My 17 years in the CAM field has shown me that all CAM's are difficult to
define thus impossible to prove one way or the other.
--
Preston H. Long
> From: Roy Poses <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Roy Poses <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 15:51:19 EDT
> To: EBH List <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Alternative Medicine (fwd)
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Roy M. Poses MD
> Brown University Center for Primary Care and Prevention
> Memorial Hospital of RI
> 111 Brewster St.
> Pawtucket, RI 02860
> USA
> 401 729-2383
> fax: 401 729-2494
> [log in to unmask]
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> The NIH Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine describes CAM
> as:
> Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) covers a broad range of
> healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies. Generally , it is
> defined as those treatments and healthcare practices not taught widely
> in medical schools, not generally used in hospitals, and not usually
> reimbursed by medical insurance companies.
> Many therapies are termed "holistic," which generally means that the
> healthcare practitioner considers the whole person, including physical,
> mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Many therapies are also known
> as "preventive," which means that the practitioner educates and treats
> the person to prevent health problems from arising, rather than treating
> symptoms after problems have occurred.
> People use these treatments and therapies in a variety of ways.
> Therapies are used alone (often referred to as alternative), in
> combination with other alternative therapies, or in addition to
> conventional therapies (sometimes referred to as complementary).
> Some approaches are consistent with physiological principles of Western
> medicine, while others constitute healing systems with a different
> origin. While some therapies are far outside the realm of accepted
> Western medical theory and practice, others are becoming established in
> mainstream medicine.
> http://nccam.nih.gov/nccam/fcp/faq/#what-is
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Did anyone else find this "official" definition extremely vague? I don't know
> how one would operationalize it into a study.
>
> First of all, it is easy to think of "conventional" treatments that fit most
> of this definition. For example, influenza vaccine receives little attention
> in most medical schools, is not used often in hospitals, and at least up to
> the last few years, was not always reimbursed by insurance in the US.
> Furthermore, it is preventative, and can be used alone or in conjunction with
> other interventions.
>
> The definition of "holistic" seems to be a non-sequitur in a definition of
> "alternative or complementary" treatments, because it seems to refer to the
> thought processes of the practioner rather than the therapy he/she employs.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|