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Complementary and Alternative Medicine pp 77–119Cite as

Advising Patients and Communicating About Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Part of the book series: Biomedical Ethics Reviews ((BER))

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a broad domain of resources that encompasses health systems, modalities, and practices and their accompanying theories and beliefs, other than those intrinsic to the dominant health system of a particular society or culture in a given historical period (2). Other terms sometimes used to describe these health care practices include natural medicine, nonconventional medicine, and holistic medicine (3). The widespread use of CAM therapies has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, yet there are few clear guidelines on how physicians should be advising patients about their use.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Integrative Medicine, University of New Mexico’s (UNM) Health Science Center, New Mexico

    Arti Prasad MD (associate professor,founding chief)

  2. University of Washington, Washington, DC

    Mariebeth B. Velásquez BS

Authors
  1. Arti Prasad MD
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  2. Mariebeth B. Velásquez BS
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics, Philadelphia, PA

    Lois Snyder JD (director) (director)

  2. Center for Ethics and Professionalism at the American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA

    Lois Snyder JD (director) (director)

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© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Prasad, A., Velásquez, M.B. (2007). Advising Patients and Communicating About Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In: Snyder, L. (eds) Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Biomedical Ethics Reviews. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-381-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-381-3_4

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-584-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-381-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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