Alternative therapies. Health professionals' attitudes

Area of Science:

• Integrative medicine
• Patient-provider communication
• Medication safety

Background:

• Patients frequently use alternative therapies and products without informing their healthcare providers.
• Lack of disclosure can lead to adverse drug interactions and compromised conventional medical care.
• Poor communication exists between nurses, physicians, and pharmacists regarding patients' complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the risks associated with patients not disclosing CAM use to healthcare professionals.
• To emphasize the importance of open communication about all therapies, including alternative ones.
• To underscore the need for interprofessional collaboration among healthcare providers regarding CAM.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on patient disclosure of alternative therapies.
• Analysis of potential interactions between alternative products and prescription medications.
• Examination of communication patterns among nurses, physicians, and pharmacists.

Main Results:

• A significant gap exists in patient-provider communication regarding alternative therapies.
• Alternative products and therapies pose risks of drug interactions and interference with standard medical treatment.
• Healthcare providers (nurses, physicians, pharmacists) often lack communication regarding patients' non-prescribed treatments.

Conclusions:

• Encouraging open dialogue about alternative therapies is essential for patient safety.
• Interprofessional communication among healthcare providers is vital to manage potential risks of CAM.
• Integrating information on all patient therapies ensures comprehensive and safe healthcare.