ABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Pancreatic cancer has high mortality and morbidity rates, associated with the issues of typically late diagnosis and the limited effectiveness of current treatments. Patients tend to experience multiple symptoms that can include anxiety, fear, depression, fatigue, weakness, peripheral neuropathy, and abdominal pain, which reduce quality of life (QoL) and may compromise the treatment continuum. Many of those symptoms are amenable to complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies as a part of supportive and palliative care. This article reviews research findings on the beneficial effect of use of CIM modalities in regard to pancreatic cancer, with emphasis on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). RECENT FINDINGS: Given the often-poor prognosis of the disease, patients with PDAC often seek integrative therapies to help manage the disease itself, to provide support through cancer treatment and its symptoms, and to provide emotional stress relief. Data is accumulating in the past few years on the potential benefits of CIM to the management of pancreatic cancer symptoms and treatment side effects, in order to augment supportive care. This data reveal that nutrition counselling; digestive enzyme therapy; microbiome support; dietary supplements; lifestyle interventions (physical activity and circadian health/sleep hygiene) appear to improve QoL of these patients through reduced symptom burden and meeting psychological needs, such as distress and fatigue. Acupuncture, mindfulness, yoga, reflexology, massage, and homeopathy may also contribute to symptom reduction, both physical and psychological, in all stages of the disease. There is supporting evidence that some CIM modalities may alleviate side effects and symptoms related to pancreatic cancer and its treatment, suggesting that practitioners might consider integrating these modalities in certain situations encountered in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Further investigation is needed to define the optimal integration of CIM into the treatment and supportive care of patients affected by pancreatic cancer.
Subject(s)
Complementary Therapies , Integrative Medicine , Pancreatic Neoplasms , Humans , Quality of Life/psychology , Fatigue/therapy , Pancreatic NeoplasmsABSTRACT
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease which has multisystem involvement, predominantly skin and joints. It affects quality of life and leads to psychological distress in patients leading to poor self-esteem and depression, ultimately affecting interpersonal relationships. Homoeopathy believes in a holistic approach and, when prescribed on a constitutional basis, helps to cure the condition from its root cause. A diagnosed case of psoriasis in a 23-year-old male came into the Homoeopathic OPD with complaints of psoriatic patches on the face and scalp. Routine investigations were done to rule out other disorders. In this case, Sulphur was prescribed on a constitutional basis and proved to be beneficial. Considering the extent of psoriasis in this patient, the Homoeopathic approach relieved the case in a short period of time with prolonged treatment response, suggesting that this may represent the ideal cure in Homoeopathy.
Subject(s)
Homeopathy , Psoriasis , Male , Humans , Young Adult , Adult , Quality of Life/psychology , Psoriasis/drug therapy , PrescriptionsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing demand for complementary and integrative medicine, only a few studies have evaluated the effect of these types of treatments on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the QoL of women treated with homeopathy within the Public Health System of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. METHODS: This is a prospective randomized controlled pragmatic trial. The patients were divided into two independent groups, one group underwent homeopathic treatment in the first 6-month period and the other did not receive any homeopathic treatment. In both randomized groups, patients maintained their conventional medical treatment when necessary. The World Health Organization Quality of Life abbreviated questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) was used for QoL analysis prior to treatment and 6 months later. RESULTS: Randomization afforded similar baseline results in three domains of QoL analysis for both groups. After 6 months' treatment, there was a statistically significant difference between groups in the physical domain of WHOQOL-BREF: the average score improved to 63.6 ± (SD) 15.8 in the homeopathy group, compared with 53.1 ± (SD) 16.7 in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Homeopathic treatment showed a positive impact at 6 months on the QoL of women with chronic diseases. Further studies should be performed to determine the long-term effects of homeopathic treatment on QoL and its determinant factors.
Subject(s)
Chronic Disease/psychology , Materia Medica/standards , Quality of Life/psychology , Adult , Aged , Brazil , Chronic Disease/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Middle Aged , Pragmatic Clinical Trials as Topic , Prospective Studies , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: As survival after cancer diagnosis increases, patients are increasingly turning toward integrative therapies (e.g., yoga, acupuncture, massage) to manage acute and chronic concerns related to cancer treatment and survivorship. As such, integrative medicine programs devoted to combining conventional Western cancer care with complementary treatments such as yoga, acupuncture, botanicals, and homeopathy are increasingly common in cancer communities around the world. However, few integrative medicine programs have included psycho-oncology providers in order to systematically evaluate and treat psychological and behavioral health factors affecting adjustment to cancer. METHODS: A pilot program was initiated at a large academic medical center to explore benefits of a collaborative clinic visit conducted with psycho-oncology and integrative medicine within an existing supportive oncology clinic. Collaborative medical and psychological interventions were provided to enhance patient quality of life and reduce symptom burden. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were seen via the dyadic consultation model. Sixty-eight percent of patients rated their emotional distress at or above clinical cutoffs, indicating unmet supportive care needs. The majority of patients seen were White, non-Hispanic, and female. CONCLUSIONS: Many cancer patients and survivors report persistent emotional distress and chronic physical problems associated with their diagnosis and treatment. The types of patients seen in this pilot program raise concern about ongoing inequalities in access to integrative medicine and psycho-oncology services, which may contribute to downstream health disparities and poorer clinical outcomes. Future directions will explore billing practices, financial sustainability, and methods to increase access to this type of program for demographically diverse individuals across cancer populations.
Subject(s)
Cancer Survivors/psychology , Integrative Medicine/methods , Neoplasms/psychology , Psycho-Oncology/methods , Quality of Life/psychology , Social Support , Acupuncture , Female , Humans , Male , Massage , Medical Oncology/methods , Middle Aged , Referral and Consultation , Research , YogaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) field in Europe has been a focus of research developments and public health policy changes for years. However, these processes are still in their infancy phase in Bulgaria. In this paper, homeopathy is the investigated CAM-modality at a Bulgarian context. The aim is threefold: 1) to outline the sociodemographic profile of the chronically ill adult patients (≥18 years old) who choose homeopathic medical treatment (HMT); 2) To identify the patients' sources and needs of information about homeopathy, and the reasons to use HMT; and 3) to measure health-related outcomes in patients who have visited homeopathic clinics to look for HMT of their chronic conditions. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational multi-centered study (≥18 years old, n = 211) was conducted between June 2016 to Dec. 2017 in Bulgaria. Potentially eligible participants for the study were all chronically ill patients who had been receiving HMT for a year or more and had visited the homeopathic clinics for a follow up within the study period. The EQ-5D-3L instrument was applied with an additional questionnaire on sociodemographic and health related data. RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The study results outlined the country specific sociodemographic profile of the chronically ill homeopathic patients in Bulgaria: they are predominantly female, with higher education and at the age groups between 30 and 50. The EQ-5D-3L version, was applied to measure patients' health-related quality of life and to promote the use of a standardized generic instrument as a complementary and reliable scientific tool to assess the patient-reported outcomes of the homeopathic patients. Regarding the reasons of choice: the participants choose HMT because it is safe and mild, to avoid excessive antibiotic use, because the conventional treatment was not successful, etc. The study confirms the social demand for more scientific information about homeopathy. Participants stated that the medical universities' curriculum should keep pace with the modern CAM-developments. A key message is that the future of the successful chronic disease management is in the integration of the conventional and CAM-modalities and these processes should be facilitated through public health regulations, education and research. The presented study is a supportive action in this direction.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Chronic Disease/therapy , Homeopathy/methods , Phytotherapy/methods , Quality of Life/psychology , Adult , Bulgaria , Choice Behavior , Chronic Disease/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Homeopathy/psychology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Satisfaction , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: During chemotherapy, the correlation between insomnia and fatigue, anxiety, pain, depressed mood, and cognitive disorders makes these subjective complaints a 'symptom cluster' with common biological mechanisms. The theory of cerebral inflammation following the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (high level of interleukin 1-ß [IL1-ß], IL6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha) is currently the most generally accepted. Understanding these mechanisms should allow us to propose a chemoprotective homeopathic treatment of the nervous system. METHODS: By retaining the inflammatory aetiology, we combined the rubrics 'Inflammation of the brain', 'Inflammation of the meninges', 'Inflammation of the nerves' with the symptom cluster: insomnia, fatigue, depressive state and memory disorders. RESULTS: After repertorisation, we propose the following homeopathic protocol: Belladonna 15c, Phosphorus 15c, Cerebral cortex 4c and Nerves 4c, two pills of each medicine to be sucked together before breakfast, lunch and dinner, on each day of chemotherapy and for the following 2 days. CONCLUSION: This selected protocol, derived from a physiopathological knowledge of the symptoms, seems to be well suited to the prevention and treatment of post-chemotherapeutic cerebral inflammation. It is essential to start the homeopathic treatment before the chemotherapy session to anticipate the emergence of the 'chemo-brain' side effects. This proposed prevention protocol must be confirmed and quantified by randomised studies.
Subject(s)
Homeopathy/methods , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/drug therapy , Atropa belladonna/metabolism , Humans , Phosphorus/therapeutic use , Quality of Life/psychology , SyndromeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Quality of life (QoL) is an increasingly recognized patient-centered treatment outcome in individuals with opioid use disorder. There is a gap in literature on the impact of opium tincture (OT) on patients' QoL compared to standard treatment options such as methadone. This study aimed to compare the QoL of participants with opioid use disorder receiving OAT using OT or methadone and identify the factors associated with their QoL during treatment. METHODS: The opium trial was a multicenter non-inferiority randomized clinical trial in four private OAT outpatient clinics in Iran. The study assigned patients to either OT (10 mg/ml) or methadone sirup (5 mg/ml) for a follow-up of 85 days. QoL was assessed using the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL- BREF). RESULTS: A total of 83 participants, 35 (42.2%) in the OT arm and 48 (57.8%) in the methadone arm, completed the WHOQOL-BREF in full and were included in the primary analysis. The mean score of patients' QoL showed improvement compared to baseline, but differences were not statistically significant between OT and methadone arms (p = 0.786). Improvements were mainly observed within the first 30 days of receiving treatment. Being married and lower psychological distress were associated with an improved QoL. Within the social relationships domain, male gender showed significantly higher QoL compared to females. CONCLUSION: OT shows promise as an OAT medication, comparable to methadone in improving patients' QoL. There is a need to incorporate psychosocial interventions to further sustain and improve the QoL in this population. Identifying other social determinants of health which affect QoL and the cultural adaptation of assessments for individuals from various ethnocultural backgrounds are critical areas of inquiry.
Subject(s)
Methadone , Opioid-Related Disorders , Female , Humans , Male , Methadone/therapeutic use , Opium/therapeutic use , Quality of Life/psychology , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Opioid-Related Disorders/psychology , Opiate Substitution Treatment/psychologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The scheduled update to the German S3 guidelines on fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften", AWMF; registration number 041/004) was planned starting in March 2011. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The development of the guidelines was coordinated by the German Interdisciplinary Association for Pain Therapy ("Deutsche Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Schmerztherapie", DIVS), 9 scientific medical societies and 2 patient self-help organizations. Eight working groups with a total of 50 members were evenly balanced in terms of gender, medical field, potential conflicts of interest and hierarchical position in the medical and scientific fields. Literature searches were performed using the Medline, PsycInfo, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases (until December 2010). The grading of the strength of the evidence followed the scheme of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The recommendations were based on level of evidence, efficacy (meta-analysis of the outcomes pain, sleep, fatigue and health-related quality of life), acceptability (total dropout rate), risks (adverse events) and applicability of treatment modalities in the German health care system. The formulation and grading of recommendations was accomplished using a multi-step, formal consensus process. The guidelines were reviewed by the boards of the participating scientific medical societies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Meditative movement therapies (qi gong, tai chi, yoga) are strongly recommended. Acupuncture can be considered. Mindfulness-based stress reduction as monotherapy and dance therapy as monotherapy are not recommended. Homeopathy is not recommended. In a minority vote, homeopathy was rated as "can be considered". Nutritional supplements and reiki are not recommended. The English full-text version of this article is available at SpringerLink (under "Supplemental").
Subject(s)
Complementary Therapies/methods , Fibromyalgia/rehabilitation , Cooperative Behavior , Evidence-Based Medicine , Fibromyalgia/diagnosis , Fibromyalgia/psychology , Germany , Humans , Interdisciplinary Communication , Pain Measurement , Patient Care Team , Quality of Life/psychology , Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Chronic pain and fatigue are the main symptoms of postpoliomyelitis syndrome (PPS). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an anthroposophic multimodal treatment for chronic pain in PPS outpatients. METHODS: A twelve-week, four-arm, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 prospective clinical trial was designed to compare four groups (n = 48): groups A and B received daily active experimental transdermal gel (ETG) or placebo gel (PTG), respectively; groups C and D received weekly external therapies, art therapies, and neurofunctional reorganization, plus either daily ETG or PTG, respectively. The pain symptoms were evaluated through a visual analogue scale (VAS), the McGill questionnaire, and thermography. Quality of life and resilience were evaluated by the WHOQOL-BREF and Antonovsky sense of coherence questionnaires applied at baseline and after the interventions. RESULTS: No related adverse events occurred, and 10% of the patients reports dysphagia improvement. In the groups C and D, pain reduction was statistically significant in both the placebo group (p = .02, d = 1.315) and in the ETG (p = .005, d = 2.035). However, following the week-to-week evolution of pain with the concomitant use of the ETG, this significant pain reduction occurred earlier from the 4th week and continued to decrease (p = .016, d = 1.369). In the group that received the complete multimodal treatment, the greatest significant benefit in increasing quality of life occurred in the physical domain and elevation in resilience with an emphasis on meaning and comprehension domains. CONCLUSIONS: The anthroposophic multimodal treatment group presented both safety and efficacy as an analgesic in the groups that received the nonpharmacological therapies, much earlier when associated with the ETG. The multimodal approach corresponded to the pattern of better efficacy for both pain reduction and improvement in quality of life and resilience.
Subject(s)
Analgesics/therapeutic use , Art Therapy , Chronic Pain/therapy , Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome/therapy , Quality of Life/psychology , Adult , Analgesics/administration & dosage , Chronic Pain/drug therapy , Chronic Pain/psychology , Combined Modality Therapy , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Materia Medica/administration & dosage , Middle Aged , Outpatients , Pain Measurement , Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome/psychology , Prospective Studies , Resilience, Psychological , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Several factors can influence the quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The goal of this research was to measure quality of life in opium-addicted patients with CAD in order to assess the effect of CAD risk factors on their quality of life. METHOD: The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was completed through interviews with 275 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass surgery in Tehran Heart Centre between May and September 2006. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in the mean scores of the four domains of quality of life between the addicted and non-addicted patients. Furthermore, the evaluation of QOL in the groups with CAD risk factors showed that the mean QOL domains were statistically similar between opium addicted and non-opium addicted patients. In the addicted group, men had a higher psychological health score than women. A previous history of myocardial infarction reduced the psychological score in this group. Also, in the addicted patients with a history of diabetes mellitus, social functioning was better than that of the non-diabetics. CONCLUSIONS: The different domains of quality of life in our opium-addicted and non-addicted patients with CAD were similar; and among all the major risk factors for coronary artery disease, only female gender and a previous history of myocardial infarction could influence quality of life in the opium-addicted patients.
Subject(s)
Coronary Disease/epidemiology , Opioid-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Opium , Quality of Life/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Attitude to Health , Comorbidity , Coronary Disease/psychology , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology , Female , Health Status , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Myocardial Infarction/epidemiology , Opioid-Related Disorders/psychology , Personality Inventory , Psychometrics , Risk Factors , Sex Factors , Social Adjustment , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This article presents the results of a previously unexplored aspect of qualitative leg ulcer research. The study has examined the lived experience and cultural illness explanations of a sample of British-Indian patients living with leg and foot ulceration. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 16 Indian patients drawn from leg ulcer clinics and district nursing lists in Ealing Primary Care Trust and Hounslow Primary Care Trust. Eight respondents had venous ulceration, seven were diabetic and had ulcers of arterial aetiology, and one had ulceration due to lymphoedema. Popular perceptions of the cause of leg ulceration were influenced by the humoral theories of balance and imbalance. Other explanations included poor circulation, lowered immunity, bad blood, being cursed and doing something wrong in a past life or this life.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health/ethnology , Health Behavior/ethnology , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Leg Ulcer/ethnology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Causality , Cultural Diversity , Female , Homeopathy , Humans , India/ethnology , Leg Ulcer/etiology , Leg Ulcer/prevention & control , Male , Medicine, Ayurvedic , Medicine, Unani , Middle Aged , Narration , Nursing Methodology Research , Qualitative Research , Quality of Life/psychology , Self Care/methods , Self Care/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , YogaABSTRACT
To investigate the health-related quality of life (QOL) in Swedish patients with post-polio syndrome (PPS), with a focus on sex and age. A total of 364 patients were recruited from five Swedish post-polio clinics. Analysis was carried out using SF-36 and data were compared with those of a normal population. QOL was significantly lower in PPS patients for all eight subdomains and the two main scores (physical compound score and mental compound score) when compared with the controls. Male patients had a significantly higher QOL than female patients for all subdomains and also for mental compound score and physical compound score, a phenomenon also observed in the normal population. There was a decrease in QOL in the physical domains and an increase in vitality with age. PPS decreases health-related QOL in both sexes, more in female patients. QOL for physical domains decreases whereas vitality increases with age in both sexes.
Subject(s)
Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome/psychology , Quality of Life/psychology , Activities of Daily Living/classification , Activities of Daily Living/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Age Factors , Aged , Disability Evaluation , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome/rehabilitation , Rehabilitation Centers , Sex Factors , Sweden , Vitalism/psychologyABSTRACT
RESUMEN Durante el climaterio y la menopausia debido a cambios hormonales pueden presentarse en las mujeres síntomas que afectan la calidad de vida y las relaciones interpersonales. La homeopatía puede ser utilizada como terapia alternativa o complementaria en el manejo de sus síntomas proporcionando múltiples beneficios, escasos efectos secundarios, ahorro de recursos y apertura de una nueva línea para investigar. La bibliografía sobre este tema es insuficiente y se encuentra dispersa lo que dificulta la consulta por parte de los profesionales que la necesitan. Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica con el objetivo de identificar y describir los principales medicamentos homeopáticos que pueden ser utilizados para tratar los síntomas durante el climaterio y la menopausia. Los artículos se identificaron básicamente a través de la búsqueda automatizada en las bases de datos Scielo, PubMed y EBSCO, entre los meses de enero de 2017 a mayo de 2018. Se revisaron aquellos libros y artículos que por su trascendencia fueron considerados como referentes en el tema. Se escogieron 26 referencias bibliográficas que se ajustaban a los objetivos de esta investigación. Fueron identificados y descritos 22 medicamentos homeopáticos susceptibles de ser utilizados en el tratamiento de los síntomas de climaterio y menopausia por lo que puede ser una fuente útil de consulta (AU).
ABSTRACT During the climacteric and menopause, due to hormonal changes, women may present symptoms affecting life quality and interpersonal relations. Homeopathy could be used as an alternative or complementary therapy in the management of those symptoms, providing several benefits, scarce secondary effects, saving resources and opening a new research field. There is not enough bibliography on this topic and it is dispersed, making it difficult for the professional to consult it when it is necessary. A bibliographic review was carried out with the objective of identifying and describing the main homeopathic medicinal products that could be used to treat the symptoms during the climacteric and menopause. The articles were identified mainly through an automated search in Scielo, PubMed and EBSCO databases, in the period from January 2017 and May 2018. Those books and articles considered as referents in the topic because of their transcendence were reviewed. 26 bibliographic references were chosen because they complied with the objective of this research. 20 homeopathic medicinal products capable of being used in the treatment of the climacteric and menopause symptoms were identified and described, being therefore a useful consultation source (AU).
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Climacteric/drug effects , Menopause/drug effects , Homeopathic Remedy/drug effects , Quality of Life/psychology , Women/psychology , Review Literature as TopicABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Details and effects of individualised homeopathic treatment of headache (ICD-9: 784.0) in usual care have not yet been investigated. METHODS: Prospective multi-centre observational study. Consecutive primary-care patients beginning homeopathic treatment were followed for 2 years, keeping regular records of complaint severity, health-related quality of life (QoL), and medication use. RESULTS: 230 adults (77.0% women), age 38.2 +/- 11.3 years, and 74 children (10.4 +/- 3.2 years, 55.4% girls) treated by 73 physicians were included. Patients suffered from headaches (average duration: adults 9.3 +/- 9.5 years, children 2.7 +/- 2.6 years) and other chronic diseases. Most patients (adults 90.0%, children 70.8%) had been pre-treated (usually with conventional treatment). Severity of diagnoses and complaints showed marked improvements in the first 3 months, continuing on until the end of the study. For headache, standardised effects (mean change divided by standard deviation at baseline) in adults reached 1.63 (95% CI 1.78-1.49), 2.27 (2.45-2.09), and 2.44 (2.63-2.25) at 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively. In children, the standardised effects at these time points were 1.67 (1.91-1.44), 2.55 (2.82-2.28), and 2.74 (3.03-2.46), respectively. Whilst the QoL among adults improved over time, this trend was not observed in children. Use of conventional treatment and health services decreased markedly. CONCLUSION: This observational study of patients seeking homeopathic treatment because of headache showed consistent improvements over the 24-month period. The observational and uncontrolled character of the study design does not allow conclusions on a specific relationship between treatment and the observed effects.
Subject(s)
Headache Disorders/drug therapy , Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Headache Disorders/psychology , Humans , Male , Materia Medica/adverse effects , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Quality of Life/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To characterize patients seeking care at a university-based integrative medicine practice, and to assess short-term changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) associated with integrative medical treatment. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: This study was conducted at a large U.S. academic medical center affiliated with the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred and sixty-three (763) new patients with diverse medical conditions participated in the study. Mean age was 49 years (standard deviation = 16, range = 14-93). Two thirds of patients were women and three quarters were white. The most common International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision medical diagnoses were malaise and fatigue, myalgia and myositis, allergy, anxiety or depression, hypertension, malignant neoplasm of the breast, lumbago, and irritable bowel disease. Over half the sample had two or more comorbid medical conditions. OUTCOME MEASURE: The Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) health survey was used to measure HRQoL at initial assessment and 3-months following integrative medicine consultation. RESULTS: Baseline SF-36 scores fell below the 25th percentile, indicating substantially compromised HRQoL. Physician-prescribed treatment modalities included anthroposophical medicine, nutritional medicine, Western herbs, homeopathy, nutritional counseling, and acupuncture. Three (3) month follow-up assessment revealed statistically significant improvements on all eight SF-36 subscales among survey respondents. HRQoL effect sizes ranged from 0.17 (Physical Functioning) to 0.41 (Social Functioning), with a mean of 0.30. HRQoL effects were consistent among demographic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Integrative medical treatment at a university-based center is associated with significant increases in HRQoL for a medically diverse population with substantial comorbidity and functional limitations. Controlled studies that measure HRQoL and additional outcomes related to whole person health--physical, mental, social, and spiritual--are needed to determine the full therapeutic potential of integrative medicine, and to determine efficacy and cost-effectiveness relative to conventional medical care.
Subject(s)
Academic Medical Centers , Health Status , Integrative Medicine/statistics & numerical data , Patients/statistics & numerical data , Quality of Life/psychology , Research Design , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Catchment Area, Health , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment Outcome , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Este projeto é parte das exigências do percurso da autora como aluna do mestrado em Saúde Coletiva da Unisinos e visa verificar a efetividade da homeopatia aplicada como adjuvante em planos terapêuticos para transtornos psiquiátricos, mais especificamente, as síndromes depressivas. Depressão inclui diversos tipos clínicos e, em seu conjunto, representa grave condição de vulnerabilidade, tanto na perspectiva dos indivíduos afetados, quanto em termos populacionais. Estudo quanti-qualitativo, compreendendo ensaio clínico duplo-cego, randomizado, que avalia a efetividade do emprego da homeopatia como tratamento complementar em depressão refratária e discussões focais de grupo para avaliação subjetiva das pacientes que concluírem o período de seis meses de tratamento. Palavras-chave: depressão refratária. homeopatia. epidemiologia.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Complementary Therapies/methods , Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant/prevention & control , Homeopathy/methods , Double-Blind Method , Patient Satisfaction , Quality of Life/psychology , Treatment Outcome , Women's HealthABSTRACT
Este estudo teve como objetivo geral estudar pacientes com câncer, e submetidos a um tratamento homeopático, que se apresenta como uma forma de tratamento atuando não somente em seu estado clínico, mas também e sobretudo, em qualidade de vida. Trata-se de uma pesquisa clínica quantitativa, delineada na forma de estudo de caso. Os pacientes eram portadores de Câncer, e foram acompanhados em um período de tempo que variou de acordo com a gravidade de sua situação e seu tempo de sobre de sobrevida. Como instrumento de coleta de dados, utilizou-se o critério homeopático de abordagem clínica, onde os sintomas relacionados ao imaginário e as emoções são indispensáveis. Os dados foram analisados através do método de análise do conteúdo, sob o enfoque de evolução clínico-dinâmico homeopático. Os resultdos nos permitiram concluir que que o tratamento homeopático apresenta-se como recurso valioso, não somente melhorando os sintomas e o quadro clínico de pacientes com câncer, mas atuando em uma melhora de sua qualidade de vida, analisada homeopaticamente, inclusive em pacientes terminais. (AU)