Thoughts on CAM Journals and RT
Yesterday I had the occasion to do some reading in two complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) journals. The journals were Alternative and Complementary Therapies and Complementary Therapies in Chronic Care. I was able to access both from the internet through the IU Library.
While both had interesting content, the best seemed to be Alternative and Complementary Therapies. In this journal were articles (many of which I could access through the IU Library) with titles such as “Dance/Movement Therapy in Pediatrics,” “Art Therapy and Cancer Care,” and “Biofeedback and Mental Health.” I didn’t find any articles on RT and I wondered why.
Complementary Therapies in Chronic Care contained summaries of articles of interest to RTs but the actual articles were more difficult to access. Topics included music therapy, meditation, and humor, among others. Again, I found no articles using the term recreational therapy.
Articles in both journals struck me as having a lot to say to RTs – even if indirectly. Articles in both journals pointed to the need for training physicians on the value of CAM. One article stressed the need to educate staff doctors on CAM. The other was titled “CAM and Medical Education” and brought out the need for medical schools to provide their students with training on CAM. As you might expect, this brought to my mind whether RTs are doing enough within their hospitals and agencies to educate physicians about RT. It also made me wonder if RT could not do a better job of getting information on RT into medical school curricula.
So probably the things that struck me most in reading from these CAM journals were: (a) Why haven’t RTs contributed articles to these, or similar journals, on the value of RT with specific client groups? And (b) Can RT do a better job of educating physicians on the value of RT?
Having these thoughts took me back to the “old days” when, as a profession, RT worked to publish in journals of other allied health professions. I can specifically recall a push to do this when Thom Skalko was ATRA President. Even long before that, in the early days of RT, we sought and received the support of medical doctors such as Karl Menninger – who did provide RT with great support. Perhaps it is time again for us to take steps to spread the word about RT to physicians and other health professionals and to seek the public support of well known physicians and other leaders in kindred professionals.
While both had interesting content, the best seemed to be Alternative and Complementary Therapies. In this journal were articles (many of which I could access through the IU Library) with titles such as “Dance/Movement Therapy in Pediatrics,” “Art Therapy and Cancer Care,” and “Biofeedback and Mental Health.” I didn’t find any articles on RT and I wondered why.
Complementary Therapies in Chronic Care contained summaries of articles of interest to RTs but the actual articles were more difficult to access. Topics included music therapy, meditation, and humor, among others. Again, I found no articles using the term recreational therapy.
Articles in both journals struck me as having a lot to say to RTs – even if indirectly. Articles in both journals pointed to the need for training physicians on the value of CAM. One article stressed the need to educate staff doctors on CAM. The other was titled “CAM and Medical Education” and brought out the need for medical schools to provide their students with training on CAM. As you might expect, this brought to my mind whether RTs are doing enough within their hospitals and agencies to educate physicians about RT. It also made me wonder if RT could not do a better job of getting information on RT into medical school curricula.
So probably the things that struck me most in reading from these CAM journals were: (a) Why haven’t RTs contributed articles to these, or similar journals, on the value of RT with specific client groups? And (b) Can RT do a better job of educating physicians on the value of RT?
Having these thoughts took me back to the “old days” when, as a profession, RT worked to publish in journals of other allied health professions. I can specifically recall a push to do this when Thom Skalko was ATRA President. Even long before that, in the early days of RT, we sought and received the support of medical doctors such as Karl Menninger – who did provide RT with great support. Perhaps it is time again for us to take steps to spread the word about RT to physicians and other health professionals and to seek the public support of well known physicians and other leaders in kindred professionals.
posted by Hoosier RT | 8:05 AM
1 Comments:
We have had to seek out new physicians at our facility in the last year.
Physicians from across the U.S. and other countires have stopped by to visit our facility in West Virginia.
Aministration takes the physicians to each unit. Of course, one of my first questions is, "have you worked with a Rec. Therapist before?"
One physician was born in Michigan. He grew up in South America and went to Med School in the United Kingdom. He said he had worked with RTs in England. I did't get the chance to ask him more at this time.
I'll post more if I learn more.
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