Considerations for Implementing a Pediatric Integrative Medical Service

Download or read book Considerations for Implementing a Pediatric Integrative Medical Service written by Izabela Bienko and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly in demand and utilized by the public, specifically by families and their children who are being cared for by current mainstream in-hospital services. Integrative medicine (IM) is a strategy by which conventional health care is attempting to address the use of CAM and explore considerations to implement a pediatric integrative medical (PIM) service. This study will add the otherwise unexplored perspectives of CAM practitioners and hospital administrators to current literature. Semi-structured interviews with 10 CAM practitioners and 4 administrators were conducted. A qualitative comparative content analysis explored considerations for CAM integration in a pediatric hospital, including varied attitudes; levels of understanding and experiences with CAM; communication between professionals; expectations; skepticism and resistance to change; gaining knowledge about CAM; opposing health care ideologies; adapting to different health care environments; funding; safety; redistribution of care; therapeutic milieu; and patient centered care. There is a reservation toward IM in pediatric hospitals, despite generally positive personal and professional experiences and attitudes towards CAM. The realities and challenges of IM are identified. Implications for inclusion of key stakeholder perspectives are discussed in the context of IM for pediatric patients.