Preliminary initiatives in a bridge building project between conventional and alternative practitioners in Denmark.
BACKGROUND
A growing number of the approximately 7,400 persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Denmark use alternative treatments. The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Society has been experiencing an increasing demand for research on the effects of combined conventional and alternative treatments. For this reason, the Society has initiated a bridge building project to be implemented from 2004-2011 at a specialized MS hospital. In that project, a team of five conventional and five alternative practitioners works together and offers integrative treatments to a total of 400 MS patients.


OBJECTIVE
The overall purpose of the project is to examine if integrative treatments may optimize treatment results for people suffering from MS, and to develop a model for a bridge building cooperation of conventional and alternative practitioners in the future.


METHODS
In this article we give an overview of the steps taken before establishing the hospital- based team of practitioners: (1) a public hearing attended by conventional and alternative practitioners experienced in treating MS patients; (2) qualitative interviews among conventional practitioners at a specialized MS hospital; (3) a literature study on the use and effects of alternative treatments and integrative treatments related to MS.


RESULTS
The knowledge gained in the preliminary steps of the project showed that we had to add a preparatory phase to the project focusing on the development of the team before it would start treating MS patients.
Haahr
Niels
N
Danish Multiple Sclerosis Society, Valby. nha@scleroseforeningen.dk
Launsø
Laila
L
D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D003718:Denmark; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D016896:Treatment Outcome