Case Manager's Beliefs, Knowledge and Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Clinical Practice
The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs and knowledge that case managers have regarding CAM, and the resources that they use to educate themselves about the various CAM modalities. Additionally, the study looked at how the case manager's beliefs and knowledge level of CAM influences interactions with their patients who use some of these therapies. A descriptive, non-experimental, quantitative research design was utilized. A general e-mail was sent to all case managers employed by Paradigm Health Inc. inviting them to complete an anonymous on-line survey. A total of 48 case managers (32%) completed the survey and data was analyzed with the use of SPSS Student Version 11.0 for Windows. The majority of respondents held positive beliefs related to CAM. with 91.8% agreeing that CAM has an impact on symptoms or disease processes. The case managers rated themselves as more knowledgeable about meditation/relaxation exercises, massage, guided imagery and yoga, and least knowledgeable about herbal therapies and qi gong. The majority rated their professional preparation in the area of CAM as fair to poor, and 76.6% would like to increase their knowledge of complementary and alternative therapies. The majority reported that they usually or always inquire into their patient's use of herbs and supplements, and usually or always discuss possible interactions between herbs/supplements and prescription drugs. The ease managers in this study cited use of the Internet as the most frequently resource to educate themselves about CAM. Analysis revealed a positive relationship between beliefs and knowledge of complementary and alternative therapies and suggestions to patients to use these therapies.
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