| Complementary therapies in pediatrics: a legal perspective. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 15741385 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies such as chiropractic, massage therapy, and herbal medicine, raises questions about the clinically appropriate use of CAM in pediatrics. Nonjudicious use of CAM therapies may cause either direct harm or, by creating an unwarranted financial and emotional burden, indirect harm. When advising patients concerning CAM therapies, pediatricians face 2 major legal risks: medical malpractice and professional discipline. Pediatricians can incorporate these considerations into advising and clinical decision-making about CAM therapies to address the best interest of the pediatric patient while helping to manage potential liability risk. This article provides a suggested framework, including asking the following questions: (1) Do parents elect to abandon effective care when the child's condition is serious or life-threatening? (2) Will use of the CAM therapy otherwise divert the child from imminently necessary conventional treatment? (3) Are the CAM therapies selected known to be unsafe and/or ineffective? (4) Have the proper parties consented to the use of the CAM therapy? (5) Is the risk-benefit ratio of the proposed CAM therapy acceptable to a reasonable, similarly situated clinician, and does the therapy have at least minority acceptance or support in the medical literature? Such an approach ideally can help guide the pediatrician toward clinical conduct that is clinically responsible, ethically appropriate, and legally defensible. |
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Authors:
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Michael H Cohen; Kathi J Kemper |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Pediatrics Volume: 115 ISSN: 1098-4275 ISO Abbreviation: Pediatrics Publication Date: 2005 Mar |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2005-03-02 Completed Date: 2005-06-17 Revised Date: 2006-12-31 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0376422 Medline TA: Pediatrics Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 774-80 Citation Subset: AIM; IM |
Affiliation:
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Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Child Child Abuse / legislation & jurisprudence Complementary Therapies / adverse effects, ethics, legislation & jurisprudence* Government Regulation Humans Liability, Legal* Malpractice Pediatrics / legislation & jurisprudence* Specialty Boards United States |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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