the long held belief and stereotypes about CAM. The final method is through counseling
services to convince patients on the safe uses of CAM.
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Question 5

As with any treatment, safety must be considered before using complementary health products
and services. In this case, safety depends on the specific therapy. Therefore, when practiced
appropriately, mind and body –based manipulative practices using CAM such as meditation and
yoga are generally considered to be safe in healthy individuals.

Question 6

1. Incorporating lessons about CAM and dietary supplements into the education and
training of physicians and nurses.
2. Creating a medical centre that brings together CAM and conventional medicine
practitioners to aid the process of research and development.
3. Developing consistent national standards for CAM credentialing, malpractice insurance,
and scope of practice.
4. Using some CAM treatment options as part of conventional medicine in healthcare
system upon their approval by the medical research centers.
5. Include acupuncture and Oriental medicine coverage in federal health insurance
programs.
6. Develop an Office of Herbal Products within the FDA.

Question 7

Ethical theories are generalizations attempting to offer explanations as to why some actions,
processes, dealings, and practices are considered to be correct, right, or acceptable while other
are perceived to be unacceptable or wrong in the society. Examples are deontological and
utilitarianism theories. Ethical principles are practical approaches for ethical-decision making
that focuses on the common ground moral requirements of autonomy, nonmaleficence,
beneficence, and justice. On the other hand, ethical values are standards of behavior considered
to be right in the society.
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Question 8

Ethics involve doing “good” and causing no harm. However, how the two can be well
accomplished when it comes to patient education and compliance is always a difficult task due to
some ethical issues such as patients freedom against control, truth telling versus deception, and
empirical knowledge versus personal belief. The patient and the healthcare provide may have
contradicting cultural or religious beliefs over some form of treatment. Therefore an effective
professional/patient relationship will ease the process while a poor health professional/patient
relationship will make it difficult to break cultural beliefs.

Question 9

Ethical patient education practices are define to mean the manner or ways in which patients are
offered with knowledge and skills on the conditions affecting them and what they should do
either to prevent or control them in future should confine with ethical guidelines and principles
in the society. They involve processes, principles, and actions that the patients should take in
case of any medical problem or challenges.

Question 10

In the healthcare practices, informed consent is a process for getting permission from the patient
before conducting a healthcare intervention on that individual. It serve the purpose of informing
the patient about the nature of the treatment or serves, the risks, benefits, and alternatives
associated with the form of treatment, and the patients right to choose whether the medical
intervention should be done or not. The consent also provides alternatives to medical conditions,
their effects as well as risks.

Question 11

Not all patients are eligible to give informed consent. The main factor that determines the
patient’s ability to give informed consent is age. All adults, 18 years old and above are required
to provide informed consent whereas parents or guardians are supposed to provide consent for
children or minors. However, there are other special factors used to determine eligibility. These
factors include; mental illness, language used, and full disclosure of the required information.
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Question 12

A sample informed consent form would be as follows

INTRODUCTION

You are requested to undergo the treatment or surgery of ________________. Please take
whatever time you need to discuss the treatment/surgery process with your family and friends, or
anyone else you wish to. The decision to accept or decline is up to you.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE TREATMENT PROCESS

If you decide to undergo the treatment/ surgery, we think this will take us ___________minutes.

RISKS
This treatment/surgery involves the following risks __________________.
There may also be other risks that we cannot predict.

BENEFITS TAKING THE TREATMENT

It is reasonable to expect the following benefits from this kind of medication:
_______________________

CONFIDENTIALITY

We will take the following steps to keep information about you confidential, and to protect it
from unauthorized disclosure, tampering, or damage: ___________

YOUR RIGHTS AS APATIENT

Undergoing this treatment process is voluntary. You have the right not to go through it at all.

CONTACTS FOR QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS?

Call ____________________ at ___________________ or email___________ at
___________if you have questions about the medication, any problems, unexpected physical or
psychological discomforts, any injuries, or think that something unusual or unexpected is
happening.
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Consent of Patient (or Legally Authorized Representative)

Signature of Subject or Representative Date
__________________________________________

Question 13

It is advisable that the patient has a clear understanding what is contained in the informed
consent. If the patient fails to understand, he or she should not sign the informed consent form
and the practitioner should not take any step to offer the treatment. Therefore, the process of
communication to use with the patient and the family when obtaining informed consent should
be in person and verbal or written where there is direct exchange of words.

References
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Adams J., & Singer J. (2014). Integrating complementary and alternative medicine into
mainstream healthcare services: the perspectives of health service managers. Journal of the
International Society for Complementary Medicine Research
Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and
children: United States, 2007. CDC Natl Health Statistics Rep. 2008;(12):1–24

Barden, R.C. (2001) "Informed consent in psychotherapy: A multidisciplinary perspective,"

Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 29 (2), p. 160-166.

Braddock CH 3rd, Fihn SD, Levinson W, et al. How doctors and patients discuss routine clinical
decisions. Informed decision making in the outpatient setting. J Gen Intern
Med. 1997;12(6):339–45

Falvo, D. (2011). Effective patient education (1st ed.). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett.

Guido, G. (2010). Legal & ethical issues in nursing (1st ed.). Boston: Pearson.