The profile of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has risen dramatically over the last decade and cancer patients represent its most prolific users. As a result, the NHS and UK cancer services are attempting to develop a wider range of therapeutic options for patients. Despite such developments, little is known about why cancer patients use CAM, its perceived benefits and the perspectives of the doctors and nurses involved.

Drawing on extensive fieldwork in the UK, Therapeutic Pluralism includes over 120 interviews with cancer patients and professionals, plus...

Health, Culture and Religion in South Asia brings together top international scholars from a range of social science disciplines to critically explore the interplay of local cultural and religious practices in the delivery and experiences of health in South Asia. Brings together anthropologists, sociologists, economists, health researchers and development specialists to provide the reader with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of South Asian health and a comprehensive understanding of cutting edge research in this area. Addressing key issues affecting a range of geographical areas...

With new methods of treatment standardisation resulting in various benefits for patient outcomes, evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice have emerged as defining features of western healthcare provision in recent years. Most health professions are now adopting some form of 'evidence-based' framework for clinical training and practice. However, the rise of evidence-based healthcare has drawn sustained criticism regarding the limits of trial based evidence, the reductive character of epidemiological study designs, and the potential for an erosion of the importance of lay...

An inevitable and universal experience, dying is experienced by individuals in different ways, often related to the character of our relationships, family structures, gender identities, cultural backgrounds, and economic means. Drawing on extensive qualitative fieldwork with patients, carers and health professionals in Australia and the United Kingdom, Dying: A Social Perspective on the End of Life provides a critical examination of the different spheres of dying, in social and cultural context. Exploring complex issues such as the politics of assisted dying, negotiating medical futility,...

With new methods of treatment standardisation resulting in various benefits for patient outcomes, evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice have emerged as defining features of western healthcare provision in recent years. Most health professions are now adopting some form of 'evidence-based' framework for clinical training and practice. However, the rise of evidence-based healthcare has drawn sustained criticism regarding the limits of trial based evidence, the reductive character of epidemiological study designs, and the potential for an erosion of the importance of lay...