Patient education and counseling
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The role of the consultation in mediating improved clinical outcomes has been demonstrated in both conventional and complementary medicine but to date no depth study has explored how complementary medical consultations achieve such benefits. This study explored rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients' perceptions of the homeopathic consultation including any perceived benefit. ⋯ Homeopathic consultations may provide an additional resource for RA patients. Identifying and employing the "active ingredients" that confer benefit may be appropriate for other clinicians to maximise patient benefits from consultations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Doctor's attire influences perceived empathy in the patient-doctor relationship.
This study investigated whether doctors' attire influences the perception of empathy in the patient-doctor relationship during a therapeutic encounter. ⋯ The doctor's attire can function as an effective tool of non-verbal communication in order to signal confidence, trust and empathy and establish a good patient-doctor relationship.
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To improve our understanding of patient participation in health care consultations and decision-making by exploring a consultation that lies at the interface between mainstream care and complementary therapies. ⋯ Insight were gained into professionals' communication strategies and patients' role preferences in decision-making, which may be applicable more widely.
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To analyse the co-construction of self-care advice in traditional acupuncture consultations. ⋯ The active participation of both patients and acupuncture practitioners in self-care talk may be related to professional practice that is underpinned by a holistic theory base such as Chinese medicine and is delivered in the context of therapeutic relationships based on continuity, mutuality and trust. These findings may inform professional education and the design of multi-disciplinary care pathways.
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To empirically investigate the ways in which patients and providers discuss Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatment in primary care visits. ⋯ Providers do not have to possess extensive knowledge about specific CAM treatments to have meaningful discussions with patients and to give patients a framework for evaluating CAM treatment use.