From the perspective of the CEO or Chief Medical Officer of the clinic, how would you respond to the questions or concerns your peers' addressed below ?
Considering Seeking Integrative Care
For the purpose of this discussion, I am a patient of a specialty cancer clinic. I have just received a letter from the Chief Medical Officer, informing me of their consideration of integrating CAH practitioners in their clinical practices. As the consumer, there are some things I would need to evaluate and consider before a decision is to be made whether or not to continue care with this clinic. First, am I under any obligation to receive CAH treatments, or can I opt out and receive only conventional methods of care? Second, what types of therapies will be offered? How safe and effective are they? Third, are the CAH practitioners qualified in their fields? Can I ask to see their licenses and/or proof of education? Fourth, will my insurance cover integrative care? Will integrative care increase my chances of survival? Will integrative care cater to my culturally diverse background?
Quality of care and satisfaction in the following categories will also determine which decision I make on where to seek care:
Relation and communication
Actual medical care
Available Information and support
Continuity and cooperation
Organization of care, including availability and accessibility (Busato & Kunzi, 2010, p. 3)
Moreover, will I be protected under the same ethical standards as conventional care? These standards include the following characteristics:
Beneficence: the duty to act in a positive way towards clients
Non-maleficence: the duty to do no harm
Autonomy: assisting clients with care without imposing one's own beliefs
Confidentiality: establishes a trusting client/provider relationship
Advocacy: assisting clients with maintaining their autonomy (Young & Koopsen, 2011, p. 58-59)
The most important elements that will determine which treatment facility I seek care in are efficacy of treatment, safety of treatment, cost of treatment, and accessibility of care. Additionally, I want to be in charge of my treatment and I want to feel confident in the abilities of my practitioners, to both meet my needs and fulfill their duties during the treatment process.
References
Busato, A., & Kunzi, B. (2010). Differences in the quality of interpersonal care in complementary and conventional medicine. BMC Complement. Altern. Med, 10(63),14. Retrieved from the Pub-Med Central database.
Young, C. & Koopsen. C. (2011). Spirituality, health and healing: An integrative approach (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. ISBN: 9780763779429.