Australian Naturopaths Approach to the Clinical Management of Patients Presenting with Sleep Disorders.

Abstract

Objective: Naturopathic practitioners consult an estimated 6.2% of Australian adults, equating to 1,550,000 people receiving their care each year. Sleep is now recognized as a key pillar of health; however, nearly half of all Australian adults report inadequate sleep. Evidence suggests that many Australians consult naturopaths (NPs) for sleep-related problems and use complementary medicines (CMs) to manage these. However, NPs' clinical approach to caring for people living with sleep disorders has not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe and understand the clinical assessment and treatment approaches used by NPs in their care of people living with sleep disorders. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey with a purposively sought sample. NPs were recruited via the practitioner research-based network. The participants received an email invitation containing a link to the survey along with a Participant Information Sheet. The online survey (Research Electronic Data Capture-see Supplementary Data S1) comprised multiple-choice, binary (yes/no) questions, or 5-point Likert scale-type questions structured across four sections related to: clinical assessment of patients, treatments used, interprofessional communication with conventional doctors, and demographics. Results: Sixty-seven complete data sets were analyzed. Most survey participants treated-one to three patients with sleep disorders weekly, being consulted primarily for insomnia (82%) and its treatment (98.5%). Comprehensive sleep health histories were commonly assessed. Additionally, 69% of participants reported that patients sought their services to complement conventional care. The most frequently used complementary medicine (CM) approaches included sleep hygiene counseling (75%) and meditation (64.7%). Vitamins, minerals, herbal medicines, and nutritional supplements were the most recommended CM medicines (92.6%). Referrals to conventional medicine professionals were minimal. Conclusion: Australian NPs are frequently consulted by people living with sleep disorders who are also using conventional medicines. Our study highlights the need for integrated models of health care tailored to patient needs that maximize potential benefits and reduce any harms associated with drug-CMs interactions. The provision of training to the Australian health care workforce of NPs that focuses on evidence-based behavioral treatments can improve access to these treatments for patients.