Topic: Facilitating disclosure of traditional medicine use to Allopathic Medicine Practitioners: A case study in Gauteng

Abstract

Background Traditional medicine (TM) plays a key role in maintaining health in many societies. While Allopathic Medicine Practitioners (AMPs) continue to adhere to allopathic medicine (AM) techniques, the use of TM endures for a variety of reasons. Given the requirement for TM disclosure, AMPs must encourage open communication with patients to persuade those who use TM and AM to disclose. We sought to understand and describe how South African AMPs facilitate disclosure of TM use during a consultation with patients who use both TM and AM and how it influences the patient’s willingness to disclose TM use.Methods This qualitative case study on AMPs at Gauteng district hospitals in South Africa was conducted between 2021 and 2022. Non-probability purposive sampling was employed to sample 14 AMPs. Individual participants were encouraged to share their unique experiences and interpretations of the phenomenon. Data were audio recorded, transcribed, loaded in ATLAS.ti and analysed. Using inductive content analysis, the material was reduced into themes that may meet the study questions.Results The data revealed four main themes: 'providing a suitable atmosphere for disclosure,' 'encouraging patients to disclose TM usage to AMPs,' 'patient autonomy,' and 'AMP training'. During a consultation with patients who use both TM and AM, participants expressed their experiences and perceptions of TM nondisclosure. They also discussed several methods for encouraging patients to disclose their TM usage, particularly when TM is used concurrently with AM.Conclusion This study goes beyond the previously widely reported and explored distinctions in barriers and facilitators and investigates the issues driving non-disclosure of TM during a consultation with patients who use TM and AM without disclosing. Many AMPs struggle to initiate TM conversations with their patients which result in non-disclosure. This necessitates facilitation that is appropriate for all patients, assuming the possibility of TM use.