BMJ  2006;333:308 (5 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7562.308

reviews

Personal views

We must give patients the evidence on complementary therapies

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Consider the following three facts: complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) appeals to more and more patients; patient choice is rapidly becoming an important theme in healthcare; and much of the existing patient information on this kind of medicine is unreliable. Taken together, these facts suggest an urgent need for reliable patient information in this area.

The days when sceptics could claim correctly that complementary medicine is a data free zone are clearly past

The aim of such information should be to help people participate in decisions about their care. In order to achieve this, the information must be relevant, accurate, and objective, sufficiently detailed and comprehensive, as well as accessible and understandable. It should address the needs and concerns of patients and focus on outcomes that matter to them. Producing such a guide would require a range of skills—for example, scientists who are aware of, and able to correctly . . . [Full text of this article]

complementary medicine, Peninsula Medical School Edzard.Ernst@pms.ac.uk

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    StumbleUpon    Technorati    What's this?

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Patients need to contribute to production of evidence-based information

Hazel Thornton
bmj.com, 4 Aug 2006 [Full text]

Evening primrose oil is often needed to replete proven deficiencies of omega-6 essential fatty acids

Ellen C G Grant
bmj.com, 9 Aug 2006 [Full text]

It is dangerous to be right in matters where established authorities are wrong.

BM Hegde
bmj.com, 9 Aug 2006 [Full text]

Which medicine is more science based,?

Raymond G Holder
bmj.com, 10 Aug 2006 [Full text]

A frustrated researcher

Julie A Reynolds
bmj.com, 10 Aug 2006 [Full text]

Online poll

Find out more>>