Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31819469›Full record

ArticleJournal of multidisciplinary healthcare2019

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Practitioner's Management Of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections In Children - A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Sandra Lucas, Matthew J Leach, Saravana Kumar, Anna C Phillips

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sandra LucasSchool of Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5990-2082
Matthew J LeachDepartment of Rural Health, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3133-1913
Saravana KumarSchool of Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4003-4411
Anna C PhillipsSchool of Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4473-5108

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAcute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) is one of the most prevalent types of infection among children and a common reason for hospital admission. Although parents frequently consult complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners to assist with the management of childhood ARTI, little is known about the treatments that CAM practitioners recommend and why. The aim of this research was to understand what CAM practitioners typically prescribe for the management of childhood ARTI and how practitioners formulate decisions regarding the management of this condition.

methodThe research was guided by a qualitative descriptive framework. CAM practitioners across Greater Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) who had treated children aged 0-12 years with ARTI in the past 12 months were eligible to participate. Data were captured using semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Multiple strategies to improve trustworthiness were implemented (e.g., triangulation of data). Data were analysed using inductive content analysis.

resultsTwenty-four CAM practitioners from ten different disciplines participated in the interviews. Most participants were female (75%), and more than half (54%) were practicing naturopaths. The treatments most commonly recommended were lifestyle modification (95%), nutrition/diet-based treatments (91%), and vitamin/mineral supplementation (87%). Practitioners' decision-making process was underpinned by four key concepts namely: the approach to management, individualisation, do no harm, and collaborative practice. Individualisation and the safety of the child are cornerstones of treatment in the practitioner's decision-making process.

conclusionThis research sheds light on commonly used CAM interventions, many of which build on easily accessible and readily available treatments (such as soups) and are aligned with mainstream recommendations (such as rest). Practitioners' decision-making process too aligns well with mainstream health care where the focus is on safety and informed by a biopsychosocial-cultural approach.

Indexed as

decision-makinghealth personalpaediatricqualitative descriptiverespiratory infectiontraditional complementary integrated medicine

Identifiers

PMID31819469
PMCPMC6875505

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.