Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2001; 6: 96
The Tzu Chi Institute, the first of its kind in Canada, uses an integrated healthcare model. We will describe this model, our client population, their health concerns, and their health outcomes.
We analysed data on each client’s background and health history, and measures of quality of life (SF-36), social support, and satisfaction with the programme that clients are asked to complete at enrolment, 6 and 12 months. In the coming months we will compare our clientele with data pertaining to the general population.
As of August 2000, we enrolled 600 clients in our clinical programme. Of these, 80% have tried complementary therapies in the past; 70% are female and the average age is 49 years (range 21–90 years). These clients have complex health histories, present with multiple risk factors, and most report three or more serious health issues for which they are seeking treatment. These include: cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular disease, pain and fatigue. Our data show that clients are satisfied with the programme and that significant improvements in health status have been achieved.
The clinic is dealing with a highly complex clinical population for which the allopathic medical system generally has few solutions. Early indicators show that our integrated care programme appears to be beneficial for this population.
