Principal components analysis identified eight constructs related to whether routine inquiry was conducted: preparedness, self-confidence, professional supports, abuse inquiry, practitioner consequences of asking, comfort following disclosure, practitioner lack of control, and practice pressures.
When compared to "no training, no experience", two construct scale scores increased significantly with just training (preparedness and abuse inquiry), while five construct scale scores increased with just experience (preparedness, self-confidence, abuse inquiry, comfort following disclosure, and practitioner lack of control).
Decision making was rarely systematic; anecdotal information dominated, and disclosure to conventional practitioners was uncommon.
Given the importance of voluntary disclosure to health practitioners on the overall health and access to HIV prevention and treatment services for gay men and other MSM [ 18], these figures highlight the importance of understanding the gaps and needs for future HIV prevention among MSM, particularly for a population among whom the estimated HIV prevalence is 15 to 20% [ 19, 33].
The increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by cancer patients has been well documented [ 1, 2] and yet the reported level of disclosure to medical practitioners (33%60%60%) remains of concern, in view of the risk of potentially harmful pharmacological interactions [ 3].
The ideal situation would be where voluntary practitioner disclosure was the order of the day and a collaborative relationship developed between practitioners and ethical review committees.
They least frequently agreed with disclosure of lead practitioner's training place (13.9% agreed/strongly agreed, mean score 3.87 (1.13)) followed by lead practitioner's years of experience (15.7% agreed/strongly agreed, mean score 3.81 (1.22)) and available alternatives worldwide (16.3% agreed/ strongly agreed, mean score 3.78 (1.22)).
There are reports that 11% [ 12] to 40% [ 13] of people with asthma may use herbal remedies, with non-disclosure to orthodox practitioners being common.
There is a pressing need to facilitate open discussion and disclosure regarding CAM practitioner and CAM use between pregnant women and their maternity care providers.
"But to allow disclosure of hospital names and practitioners' names would be counterproductive.
A good therapeutic relationship was not simply something valued by patients but explicitly used by practitioners to aid disclosure which in turn affected details of the treatment.
