SpaceMed Newsletter
Spring 2009
Volume 2, Number 2
Hospitals Are Adding
Complementary and
Alternative Services
OVERVIEW
In response to patient
demand, hospitals are integrating complementary and alternative medicine
services with the conventional services they typically provide according to
a survey released last fall by Health Forum, the American Hospital
Association subsidiary that publishes Hospitals and Health Networks.
According to the survey, 37 percent of responding hospitals indicated they
offer one or more complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, up
from 26.5 percent in 2005.
CAM is not based solely on traditional Western allopathic medical teachings and may include acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and massage therapy, along with diet and lifestyle changes. The focus is to treat the whole person ― body, mind, and spirit.
SURVEY FINDINGS
Other survey findings include:
-
84 percent of hospitals indicated patient demand as the primary rationale in offering CAM services and 67 percent stated clinical effectiveness as their top reason
-
The majority of hospitals that offered CAM were urban (72 percent) and most were medium-sized (100 to 299 beds)
-
Massage therapy is one of the top two services provided in both outpatient and inpatient settings
-
Most CAM services are not reimbursed by insurance and are paid for out-of-pocket by patients
ENTIRE ARTICLE
More information on the survey can be found at www.healthforumonlinestore.com by following the link for Data Products and selecting CAM Study.
News 1309.6.1