Hope Foley

University of Technology Sydney | UTS · Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM)

Background The naturopathic workforce spans over 108 countries and is estimated to provide care to over 5.5 million patients globally per month. Despite such demand, naturopathic practitioners are not well integrated into mainstream health systems, in part due to poor knowledge about naturopathy among policy makers and other health professionals. T...

Chronic conditions are prolonged and complex, leading patients to seek multiple forms of care alongside conventional treatment, including complementary medicine (CM). These multiple forms of care are often used concomitantly, requiring patient-provider communication about treatments used in order to manage potential risks. In response, this study d...

Objectives: This study aims to describe the characteristics of published peer-reviewed journal articles authored by naturopathic practitioners (NPs) Design: The study used bibliometric analysis of data extracted from journal articles. Settings/Location: International Subjects: Articles were included if they had at least one author with a naturopath...

Introduction Urinary kryptopyrroles (UKP), or the ‘Mauve factor’, was first described in in the early 1960s with an observed association with psychiatric illness. Since this time, there has been growing interest in the clinical importance of UKP testing for a range of clinical conditions. However, there are substantive gaps in the available evidenc...

Background Non-disclosure of conventional medicine use to complementary medicine health professionals may result in patient harm. Currently, no standardised validated instrument is available to measure reasons for conventional medicine disclosure or non-disclosure. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a multidimensional inde...

Background Naturopathy, recognised by the World Health Organisation as a European traditional medicine system, is practiced in every world region. Patients in countries where naturopathy is practiced visit a naturopathic practitioner for a range of health concerns including maternal and reproductive health; recognised as a global health priority ar...

Background Increasing chronic condition diagnoses burden public health systems, individuals and communities. The duration and complexity of chronic conditions require ongoing, multifaceted care - such as person-centred care (PCC) - to address the individual needs and quality of life for patients. Many patients with chronic conditions seek additiona...

Objectives: To date, no formal research has evaluated how naturopathic practitioners approach the care of people living with CVD and associated CVD risk factors. The primary aim of this research was to collect qualitative data from Australian Naturopathic practitioners about their clinical practices for CVD. Design: Semi-structured interviews were...

Objectives Chronic conditions require continuous, multi-factorial care – such as person-centred care – to address patients’ individual health needs and quality of life. Many patients with chronic conditions seek additional care outside mainstream medicine, often consulting complementary medicine (CM) practitioners. This study examines person-centre...

The duration and complexity of chronic conditions leads patients to consult complementary medicine (CM) practitioners, yet such care‐seeking by this clinical population has not been thoroughly examined. This study describes characteristics and reasons for consultation amongst those with chronic conditions who consult CM practitioners. A cross‐secti...

Background The complexity of chronic conditions challenges health systems and patients. Patients with chronic conditions often consult complementary medicine (CM) practitioners. Optimal care of chronic conditions requires understanding of the characteristics and consultation behaviours of these patients. Methods Cross-sectional survey (n = 2025 ad...

Background Naturopathy is one of seven distinct traditional medical systems acknowledged by the World Health Organization. Naturopathic principles and philosophies encourage a focus on multiple body systems during case-taking and the design of treatments. Little is known about whether such teaching translates into practice. This study aimed to char...

Background: Naturopathy is a distinct system of traditional and complementary medicine recognized by the World Health Organization and defined by its philosophic approach to patient care, rather than the treatments used by practitioners. Worldwide, over 98 countries have practicing naturopaths, representing 36% of all countries and every world reg...

Objective: Non-disclosure of complementary medicine (CM) use to doctors is associated with health risks. No standardised, validated instrument exists to measure reasons for CM use disclosure behaviour to doctors in clinical research or practice. This study aims to develop and validate an index that measures the relative importance of reasons for C...

Objective Currently, it is estimated that one in 10 women of reproductive age are affected by the reproductive condition known as endometriosis. However, there has been limited research and policy attention on the prevalence of endometriosis in Australia. Utilising a nationally-representative Australian sample (N = 2025), this study aimed to report...

Objectives To provide a contemporary description of complementary medicine (CM) product use in Australia. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Online. Participants A nationally representative sample (n=2019) of the Australian adult population. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcomes measures included the use and type of CM pro...

Concomitant complementary medicine (CM) and conventional medicine use is frequent and carries potential risks. Yet, CM users frequently neglect to disclose CM use to medical providers. Our systematic review examines rates of and reasons for CM use disclosure to medical providers. Observational studies published 2003–2016 were searched (AMED, CINAHL...

Abstract In order to describe the prevalence and characteristics of complementary medicine (CM) practice and product use by Australians, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey with Australian adults aged 18 and over. Rates of consultation with CM practitioners, and use of CM products and practices were assessed. The sample (n = 2,019) was bro...

While melatonin was once thought of simply as a sleep-inducing hormone, recent research has resulted in development of a deeper understanding of the complex physiological activity of melatonin in the human body. Along with this understanding has come widespread, increasing use of melatonin supplementation, extending beyond its traditional use as a...

Objectives: To report the prevalence of naturopathic and Western herbal medicine service utilization in Australia, and describe the characteristics of individuals who use these services. Design: This is a national cross-sectional study. Settings: Online survey platform. Subjects: Purposive convenience sampling was used to recruit 2025 adults...

Background: Vaccination rates have remained steady for a number of years in Australia, however geographical areas of lower vaccine coverage remains a day-to-day challenge. The study explores parental attitudes, beliefs and intentions in relation to vaccination and examines the early effects of recent No Jab No Pay legislation. Methods: A nationa...

Complementary medicine (CM) holds an established place of value for health care consumers around the world. Consumers seek CM specifically for the type of clinical care provided by CM practitioners, which is perceived as holistic and individualized. The holistic approach of CM has been described as patient-centered and there are indeed many paralle...

Objective Patient-centred care (PCC) is increasingly recognised as a valuable paradigm of clinical care, particularly in the field of chronic disease. As the use of complementary medicine (CM) grows, so does the need to explore the clinical experience of CM patients. This study aims to provide an examination of patient perceptions of the degree to...

Objective: This review aims to describe the prevalence of empathy, empowerment and patient-centred clinical care experienced by patients in complementary medicine (CM) consultations. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken of original research exploring patient perceptions of CM clinical care. Ten databases were searched: Alt HealthWatch, AM...