An examination of the clinical practices and perceptions of professional herbalists providing patient care concurrently with conventional medical practice in Australia

Casey, M; Adams, J; Sibbritt, D

An examination of the clinical practices and perceptions of professional herbalists providing patient care concurrently with conventional medical practice in Australia

Casey, M Adams, J

Sibbritt, D

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2008, 16 (4), pp. 228 - 232
Issue Date:: 2008-08-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Casey, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Adams, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9901-5717	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sibbritt, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3561-9447	en_US
dc.date.available	2007-06-10	en_US
dc.date.issued	2008-08-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2008, 16 (4), pp. 228 - 232	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0965-2299	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/15679
dc.description.abstract	Objective: To examine the clinical practices and perceptions of herbalists providing patient care concurrently with conventional medical practice. Method: A postal survey was sent to all full members of the National Herbalists' Association of Australia (NHAA). There were 649 members in practice at the time of the survey and the total response rate was 58.2%. Results: Most of the patients who visit professional herbalists seek care for chronic conditions have been medically diagnosed and continue to consult a general practitioner (GP). Study findings indicate that many patients who visit herbalists are taking herbal and pharmaceutical medicines concurrently. Therapists reported a high rate of referral to GPs for medical diagnosis, treatment and/or prescription. The majority of herbalists also routinely include a pharmaceutical case history as part of their consultation and patients are encouraged to inform their GPs if they are taking any herbal therapies. The majority of herbalists reported a need for closer collaboration and cooperation with the medical community in the future. Conclusion: Herbalists in Australia are fully aware of the value of medical diagnosis and inter-referrals, are well informed about patient medications and require a closer working relationship with the medical community. Further research is needed to investigate potential interactions between herbal and pharmaceutical medicines to maintain high safety standards for the public. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Complementary Therapies in Medicine	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.ctim.2007.06.002	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Complementary & Alternative Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Interprofessional Relations	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Referral and Consultation	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Physician's Practice Patterns	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Herbal Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Practice Patterns, Physicians'	en_US
dc.title	An examination of the clinical practices and perceptions of professional herbalists providing patient care concurrently with conventional medical practice in Australia	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	16	en_US
utslib.for	1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
dc.location.activity	ISI:000258544900008	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	16	en_US

Abstract:

Objective: To examine the clinical practices and perceptions of herbalists providing patient care concurrently with conventional medical practice. Method: A postal survey was sent to all full members of the National Herbalists' Association of Australia (NHAA). There were 649 members in practice at the time of the survey and the total response rate was 58.2%. Results: Most of the patients who visit professional herbalists seek care for chronic conditions have been medically diagnosed and continue to consult a general practitioner (GP). Study findings indicate that many patients who visit herbalists are taking herbal and pharmaceutical medicines concurrently. Therapists reported a high rate of referral to GPs for medical diagnosis, treatment and/or prescription. The majority of herbalists also routinely include a pharmaceutical case history as part of their consultation and patients are encouraged to inform their GPs if they are taking any herbal therapies. The majority of herbalists reported a need for closer collaboration and cooperation with the medical community in the future. Conclusion: Herbalists in Australia are fully aware of the value of medical diagnosis and inter-referrals, are well informed about patient medications and require a closer working relationship with the medical community. Further research is needed to investigate potential interactions between herbal and pharmaceutical medicines to maintain high safety standards for the public. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/15679