Experience of Western Herbal Medicine practitioners in supporting brain health in mid-life and older patients: A qualitative research study

Abstract

AimsDementia has been identified as a public health and social- care priority, raising the necessity for multi-domain preventative healthcare strategies for at-risk populations. Western herbal medicine(WHM) has a role to play in strategies supporting healthy brain ageing.The aim of this qualitative, interpretative research study was to explore the experience of Western Herbal Medicine (WHM) practitioners addressing cognitive and vascular brain health in mid-life and older patients, using semi-structured interviews. MethodThree participants were recruited using purposive sampling and a set of inclusion criteria. In-depth interviews facilitated by a topic guide were used to explore their herbal and therapeutic management approach; and gauge their views on the role of WHM in multi-domain management of brain health in the assay group. Interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim; thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. ResultsFour themes emerged from the practitioners' narratives of their experience of working with the assay group: the types of conditions their patients presented with; their therapeutic approach to the herbal dietary and lifestyle management of those presentations; the issues of working with the target patient group; and the potential role for WHM in managing brain health in an aging population. ConclusionsThe small exploratory study is the first of its kind attempting to capture the real-life application of WHM in supporting cognitive and vascular brain health in mid-life and older patients.Limitations of the study have been identified.