PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sarah B Brien
AU  - Felicity L Bishop
AU  - Kirsty Riggs
AU  - David Stevenson
AU  - Victoria Freire
AU  - George Lewith
TI  - Integrated medicine in the management of chronic illness: a qualitative study
AID  - 10.3399/bjgp11X556254
DP  - 2011 Feb 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - e89--e96
VI  - 61
IP  - 583
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/61/583/e89.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/61/583/e89.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2011 Feb 01; 61
AB  - Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular with patients, yet how patients use CAM in relation to orthodox medicine (OM) is poorly understood.Aim To explore how patients integrate CAM and OM when self-managing chronic illness.Design of study Qualitative analysis of interviews.Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals attending private CAM practices in the UK, who had had a chronic benign condition for 12 months and were using CAM alongside OM for more than 3 months. Patients were selected to create a maximum variation sample. The interviews were analysed using framework analysis.Results Thirty five patient interviews were conducted and seven categories of use were identified: using CAM to facilitate OM use; using OM to support long-term CAM use; using CAM to reduce OM; using CAM to avoid OM; using CAM to replace OM; maximising relief using both CAM and OM; and returning to OM. Participants described initiating CAM use following a perceived lack of suitable orthodox treatment. Participants rejecting OM for a specific condition never totally rejected OM in favour of CAM.Conclusion Patients utilise CAM and OM in identifiably different ways, individualising and integrating both approaches to manage their chronic conditions. To support patients and prevent potential adverse interactions, open dialogue between patients, OM practitioners, and CAM practitioners must be improved.