Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Montana, 2008. / Title from title screen. Description based on contents viewed Aug. 21, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-111).

The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) suggests that CAM may be useful in contributing to the achievement of the nation's health objectives listed in Healthy People 2010 (Chapter 8: CAM and wellness in health promotion, 2002). The purpose of this study was to compare CAM practitioners and practices in Australia, where CAM has been embraced, to those in the United States. Overall there were many similarities and few differences between the two country's results. The themes that resulted from analyzing the transcripts of 5 in-depth interviews with practitioners included; collaboration and integration, community descriptions, general characteristics of practice, general characteristics of practitioner, growth and life purpose, holism, need for health culture change, personalized attention/tailored intervention, and technology use. The implications that resulted may inform users of CAM, students of medicine, and American citizens who desire safe alternative ways to improve their health. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

Thesis (M.Tech.: Homoeopathy)--Durban University of Technology, 2008. xvii, 87 leaves / Homoeopathy is a scientific, reliable and natural system of medicinal therapy, which has been in existence for over 200 years. Recent years have shown a profound shift in health and medicine, increasing numbers of the public are opting for complementary and alternative(CAM) therapies. In South Africa the situation for CAM and homoeopathy in particular looks more favorable. The government, in the form of the department of health, has drawn up specific guidelines for the regulation of homoeopathy and other CAM therapies. Much closer liaison should exist between the Allied health professions council of South Africa (AHPCSA) and the Health professions council of S.A (HPCSA) with the aim of uniting strengths to the advantage of the South African public to achieve an integrated, holistic care (Prinsloo, 2005). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to provide demographic data on the perceptions and interactions of Medical specialists in the greater Durban area toward homoeopathy. Their general knowledge of homoeopathy and their views and communication with homoeopathy have been assessed. iv METHODOLOGY A survey method in the form of a questionnaire was employed to investigate the perceptions and interaction of Medical specialists towards homoeopathy. The sample of Medical specialists was drawn from the medical pages of the Durban Telephone Directory. The data was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics using frequency tables and bar charts. The Pearson’s Chi-square Test was used on selected data. RESULTS One hundred and fifty completed questionnaires were returned for analysis out of the 344 sent out. This gives a response rate of 43.60%. CONCLUSION From this study one can conclude that Medical specialists know very little about homoeopathy, and it can be assumed that this lack of knowledge is a possible reason for the poor communication that currently exists between these practitioners and homoeopaths

Thesis (M.Tech.: Homoeopathy)--Durban University of Technology, 2008. xvii, 87 leaves / Homoeopathy is a scientific, reliable and natural system of medicinal therapy, which has been in existence for over 200 years. Recent years have shown a profound shift in health and medicine, increasing numbers of the public are opting for complementary and alternative(CAM) therapies. In South Africa the situation for CAM and homoeopathy in particular looks more favorable. The government, in the form of the department of health, has drawn up specific guidelines for the regulation of homoeopathy and other CAM therapies. Much closer liaison should exist between the Allied health professions council of South Africa (AHPCSA) and the Health professions council of S.A (HPCSA) with the aim of uniting strengths to the advantage of the South African public to achieve an integrated, holistic care (Prinsloo, 2005). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to provide demographic data on the perceptions and interactions of Medical specialists in the greater Durban area toward homoeopathy. Their general knowledge of homoeopathy and their views and communication with homoeopathy have been assessed. iv METHODOLOGY A survey method in the form of a questionnaire was employed to investigate the perceptions and interaction of Medical specialists towards homoeopathy. The sample of Medical specialists was drawn from the medical pages of the Durban Telephone Directory. The data was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics using frequency tables and bar charts. The Pearson’s Chi-square Test was used on selected data. RESULTS One hundred and fifty completed questionnaires were returned for analysis out of the 344 sent out. This gives a response rate of 43.60%. CONCLUSION From this study one can conclude that Medical specialists know very little about homoeopathy, and it can be assumed that this lack of knowledge is a possible reason for the poor communication that currently exists between these practitioners and homoeopaths

Thesis (M.Pharm. (Pharmacy Practice)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Developing countries face huge challenges in provision of pharmaceutical care whereas some developed countries have developed and implemented measure to improve pharmaceutical care through collaborative practices. Collaborative patient care is referred to as the cooperative work or practice by healthcare professionals assuming complementary roles and sharing responsibilities for decision making and problem solving to formulate and furnish quality patient care. Pharmaceutical care is governed by the principles and philosophy of patient centred pharmacy practice, where the main responsibilities, roles or action of a pharmacist are based on patient care. Collaborative pharmaceutical care practice for outpatient requires collaborative action of a pharmacist with other healthcare practitioners. Pharmacist-medical practitioner collaborative care practice is one of the recently emerging aspects in developing countries’ hospitals such as in South Africa which can enhance patient care. Method A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with a purposeful sample of 8 pharmacists and 9 medical practitioners at Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo province, South Africa. In the study we used audiotaped interviews that were transcribed exactly as said and analysed using thematic content analysis. Results Three main themes emerged from the study’s interview analysis, description of the current relationship and collaborative practices; the perspective of the pharmacists and medical practitioners on collaboration; the barriers affecting pharmacist-medical practitioner collaboration; and recommendations on the ways, strategy and model to improve pharmacists-medical practitioner collaboration. This highlighted that the relationship among pharmacists and medical practitioners is moderate and there a need for improvement in the relationship. The recommendations range from established xv educational and interactional platforms, improved resource supply, clarity in terms of roles and responsibilities and enhanced managerial structures and functions. Conclusion The current relationship among pharmacists and medical practitioners is moderate. There is still a need for improvement in the relationship to achieve quality collaborative practice for pharmaceutical care in outpatient.

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / Studies by the World Health Organisation have shown that mental illness is an international health concern across the globe, with one in four people (25%) suffering from mental disorders in both developed and developing countries. In many African countries traditional health practitioners are the health care providers of choice for individuals, families and communities. The aim of this study was to explore methods used by Shona speaking traditional health practitioners in the prevention of mental illness in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. A qualitative research design was used in the present study. Ten Shona speaking traditional health practitioners (male=9; female=1) were selected through purposive sampling and requested to participate in the study. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic content analysis. It was found that traditional healers tend to commonly understand and conceptualise mental illness in terms of the causes instead attaching nosological labels to these conditions. The findings of the study also show that most of the traditional health practitioners interviewed had similar methods of preventing mental illness both in families and individuals. Culture was found to be central in shaping how the traditional health practitioners understand and prevent mental illness. Ancestors were found to be pivotal in specifically determining the methods to prevent mental illness for each client. The study is concluded by recommending closer collaboration between the dominant Western health care system and traditional healing in order to improve mental health care provision in Zimbabwe.

No description available.

MAAS / Centre for African Studies / The study sought to explore the use of traditional healing modalities in the provision of mental illness in the Vhembe district of Limpopo province. Traditional medicine has been used for thousands of years by indigenous people in South Africa and Africa as a whole, and demonstrated efficacy in treating a wide range of health issue. Many of the medicines in contemporary biomedical treatment are derived from plants and herbs used by indigenous people throughout the world. The objectives of the study were to describe the profile of the clients that visit the traditional healers, to explain traditional healers’ diagnostic strategies of mental illness, to explain the traditional healing treatment modalities in the treatment of various forms of mental illness and to discuss traditional healers’ prevention methods of mental illness. The study was guided by indigenous theory of health and illness as a theoretical framework, and for supporting the literature, a theory of African perspective theory was used. A qualitative research approach was used in order to have an in-depth understanding of the modalities of traditional healing in the provision of mental health care. Case study approach was used. Participants were selected purposively around Vhembe district in Limpopo province and snowball sampling technique was applied in order to identify and recruit relevant participants. The researcher conducted semi -structured interviews to gather the relevant data. Data analysis was based on the interpretative philosophy that aimed at examining meaning and symbolic content of qualitative data. Thematic analysis method was employed. The findings of the study confirmed that traditional healing is still widely used in the communities in the provision of mental illness and that there are a variety of diagnostic, treatment and prevention methods in the provision of mental illness. The findings also show that as much as there are challenges facing traditional healing in treatment of mental illness, there is a need to introduce their modalities in the healthcare system of South Africa, Africa and the whole world. Programs that aim to educate the communities about traditional healing modalities should also be established by the Department of Health and the relevant stakeholders such as traditional healers’ organizations. / NRF