ArticleCureus2025
Navigating Alternative Medicine Preferences in Palliative Care: Challenges and Collaborative Solutions.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Integrating alternative medicine into palliative care presents unique opportunities and challenges for healthcare providers. This article examines two clinical cases that illustrate the complexities of navigating patient preferences for alternative therapies within evidence-based palliative care. The first case involves a 50-year-old woman with metastatic breast cancer who prioritized the use of herbal poultices and natural remedies following her faith as a Seventh-day Adventist. Despite her initial resistance to conventional treatments, the collaborative efforts of the palliative care team facilitated compromises that improved her quality of life, including the use of radiotherapy to manage bleeding and opioids for pain relief in her final days. The second case highlights a 68-year-old man with advanced pulmonary fibrosis who preferred herbal infusions in his oxygen humidifier, homeopathic remedies, and Reiki while declining opioids due to concerns about side effects. The team addressed his symptom management needs through patient-centered communication and interdisciplinary collaboration, incorporating safer alternatives and supportive therapies without compromising his values. These cases underscore the importance of balancing respect for patient autonomy with the imperative to provide safe and effective care. Key strategies include interdisciplinary collaboration, empathetic communication, and incorporating complementary therapies that align with patient values while mitigating risks. By fostering trust and maintaining flexibility, palliative care teams can effectively address the diverse needs of patients who seek alternative medicine, ensuring holistic and patient-centered care. The discussion provides actionable recommendations for integrating alternative medicine preferences into palliative care practice, emphasizing the need for ongoing education, monitoring, and collaboration to navigate these complex situations effectively.
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Registered trials
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.