title: Serious decisions: chronic conditions and choice of provider.
abstract: People with chronic health conditions combine conventional medical care with different complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for varying reasons. The data on which we drew to elucidate this derive from a large mixed-methods study utilizing participant observation, in-depth interviews with 69 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD), and interviews with 20 health care providers. Although integrative practices are increasingly common, people make clear choices about and trade-offs between conventional medical care and CAM, often using CAM and prescribed pharmaceuticals in tandem for different conditions and distinct purposes and outcomes. As we illustrate, some people perceived type 2 diabetes and CVD as "too serious" for CAM treatment, but concurrently, many turned to CAM providers in appreciation of the serious attention these providers paid to their health-related concerns.
authors.affiliation: 1School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Lenore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manderson
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Canaway
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D002755:Choice Behavior; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014739:Victoria; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: concept analysis; decision making; health care, alternative and complementary; illness and disease, chronic; lay concepts and practices