Chapter 13 - Complementary and alternative medicine. After studying this chapter you will be able to: Explain CAM, distinguish between complementary and alternative medicine and conventional medicine, summarize how cam and conventional medicine are used together, identify various types of complementary and alternative medicine,…
CHAPTER 13 Complementary and Alternative Medicine © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 132 Learning Outcomes 13.1 Explain CAM 13.2 Distinguish between complementary and alternative medicine and conventional medicine 13.3 Summarize how CAM and conventional medicine are used together 13.4 Identify various types of complementary and alternative medicine © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 133 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 13.5 Describe how a medical assistant may use his or her knowledge of CAM 13.6 Explain why patients and health-care practitioners are turning to complementary treatments 13.7 Compare insurance and payment for CAM treatments 13.8 Explain how CAM is regulated 13.9 Describe health fraud © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 134 Introduction • More than 30% of adults use complementary and alternative therapies – Relieve problems – Promote wellness – No relief from traditional treatments • Some physicians use a combination of CAM and traditional therapies © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 135 What Is CAM? • A group of practices and products that are not part of conventional medicine • Allopathy – conventional medicine or common and usual practice • Complementary medicine – used with conventional medicine • Alternative medicine – used instead of conventional medicine © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 136 What Is CAM? (cont.) • Scientific evidence concerning safety and effectiveness – Available for some CAM therapies – Research continues, so information changes • Integrative medicine – Evolves as CAM therapies are adopted by conventional medicine – Combination of both © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 137 Apply Your Knowledge Define CAM and state why these therapies are not in wide use by practitioners of conventional medicine ANSWER: CAM is a group of practices and products not considered part of conventional medicine They are not widely used by physicians because there is not a lot of scientific evidence of their safety and effectiveness © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 138 Types of CAM • Shared similarities – Individualized treatments, good nutrition, and preventive health practices – Holistic – Promote self-care and self-healing – Recognition of one’s spiritual nature • Categories – Alternative medical systems – Mind-body interventions – Biologically-based therapies – Manipulative and body-based methods – Energy therapies © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 139 Alternative Medical Systems • Evolved apart from conventional medicine • Homeopathic medicine – Treating syndromes and conditions with remedies that produce similar syndromes and conditions in healthy people – Remedy • Produces the symptoms it is given to treat in order to stimulate the body’s natural defenses to heal itself • Must meet FDA standards © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1310 Alternative Medical Systems (cont.) • Homeopathic medicine – Looks at individuals, not diseases • Initial in-depth assessment • Follow-up – how they are responding – Medical assistant role • Similar to other medical offices • Have knowledge of common remedies © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1332 Regulation of CAM Therapies (cont.) • White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) – Funding for research – Communication between CAM and conventional practitioners – Availability of CAM practitioners – State review and evaluation of CAM practitioners – Insurance coverage options © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1333 Apply Your Knowledge Why insurance companies not reimburse for most CAM therapies? ANSWER: Insurance companies not reimburse for CAM therapies because of the lack of research and documentation of effectiveness of these therapies What are the federal agencies tasked with regulation of CAM therapies? ANSWER: They are the NCCAM and WHCCAMP Yippee! for 2! © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1334 Health Fraud • Articles of unproven effectiveness promoted to improve health, well-being, or appearance – Deception or trickery for profit – Plays on emotions and desperation • Regulation – FDA – safety, manufacturing, and labeling – FTC – advertising © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1335 Health Fraud (cont.) • Health claims – Unproven claims must include a disclaimer – FDA-approved claims for food and supplements • Based on scientific evidence • Only reduces risk/does not treat or cure © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1336 Health Fraud (cont.) FDA-Approved Health Claim Supplement/Food Reduce risk of some cancers • Low-fat diets • Fruits, vegetables, fiber-containing grain products • Whole grains Reduce risk for hypertension • Low-sodium diets • Potassium Reduce risk for osteoporosis Calcium â 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1337 Health Fraud (cont.) FDA-Approved Health Claim Supplement/Food Reduce risk of heart disease • Low-sodium diets • Decreased saturated fat and cholesterol • Soluble fiber and whole grains • Soy protein/plant sterols/stanol esters Reduce risk for neural tube defects • Adequate folate Reduce tooth decay • Decreasing between-meal consumption of foods high in sugars and starches © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1338 Health Fraud (cont.) • Recognizing health fraud – Check with the BBB or attorney general’s office – Check with appropriate health-care group – Contact the FDA – If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is not true – If unproven, get a second opinion – Beware of “secret cures” © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1339 Apply Your Knowledge Why people fall victim to fraudulent health claims? ANSWER: These claims target people who are emotional and desperate They are hoping to find a cure, improve their health, or just look better Bravo! © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1340 In Summary 13.1 Complementary and alternative medicines are practices and products outside the scope of traditional or conventional medicine 13.2 Complementary medicine is used in conjunction with conventional medicine Alternative medicine is typically used as a replacement for conventional medicine © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1341 In Summary (cont.) 13.3 A new type of medicine called integrative medicine has emerged, in which conventional medicine and scientifically proven CAM therapies are used together 13.4 There are five classifications for CAM They include alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, biologically-based therapies, manipulative and bodybased methods, and energy Each of these classifications has various types of products and therapies associated with it © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1342 In Summary (cont.) 13.5 As a medical assistant, it is your responsibility to have basic knowledge of CAM therapies If you work with a practitioner that provides CAM therapies, you will be responsible to assist in many cases Additionally, understanding insurance reimbursement for CAM and health fraud are important aspects of the medical assistant’s role © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1343 In Summary (cont.) 13.6 In many cases, patients are looking for low-cost products and services that help to maintain health and prevent disease, so they turn to CAM Other patients that are offered no effective treatment or cure from conventional medicine are turning to CAM for additional options Health-care practitioners are using many types of complementary therapy as they become accepted and, in many cases, scientifically proven © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1344 In Summary (cont.) 13.7 In general, the insurance industry provides little or no coverage for CAM therapies To find out if coverage is provided, you can contact the insurance company directly, obtain information from the association’s web site for the type of therapy provided, or contact the state insurance commissioner © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1345 In Summary (cont.) 13.8 The NCCAM conducts and supports CAM research and provides CAM information to health-care providers and the public Some state and federal laws have been enacted to help regulate CAM, and more laws and regulations are expected as research is conducted 13.9 Health fraud as defined by the FDA as “articles of unproven effectiveness that are promoted to improve health, well being, or appearance.” Health fraud is monitored by the FDA and the FTC © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 1346 End of Chapter 13 There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved ... of one or more parts of the body • Types – – – – – Massage therapy Chiropractic manipulation Reflexology Alexander technique Bowen technique – – – – – Craniosacral therapy Feldenkrais method... increasing – Less expensive – Have fewer side effects – More accessible – Increase in spirituality • Reasons for seeking CAM therapy – Failure of traditional medical interventions – Treat side... Types – Prayer – Yoga – Meditation – Hypnosis – Biofeedback © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 13 15 Biologically Based Therapies • Use substances found in nature – Dietary