The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
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J Altern Complement Med · Jan 2004
ReviewThe role of optimal healing environments in patients undergoing cancer treatment: clinical research protocol guidelines.
Integrative cancer care (ICC) is the treatment of patients with cancer, under physician supervision, with appropriate conventional treatments in a healing context based on insights from research on nutrition, biochemistry, exercise, and psycho-oncology. It uses validated techniques and practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and strategies for enhancing treatment and side-effect management such as chronomodulated chemotherapy, therapies to reduce treatment resistance, and innovative assessments for individualizing treatment plans. ⋯ Expectations of well-being are fostered; transformative self-care practices are common therapeutic tools; development of healing presence among staff and therapeutic alliances with patients are emphasized; instruction in health-promoting behavior is standard; and collaborative integration of CAM in the practice is typical. Based on the authors' clinical experience, an OHE for patients with cancer is described and suggestions for meaningful research are identified.
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J Altern Complement Med · Jan 2004
ReviewMindfulness and healing intention: concepts, practice, and research evaluation.
This paper deals with the role of the health care professional in creating an optimal healing environment (OHE), with a special focus on which inner state and way of being in the world can create a healing intention. A core thesis is that every healing effort and every healing intention starts within the health care professional. An accepting, mindful, and warm-hearted relationship with self is primary to any healing intention. ⋯ The power and importance of mindfulness and compassion for healing are explored along the Frank model of nonspecific therapeutic components. This is the approach whereby a health care professional can elicit self-healing powers in patients through his or her inner attitudes. Finally, a research program and some hypotheses on how to implement and research this specific approach toward the creation of an OHE are outlined.