DOHA: Ways to effectively integrate complementary and alternative treatments with conventional medicine were discussed at a symposium hosted by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q).
More than 200 healthcare professionals were present.
The symposium, coordinated by WCMC-Q’s Division of Global and Public Health, featured speeches by healthcare experts on integrative medicine topics such as acupuncture, mind-body medicine, and nutritional and herbal supplements. Strategies for enabling self-care and building therapeutic alliances with patients were also discussed.
The symposium, under the theme ‘Integrative Medicine: A Refreshing Approach to Optimum Health’, explored positive aspects of alternative therapies and dangers and risks they can pose to patients. The relatively new movement towards ‘integrative medicine’ encourages physicians to speak to patients to ensure that any evidence-based alternative therapies they are using complement conventional therapies and do not endanger health by conflicting with prescription drugs, for example.
Dr Ravinder Mamtani, Professor of Healthcare Policy and Research, WCMC-Q, said, “As physicians, we have a responsibility to engage empathetically with patients to discover complementary and alternative therapies they might be using. One compelling reason for this is that research has shown that a large number of patients make use of complementary therapies, so it would be remiss to ignore this factor.
“There is sufficient evidence that many complementary therapies have clinical benefits and can help patients deal with a variety of conditions and diseases, many of which may cause chronic and disabling pain.
“Physicians have an obligation to explore how these modalities can help patients and we must also examine new ways to structure healthcare delivery to facilitate integration of evidence-based complementary therapies with conventional medicine.”
Dr Javaid Sheikh, Dean, WCMC-Q, gave the keynote address, followed by remarks by Dr David Reilly, Consultant Physician, National Health Service Centre for Integrative Care in Glasgow, Scotland, who spoke on self-care, wellness enhancement and human healing.
The Peninsula
