title: Complementary/alternative medicine in chronic illness as informed self-care decision making.
abstract: The reasons that persons with chronic illness explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have not been well understood. Using data from a study of self-care decision making in chronic illness, we conducted a qualitative secondary analysis to interpret the rationale underlying decisions to experiment with and use various CAM practices and products. The findings confirm that CAM use can be understood as a critical component of self-care management in general, and not as a rejection of conventional medicine or an unrealistic search for cure. In contrast, it represents personal responsibility for health, reframing the measures by which therapeutics are evaluated, and adopting a pragmatic approach to living as well as possible in the context of a chronic condition.
authors.affiliation: UBC School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, T201-2211 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 2B5. thorne@nursing.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thorne
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003657:Decision Making; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000628:therapy; D012648:Self Care