COCOZ: Communication for complementary healthcare
More and more Dutch healthcare professionals from regular healthcare have attention and interest in developing and implementing Complementary Healthcare. The COCOZ project focuses on improving communication about complementary care with regular healthcare providers.
Research shows that many patients use complementary (additional) care, such as mindfulness, yoga, vitamins, supplements, massage or acupuncture. However, they do not always discuss this with their (family) doctor. In addition, regular healthcare professionals often lack knowledge of the effects and safety of such care. They are also not aware of the consequences of Complementary Healthcare in combination with regular care. This knowledge gap complicates the conversation between patient and doctor, and a possible referral then becomes complex. In 2011, a study was conducted on the integration of Complementary Healthcare in general practice. The results showed, among other things, that patients and doctors want more attention to the communication between general practitioners and complementary doctors and therapists.
Practical tools improve patient care
The COCOZ project (Communication and Referral Complementary Care) aimed to further develop and optimize knowledge, communication and referral to Complementary Healthcare together with regular family doctors and complementary doctors/therapists from various disciplines. In concrete terms, this provided the participating professional organizations with practical tools that members can use in a structured manner in their practice. This is to improve patient care, especially for the chronically ill in primary care.
The recommendations within the COCOZ project are based on scientific literature up to August 2023 and apply to the following indications:
Selection aid for choosing the right therapy
In this decision aid you will find suggestions for complementary treatment options for common and sometimes difficult to treat complaints based on the best available evidence. It is primarily intended as a starting point for a conversation about complementary care.
The Choice Aid is the result of the COCOZ Pilot Projects, in which regular and complementary healthcare providers have jointly considered better communication (2023).
The recommendation for the therapies was established using the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) methode.
