eCMAJ -- Wong 161 (2): 128-a

eCMAJ -- Wong 161 (2): 128-a
[advanced]
QUICK SEARCH:
Author:
Keyword(s):
HOME
HELP
FEEDBACK
SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE
SEARCH
ACCUEIL AIDE COMMENTAIRES ABONNEMENTS ARCHIVES RECHERCHE COLLECTIONS TABLE DES MATIÈRES
CMAJ • July 27, 1999; 161 (2)
© 1999 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
Letters
Correspondance
Educating med students about alternative therapies
H. C. George Wong, MD
Division of Allergy and Immunology; Department of Medicine; University of
British Columbia; Vancouver, BC
I read with interest the recent Research Letter on complementary and alternative medicine
[1]
(CAM) in Canadian medical schools. History taking is fundamental in undergraduate and
postgraduate teaching, but students should also be taught to ask patients about their use of
CAM.
[2]
Only 39.8% and 38.7% of alternative therapies being used by patients were being
disclosed to physicians according to surveys conducted in 1990
[3]
Go
COLLECTIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS
and 1997.
[4]
Year:
Vol:
Page:
Email this article to a friend
eLetters: Submit a response to this article
- Lettres électroniques : répondre à cet article
Similar articles found in - Articles semblables dans:
eCMAJ
PubMed
PubMed Citation - Citation PubMed
Search Medline for articles by
- Chercher dans Medline des articles de:
Wong, H. C. G.
Alert me when - Veuillez m'avertir si:
new articles cite this article
- de nouveaux articles citent cet article
Download to Citation Manager
- Télécharger à un logiciel de gestion des citations
Collections under which this article appears
- Collections dans lesquelles cet article paraît:
Complementary Medicine and Alternative
Therapies
Undergraduate (includes medical student issues)
Despite some claims that CAM preparations are harmless, these products have been documented to cause allergic [
5,6]
and other adverse drug reactions
[7]
and interactions. Asking patients about their use of these products is of paramount importance in determining actual or potential drug allergies or
other reactions. I wonder if the 16 Canadian medical schools have specific instruction on this type of history taking.
The evidence-based approach to CAM education is not mentioned in your Research Letter. In a recent survey at a Canadian medical school, 65% of
first-year students wanted a course in CAM. The authors recommended that evidence-based but nonjudgmental education on CAM be a required
component of undergraduate medical education.
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/161/2/128-a (1 of 3)16.12.2003 00:42:59
[8]
eCMAJ -- Wong 161 (2): 128-a
H.C. George Wong, MD
Division of Allergy and Immunology; Department of Medicine; University of British Columbia; Vancouver, BC
References
1. Ruedy J, Kaufman DM, MacLeod H. Alternative and complementary medicine in Canadian medical schools: a survey. CMAJ1999;160(6):816-7.
[Free Full Text]
2. Wong HCG, Wong NYY, Wong JKT, Wong AMY. Chinese proprietary and herbal medicines used in three allergic diseases. J Allergy Clin
Immunol 1999;103(1 pt 2):A771.
3. Eisenberg DM, Kessler RC, Foster C, Norlock FE, Calkins DR, Delbanco TL. Unconventional medicine in the United States. N Engl J
Med1993;328:246-52.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
4. Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Eltner SL, Appel S, Wilkey S, Van Rompay M, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 19901997. JAMA1998;280:1569-75.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
5. Jensen-Jarolim E, Reider N, Fritsch R, Breiteneder H. Fatal outcome of anaphylaxis to camomile-containing enema during labor: a case study. J
Allergy Clin Immunol1998;102(6 pt 1):1041-2.[Medline]
6. Wong HCG. A generalized allergic cutaneous reaction associated with a Chinese proprietary medicine of herbal origin [abstract]. Clin Invest
Med (Suppl). In press.
7. Miller LG. Herbal medicinals: selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions. Arch Intern
Med1998;158:2200-11.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
8. Duggan K, Verhoef MJ, Hilsden RJ. First-year medical students and complementary and alternative medicine: attitudes, knowledge and
experiences. Ann R Coll Physician Surg Can1999;32:157-60.
Email this article to a friend
eLetters: Submit a response to this article
- Lettres électroniques : répondre à cet article
Similar articles found in - Articles semblables dans:
eCMAJ
PubMed
PubMed Citation - Citation PubMed
Search Medline for articles by
- Chercher dans Medline des articles de:
Wong, H. C. G.
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/161/2/128-a (2 of 3)16.12.2003 00:42:59
eCMAJ -- Wong 161 (2): 128-a
Alert me when - Veuillez m'avertir si:
new articles cite this article
- de nouveaux articles citent cet article
Download to Citation Manager
- Télécharger à un logiciel de gestion des citations
Collections under which this article appears
- Collections dans lesquelles cet article paraît:
Complementary Medicine and Alternative
Therapies
Undergraduate (includes medical student issues)
HOME
HELP
FEEDBACK
SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE
SEARCH
COLLECTIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACCUEIL AIDE COMMENTAIRES ABONNEMENTS ARCHIVES RECHERCHE COLLECTIONS TABLE DES MATIÈRES
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/161/2/128-a (3 of 3)16.12.2003 00:42:59