Integrated TRADITIONAL Medicines
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Dr. Rogier Hoenders - The Netherlands

Born in 1972 in Groningen, the Netherlands. Father worked as a general practitioner and now practices acupuncture and homeopathy. Mother raised four children, worked as a nurse, studied naturopathy, reflexology, diet /food and completed art-school. They were of great influence and awakened his passion for medicine.
Started Medicine in 1991, got his MD in 1998, started working as a resident psychiatry in a psychiatric hospital. In november this year (2004) he will be working as a psychiatrist in a hospital in Groningen.
Also works as a researcher. Primary interest is the use of complementary and alternative medicine by psychiatric patients. Is currently designing research to study the reasons and patterns of use of complementary and alternative medicine in the Netherlands.
Other interests: running, singer in a band www.festivaloffriends.nl, Tibet and his dog “Rowdy”.

Rogier Hoenders
Martini Ziekenhuis
Van Swietenlaan 4
Postbus 30033, 9700 RM
Groningen, the Netherlands
hjr.hoenders@wanadoo.nl
r.hoenders@mzh.nl

“Western Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Psychiatry”

Western Medicine (WM) and Medicine from other countries or cultures (in WM’s literature often referred to as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)) use different ways to heal their patients.

WM is based on Newton and Descartes; the body as a complex machine with a separated mind. It uses the “matter” model. CAM is based on Einstein’s “energy” model and looks at “the whole patient” (Gerner, 1988). Both ways have advantages and disadvantages.

WM seems to be in a crisis: doctors are increasingly dissatisfied with their job (Zuger, 2004), costs are getting out of hand, doctors are the third cause of death in the US (Starfield, 2000) and patients in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia are using CAM in an increasing rate (Bodeker and Kronenberg, 2002).

What can we learn from these facts? What need to be done?
WM (psychiatry) needs to change. WM can learn from CAM (and vice versa). The advantages of both need to be integrated so we can help our patients (and ourselves) in the best ways possible.

Literature:

Bodeker JG and Kronenberg F, 2002, A public health agenda for traditional, complementary and alternative medicine. Public Health Matters, 92, 1582-1591.

Gerner R, 1988, Vibrational Medicine; New choices for healing ourselves. Bear & Company, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Starfield, 2000, Is US health really the best in the world? JAMA, july 26, 284 (4) 483-485.

Zuger A, 2004, Are doctors happy? New England Journal of Medicine, 350; 69-75.