Find out more about CAM
Find out more about CAM
Cynthia Jean Westley, RN, MSN, ANP-C, community care manager at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, suggests case managers refer to the following resources for more information on complementary and alternative therapies (CAMs).
Books and articles
4 Astin JA. Why patients use alternative medicine: Results of a national study. JAMA 1998; 279:1,548-1,553.
- Dillard J, Ziporyn T. Alternative Medicine For Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide; 1998.
- Eliopoulos C. Integrating Conventional & Alternative Therapies: Holistic Care for Chronic Conditions. St. Louis: Mosby; 1999.
- Engebretson J, Wardell D. A contemporary view of alternative healing modalities. Nurse Practitioner 1993; 18:51-55.
- Goldberg B. Alternative Medicine: the Definitive Guide. Puyallup, WA: Future Medicine Publishing; 1994.
- Jonas WB, Levin JS. Essentials of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Philadelphia: Williams and Wilkins; 1999.
- Micozzi MS. Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. New York City: Churchill Livingstone; 1996.
- Murray M, Pizzorno J. Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. 2nd ed. Rocklin, CA: Prima Communications; 1998.
Research data
In addition to the books and articles listed in the previous section, Westley notes that the following government agencies, associations, and academic institutions provide research data and other information on CAMs.
- The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in Silver Spring, MD, is part of the National Institutes of Health. Contact NCCAM Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 8218, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8218. Telephone: (888) 644-6226. Fax: (301) 495-4957. Web site: http://nccam.nih.gov/.
- The Alternative Medicine Foundation (AMF) in Bethesda, MD, publishes a journal and provides databases and workshops on CAM. Contact AMF, 5411 W. Cedar Lane, Suite 205-A, Bethesda, MD 20814. Telephone: (301) 581-0116. Web site: www.amfoundation.org.
- The American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA) in Raleigh, NC, also maintains a CAM Web site. Contact AHMA, 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27607. Telephone: (919) 787-5181. Web site: www.holisticmedicine. org.
- The American Holistic Nurses’ Association (AHNA) in Flagstaff, AZ, offers a certificate program in holistic nursing. Contact AHNA, P.O. Box 2130, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-2130. Telephone: (800) 278-2462. Web site: http://www.ahna.org.
Westley says case managers should look critically at the many CAM Web sites now available and warn their patients to exercise caution. When exploring Web sites, she suggests case managers apply the following criteria:
• Check the site sponsor. ".com" cues site visitors that the site is commercially sponsored and may not provide objective information; ".org" means the site was developed by a nonprofit organization; ".edu" means the site was developed by an educational institution; ".gov" means the site was developed by a government agency.
• Check the description of the site. This should help you gain a better understanding of the objectives and mission.
• Check the credentials of the editors and writers. Also, check the references for validity.
• Be critical and use common sense. A site containing information that is too good to be true probably is too good to be true.
• Confirm all information with reputable sources. Before you treat a health condition through recommended treatment found on the Internet, confirm its safety with a practitioner.
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