Suchergebnisse

Nestled among E. M. Forster's careful studies of Edwardian social mores is a short story called "The Machine Stops." Set many years in the future, it is a work of science fiction that imagines all humanity housed in giant high-density cities buried deep below a lifeless surface. With each citizen cocooned in an identical private chamber, all interaction is mediated through the workings of "the Machine," a totalizing social system that controls every aspect of human life. Cultural variety has ceded to rigorous organization: everywhere is the same, everyone lives the same life. So hopelessly reliant is humanity upon the efficient operation of the Machine, that when the system begins to fail there is little the people can do, and so tightly ordered is the system that the failure spreads. At the story's conclusion, the collapse is total, and Forster's closing image offers a condemnation of the world they had built, and a hopeful glimpse of the world that might, in their absence, return: "The whole city was broken like a honeycomb. […] For a moment they saw the nations of the dead, and, before they joined them, scraps of the untainted sky" (2001: 123). In physically breaking apart the city, there is an extent to which Forster is literalizing the device of the broken society, but it is also the case that the infrastructure of the Machine is so inseparable from its social structure that the failure of one causes the failure of the other. The city has—in the vocabulary of present-day engineers—"failed badly."

BACKGROUND: Massage is a widely acceptable and popular form of complementary medicine (CM) among Australian women. While there is some research that reports on massage use in younger women, there is minimal research exploring massage use in the treatment of chronic illness in older women. This study provides an estimate of the prevalence of massage use, as well as identifying the characteristics significantly associated with consultation with a massage therapist, for mid-age and older Australian women. METHODS: A cross-sectional sub-study was conducted on a sample of women drawn from the 45 and Up Study; a large cohort study of adults aged 45 years and over. Data from 1795 women were included in the analyses and massage use was compared against measures of demographics, health status and health care utilisation. RESULTS: A total of 174 (7.7%) women consulted with a massage therapist in the previous 12 months. Women were more likely to consult a massage therapist if they have tertiary level education (O.R. = 1.67; 95% C.I.: 1.04, 2.65; p = 0.031), private health insurance (O.R. = 6.37; 95% C.I.: 4.41, 9.19; p < 0.001) and/or osteoarthritis (O.R. = 1.72; 95% C.I.: 1.19, 2.48; p = 0.004). They were also more likely to consult a massage therapist if they have a poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (O.R. = 1.14; 95% C.I.: 1.04, 1.27; p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Older, tertiary-level educated Australian women with private health insurance were more likely to use massage therapy, as were women with osteoarthritis specifically. Women with lower HRQoL were found to be more likely to use massage therapy in the treatment of their chronic illness. This research provides insight into the determinants of massage use among ageing women and is useful for governments in consideration of accessibility to holistic healthcare when developing public policy for healthcare in Australia.

The role of complementary and integrative medicine within preconception care : contributing to an emerging research field -- Complementary and integrative medicine use in pregnancy : focus upon contemporary analysis of self-prescribed treatment amongst australian women -- Menopause and complementary and integrative medicine : a consideration of clinical evidence, grassroots use and contemporary clinical practice guidelines -- Women, ageing and complementary and integrative medicine -- Women's cancers and complementary and integrative medicine : a focus upon prevention, disease management and survivorship -- The use of self-care practices and products by women with chronic illness: a case study of older women with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis -- Women's mental health and complementary and integrative medicine -- Animating the "happening" of complementary and integrative medicine: the potential of non-representational theory and some examples through older females¿ use -- Maternity care providers and complementary and integrative medicine -- The role and influence of women in the workforce and practice of complementary and integrative medicine : contemporary trends and future prospects -- Models of care and women's health : drawing upon aspects of complementary and integrative medicine

The role of complementary and integrative medicine within preconception care : contributing to an emerging research field -- Complementary and integrative medicine use in pregnancy : focus upon contemporary analysis of self-prescribed treatment amongst australian women -- Menopause and complementary and integrative medicine : a consideration of clinical evidence, grassroots use and contemporary clinical practice guidelines -- Women, ageing and complementary and integrative medicine -- Women's cancers and complementary and integrative medicine : a focus upon prevention, disease management and survivorship -- The use of self-care practices and products by women with chronic illness: a case study of older women with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis -- Women's mental health and complementary and integrative medicine -- Animating the "happening" of complementary and integrative medicine: the potential of non-representational theory and some examples through older females¿ use -- Maternity care providers and complementary and integrative medicine -- The role and influence of women in the workforce and practice of complementary and integrative medicine : contemporary trends and future prospects -- Models of care and women's health : drawing upon aspects of complementary and integrative medicine

Abstract Background There is increasing evidence that complementary medicine (CM) services are being used by a substantial proportion of the Australian population and this topic has attracted keen interest from primary health care providers and policy makers. This article outlines the first summative critical review of the predictors of CM use in Australia as well as the characteristics and perceptions of Australian CM users over the last 14 years. Methods A literature search was conducted to ascertain original research from 2000 to 2014 in the AMED; CINAHL; and PubMed databases. Selected articles were subject to a critical appraisal analysis to identify the quality of the article. The search was confined to peer reviewed original articles published in English which identified the nature of CM services use in Australia. Results The findings indicate a correlation between CM users and gender, with reports of a higher rate of use from females compared to males. Female CM users are more likely to be middle-aged with a higher education and higher annual income in comparison to female non-CM users. An association between resident location and use of CM disciplines was also identified with reports of rural residents utilising manual therapies more frequently compared to urban residents. CM users are more likely to seek CM services for a range of chronic conditions including diseases identified as National Health Priority Areas by the Australian Government. Conclusions This article provides the first comprehensive review examining the nature of CM use in Australia. The review findings offer important insights into the characteristics and features of CM use in Australia and provide insights for national and regional primary health care initiatives and of interest to medical doctors, allied health professionals, CM practitioners, researchers and policy makers.

Abstract Background Naturopaths are an increasingly significant part of the healthcare sector in Australia, yet despite their significant role there has been little research on this practitioner group. Currently the naturopathic profession in Australia is undergoing a period of rapid professional growth and change. However, to date most research exploring the perceptions of naturopaths has been descriptive in nature and has focused on those in leadership positions rather than grassroots practitioners. This article explores the perceptions and experiences of practising naturopaths on the challenges and future directions of their profession. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 naturopaths practising in the Darling Downs region of South-east Queensland, Australia to explore current perceived challenges in the naturopathic profession in Australia. Results Participants perceived a number of internal and external challenges relating to the profession of naturopathic medicine. These included a public misconception of the role of naturopathic medicine; the co-option of naturopathic medicine by untrained or unqualified practitioners; the devaluation of naturopathic philosophy as a core component of naturopathic practice; a pressure to move towards an evidence-based medicine model focused on product prescription; the increasing commercial interest infiltrating complementary medicine, and; division and fragmentation within the naturopathic profession. Naturopaths generally perceived government regulation as a solution for many of these challenges, though this may be representative of deeper frustrations and disconnections between the views of grassroots naturopaths and those in professional leadership positions. Conclusions Grassroots naturopaths identify a number of challenges that may have significant impacts on the quality, effectiveness and safety of naturopathic care. Given the significant role naturopaths play in healthcare in Australia the practice and policy implications of these challenges require further research attention.