[The measures proposed by the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate after the death of Sylvia Millecam and her treatment by practitioners of alternative medicine].
As a result of the illness and treatment of the Dutch comedian Sylvia Millecam, who died of the consequences of an untreated mammary carcinoma following a quest for help from a series of practitioners of alternative medicine, the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate has proposed measures designed to prevent a repetition of such a shortcoming in the delivered care. The measures include the compulsory registration of practitioners of alternative medicine, the restriction of diagnostic procedures to regular physicians, the obligation to co-operate with the best possible treatment for the patient in question, mutual exchange of information between practitioners of regular and alternative medicine, and a compulsory protocol regarding the therapeutic agreement with the patient if the regular route is not followed. How feasible these measures are remains a question. A positive aspect of the report is the attention given to the shortcomings in the care provided by the alternative circuit and the deterrent effect of the present case.
van Dam
F S
FS
Nederlands Kanker Instituut-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Ziekenhuis, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam. f.v.dam@nki.nl
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D003142:Communication; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010820:Physicians; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*