New Campaign Encourages Open Communication About CAM
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"It's time to talk."
That's the message of a new educational campaign launched by NCCAM to help open the lines of communication between health care providers and their patients about CAM use. NCCAM is reaching out to professional and consumer organizations to help educate their members about the importance of this dialogue.
The "Time to Talk" campaign grew out of findings from a national survey by NCCAM and AARP published in 2007 (see the Winter 2007 issue) and from focus groups. Among the almost 1,600 Americans age 50 or older in the survey, two-thirds reported that they used some form of CAM. However, fewer than one-third of those who used CAM discussed their CAM use with their physicians. The most common reasons for this, the survey found, were that the physician never asked, the patients did not know they should talk about it, and there was not enough time during the office visits.
"We know that about two-thirds of Americans are using CAM. These therapies can enhance or interact with conventional health care practices," said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., Director of NCCAM. "If you are a health care provider, asking your patients about CAM use will help you provide safe, coordinated care. If you are a patient, giving your provider a full picture of what you do to manage your health, including any use of CAM, will help you stay in control and allow your provider to be an informed partner in your care." As part of this campaign, the Center is offering an array of free tools and resources for a variety of audiences:
- For patients: A packet including a tip sheet and a wallet card for keeping track of medications
- For health care providers: A toolkit including tip sheets, patient wallet cards, posters, and resource information
- For professional associations and consumer organizations: A toolkit designed for these organizations, including an article for use in publications.
These materials are available from the NCCAM Clearinghouse (1-888-644-6226 toll-free) and via the "Time to Talk" Web site.
