Traditional Healers and Alternative Medicine, Research Paper Example

“The following states have laws that protect patient access to alternative therapies from licensed physicians:  Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.” (“Health Freedom States”). They are known as health freedom states. Particularly Senate Bill 1324 authorized a patient to have treatment in alternative medicine in the State of Florida under the Florida’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities Act. “A practitioner who offers alternative medicine as a treatment plan must carefully inform the patient of the nature of the treatment including the benefits and risks associated with the treatment plan to the extent necessary for the patient to make an informed and prudent decision regarding such a treatment plan option.” (“Health Freedom States”).

The rationale behind the alternative medicine is to give patients the right to informed choices but allowing them informed choices to traditional medicine at its best. All must be governed by state and federal legislature in each state accordingly and by the United States Supreme Court accordingly. Everything must be licensed and each licensee must undertake a good standing practice by which to gain licensing. This shall not be deemed a substitute for traditional medicine value. There shall be a conventional method of diagnosis by a medical doctor that is in good standing with the American Physicians Board and all non-conventional treatment plans shall be documented in the patient’s record or chart and further approved by the medical doctor. No one shall be allowed to receive alternative medicine treatment before traditional medicine methods have been exhausted by all means and measures. Remember, this is an alternative for traditional medicine and should never replace traditional medicine.

References

Health Freedom States (2010) Retrieved July 17, 2010 from, http://members.impulse.net/~cure/legislation_already_passed.htm