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Related Experiment Videos

Ethical principles applied to complementary healing.

D W Wardell1, J Engebretson

  • 1University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, School of Nursing, USA.

Journal of Holistic Nursing : Official Journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
|February 19, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Holistic health and touch therapy organizations prioritize virtue ethics, balancing client autonomy with provider guidance. This approach fosters positive therapeutic outcomes by leveraging placebo effects while avoiding negative nocebo effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Integrative Medicine
  • Complementary Therapies
  • Holistic Health Ethics

Background:

  • Growing public and professional interest in alternative/complementary therapies challenges traditional provider-client relationships.
  • Existing ethical frameworks in biomedical settings may not fully encompass holistic health and touch therapy practices.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the ethical approaches and underlying principles guiding organizations focused on holistic health and touch therapies.
  • To contrast the ethical considerations in holistic practices with general biomedical approaches, particularly regarding paternalism and autonomy.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative analysis of written ethical codes and standards from three holistic health organizations.
  • Augmentation of document analysis with field exposure and insights from previous work with these groups.

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Main Results:

  • Holistic groups emphasized virtue ethics, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and autonomy.
  • A distinct approach to paternalism and client agency was observed, differing from biomedical models.
  • These ethical expressions facilitated the use of placebo, suggestion, optimism, hope, and surrender.

Conclusions:

  • Holistic health and touch therapy organizations utilize a unique ethical framework centered on virtue ethics.
  • This ethical approach enables practitioners to harness positive psychological effects (placebo, hope) while mitigating negative ones (nocebo).
  • The findings highlight the need for nuanced ethical considerations in complementary and alternative medicine.