Why Doesn’t CCRG Engage in Public Debates with the Detractors of Complementary Medicine?

Much of the negative media portrayal of complementary medicine is based on the personal accounts of just a few people for which, in our experience, the full story is never accurately communicated. In past, we have made best efforts to provide media with detailed information on research, positive patient outcomes and the current positioning of our clinical approach. However, most of the complementary medicine detractors have their own unsubstantiated and unbalanced agenda and the positive aspects of complementary medicine are rarely, if ever, conveyed.

Because of patient confidentiality laws under Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and the new Health Information Protection Act, CCRG is not able to publicly disclose specific patient records or information. Any individual discussing such cases publicly, without the proper patient releases, is breaking the law. Many of CCRG’s patients are captains of industry and government and other high profile citizens. CCRG adamantly defends their right to medical privacy. Regardless of whether or not consent to release for any given issue or patient may exist, CCRG’s general policy is to release information only to the patient. It is the patient’s, or their representative’s privilege for disposition of that information.

Why doesn’t CCRG or William O’Neill respond to questions about individual patients?

The above mentioned patient privacy law prohibits us from doing so without proper consent from patients or their guardians. The detractors of complementary medicine typically highlight just a few CCRG patient files. In order to have a fully open dialogue about these files, whether it be on the internet or other media, we have asked the families to directly provide CCRG with the proper full-disclosure waivers prior to publicly discussing the individual case. These few families of patients have refused to sign Consent to Release Information agreements that have been provided to them by CCRG. The same families provided the media with consent forms. However, the media releases are between the patient and the media only. Under Privacy Laws, this is inadequate for CCRG purposes since the consent must be directly between the patient and/or their guardian and CCRG. We have been very specific about our patient privacy policy to the media. CCRG policy when being interviewed is that NO private patient information will be discussed without patient consent to CCRG. In spite of this, web detractors and tabloid journalism often tries to circumvent proper privacy protection. Media often aggressively and negligently push for private information. It is an old media trick…. elicit a “no comment” statement from the interviewee and make that individual appear uncooperative.

CCRG is very sympathetic to the families of patients who have lost loved-ones. Throughout its history, CCRG has demonstrated the ability to compassionately and effectively work with families and individuals in the most difficult of circumstances.

Our view of many of the matters publicly raised by a few family members is that these are individuals who are rightfully grieving and their grief has been exploited by the detractors of complementary medicine for the detractors own benefit (financial and ego). There is always much more to the individual patient stories that has not been told and in today’s world cannot be publicly told without proper releases.

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