Patient Bill of Rights for Integrative Cancer Care

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi @everyone-

I came across this wonderful document when doing research on the scientific basis of therapeutic touch.

Wouldn't it be great if all doctors (human and vet) integrated them into practice:

Patient Bill of Rights

As an individual, you have:

• The right to person-centered care.
• The right to receive health care that addresses the wholeness of who you are— body, mind and spirit in the context of community.
• The right to a health care system that focuses on prevention and wellness.
• The right to be empowered as the responsible, central actor in your own healing.
• The right to education about self-care that includes access to scientifically- based nutrition, exercise and mind-body interventions.
• The right to a healing relationship with your health care provider that is grounded in humanism, compassion and caring.
• The right to speak openly and honestly with your health care providers and in return, to experience honest and supportive communications from all members of the health care community.
• The right to a health care environment that recognizes that to be healing and empowering, health care providers themselves must seek to be restored and whole.
• The right to embrace the spiritual dimension in the context of your health care.
• The right to health care providers who understand that integrity and spiritual qualities are as important as medical knowledge and technical skills in the process of healing.
• The right to a truly integrative medicine that is supported by rigorous scientific research, maintains the highest standards of excellence, and offers a full and complete array of care modalities.
• The right to healing even when there is no cure.
• The right to be whole.

These wonderful patient rights also apply to pets. Here's the collaborative of integrative doctors, mainly oncologists, that came up with them:

The Bravewell Collaborative

The Bravewell Collaborative exists to bring about optimal health and healing for individuals and society.

bravewell.org

 

[JoanD]

Thanks for this, Dr. Jeff. It's important. I remember Duke University Hospital as something completely different and would be hard pressed to trust them with issues other than emergency care. How do they move ahead in a more holistic way? Maybe the Bravewell Collaborative will be the change we are hoping for in the world of medicine.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I sure hope you're right, Joan.