Can We All Speak the Same 'Language' for Our Patients' Sake? Feedback on Interprofessional Communication and Related Resources

Towards consensus: defining and supporting a professional role for pharmacists associated with traditional and complementary medicines - a protocol of implementing an international e-survey

INTRODUCTION

Traditional and complementary medicines (T&CM) are predominantly self-selected from retail outlets including pharmacies as part of self-care practices. Concerns about the appropriate and safe use of T&CM products raises questions about 'should' and 'how' pharmacists could adopt professional responsibilities. There lacks a consensus about the scope of these responsibilities, or the initiatives required to execute them. The aim of this study is to identify an international set of core responsibilities that support pharmacists' contribution to ensuring the quality and safe use of T&CMs to promote public health.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

An international cross-sectional e-survey of pharmacists representing the six WHO regions will be conducted over a 12-month period. Pharmacists will be invited via representative organisations and professional networks within their respective country. Survey responses to statements about the relevance of T&CM to day-to-day practice; opinions about the bioethical and practice responsibilities; and support required to build their scope of practice associated with T&CM will be collected centrally via the online survey platform Survey Monkey and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences V.27 software for Windows. Bivariate statistical analysis will be conducted to examine the associations between agreement to statements within each section with key demographic variables, country of practice, pharmacy type, age, gender, qualification and years in practice. Cronbach's alpha will be used to test the internal consistency of items from certain sections of the survey and evince their clarity to respondents of the questionnaire.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval has been obtained from the University of Macau (approval number SSHRE21-APP068-ICMS-01). The results of this survey will be used to inform key discussion points in a consensus process and a step towards developing an agreed and defined professional role for pharmacists in T&CMs.

To "tell or not to tell"-Exploring disclosure about medicine use by people living with sleep disorders

OBJECTIVE

To explore the difference in rates and reasons for disclosure of either conventional or complementary medicine (CM) to healthcare practitioners between people living with sleep disorders (SDs) and those without SDs.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey (N = 2019 adults) that measured sociodemographic characteristics, health status, health service utilisation, health literacy and health communication (medicine disclosure) of a representative sample of Australians was conducted. Data from participants reporting an SD (n = 265) were compared to those not reporting an SD to assess measures of health communication and disclosure about medicine use.

RESULTS

Overall, rates of medicine disclosure to both conventional and CM practitioners were high, in respondents with (70%) and without an SD (57%). Those reporting an SD had higher expectations of their conventional health practitioner's knowledge of CM, associated clinical decision-making skills, and approval of CM use, and held a higher degree of concern about drug interactions (P < 0.05). The main reasons cited for disclosing CM use to conventional health practitioners and conventional medicine use to CM practitioners were "I want them to fully understand my health status" and "I was concerned about drug interactions with the CMs used."

CONCLUSION

The high rate of medicine use disclosure by people with SDs is driven by an intention to inform their healthcare practitioner about their health status and concerns about potential medicine interactions. Therefore, research about the expectations that people with an SD have of their conventional healthcare practitioners' knowledge of CM and CM-drug interactions requires further examination. Likewise, further examination of CM practitioner's conventional medicine knowledge is encouraged.

Naturopathic practitioners' approach to caring for people with cardiovascular disease risk factors: A cross-cultural cross-sectional study reporting the providers perspective

BACKGROUND

and purpose: Naturopathic practitioners (NPs) in the United States (US) and Australia are consulted for the prevention and management of a range of health conditions, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, little is known about how NPs approach the management of CVD risk factors. The aim of this study was to explore NPs approach to the care of people with CVD risk factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 2018, Australian and US NPs were recruited via professional representative organisations. A survey was developed containing four domains; naturopathic approaches to the clinical management of CVD risk factors, communication and sharing of information; professional-client relationship factors; and demographic information. The data analysis was conducted using the appropriate statistical tests.

RESULTS

A total of 151 NPs completed the survey (Australia n = 75, US n = 76). NPs reported employing dietary, and multiple behavioural and natural product interventions to treat CVD risk factors. The most frequently recommended products by US and Australian NPs were fish oils (87%), magnesium (83%) and coenzyme Q10 (87%). Differences in what US and Australian NPs recommended were identified. NPs reported limited communication with medical doctors about their clients. NPs placed high importance on the relationship quality with their clients.

CONCLUSION

US and Australian NPs represent an aspect of primary care and disease prevention that warrants further research that evaluates the potential risks and benefits of NP care, and challenges and opportunities associated with NPs integration into the healthcare systems, for populations with CVD risk factors.

Patient Satisfaction Determinants of Inpatient Healthcare

The aim of the study was to analyse and evaluate the determinants influencing the overall satisfaction of patients with inpatient healthcare in the conditions of the Czech Republic. A total of the 1425 patients, who experienced hospitalisation and agreed to participate, were questioned in the study. A research questionnaire was used to obtain data on satisfaction with hospitalisation. The subject of the research consisted of the indicators related to the following factors: (i) satisfaction with the hospital, clinic, room and meals; (ii) satisfaction with medical staff-nurses, physician expertise and other staff; (iii) the quality of the treatment provided; (iv) satisfaction with leaving the hospital. The formulated statistical hypotheses were evaluated through structural equation modelling. The results of the analyses brought interesting findings. Satisfaction with medical staff is the most significant factor which has a positive effect on satisfaction with hospitalisation. Physician expertise (with trust and good communication skills) is more important for patients than satisfaction with nurses or other staff. The results obtained from the study represent valuable information for policymakers, regional healthcare plans, as well as for managers of hospitals.

Interprofessional Communication-A Call for More Education to Ensure Cultural Competency in the Context of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine

Culturally appropriate communication between healthcare professionals and with patients is widely recognised as a cornerstone of high quality, patient-centred care. The widespread use of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) necessitates that patient-centre communication and cultural competency in healthcare extends beyond race, ethnicity, and languages spoken to also include an awareness of, and respect for the diverse range of healthcare practices, paradigms, and lexicons that patients and practitioners use. Education can equip practitioners with the necessary communication skills and expand their knowledge about the therapies and practices that patients are accessing. In this viewpoint essay, we aim to 1) emphasise the importance of respectful, culturally competent interprofessional communication and collaboration that mutually supports patients’ care needs; 2) note the impact of a political agenda that perpetuates medical hegemony and has discriminated against, and marginalised TCIM practitioners and the people who use these services; and 3) highlight the importance of educational initiatives that support inclusive, culturally competent, interprofessional communication and collaboration between conventional and TCIM healthcare practitioners.