Closing the evidence gap in integrative medicine

doi:10.1136/bmj.b3335

Published 1 September 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3335
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3335

Editorials

Closing the evidence gap in integrative medicine

A variety of methods of evaluating complex interventions shouldbe considered

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

Integrative medicine was recently defined as "medicine thatreaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitionerand patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence,and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcareprofessionals and disciplines (conventional and complementary)to achieve optimal health and healing" (www.imconsortium.org).Such complex approaches are especially relevant in the managementand prevention of chronic health problems, which are the maincause of disability and account for 78% of health expenditure.¹A session at the recent US Institute of Medicine summit on integrativemedicine in Washington, DC was devoted to the science behindthe integrative medicine approach to health care,² and the subjecthas been debated at a recent Prince’s Foundation for IntegratedHealth conference at the King’s Fund, London (www.fih.org.uk).

Since the 1990s, attempts have been made to make integrativeapproaches more available in mainstream care. The experience. . . [Full text of this article]

Hugh MacPherson, senior research fellow¹, David Peters, professor of integrated healthcare², Catherine Zollman, general practitioner³

¹ Department of Health Sciences, Seebohm Rowntree Building, University of York, York YO10 5DD, ² School of Integrated Health, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW , ³ Nightingale Valley Practice, Brooklea Health Centre, Brislington, Bristol BS4 4HU

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

StumbleUpon Add to Technorati

Technorati What's this?

Relevant Articles

Patients’ preferences within randomised trials: systematic review and patient level meta-analysis: Preference Collaborative Review Group
BMJ 2008 337: a1864. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Characteristic and incidental (placebo) effects in complex interventions such as acupuncture: Charlotte Paterson and Paul Dieppe
BMJ 2005 330: 1202-1205. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

The Whole Problem: James Matthew May
bmj.com, 2 Sep 2009 [Full text]
If your treatments can't pass the test, the test must be wrong: David Colquhoun
bmj.com, 2 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Integrative medicine: Edzard Ernst
bmj.com, 2 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: The Whole Problem-Integrative medicine: Raymond G Holder
bmj.com, 3 Sep 2009 [Full text]
The fog of CAM: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 3 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Can we keep to the point please?: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 4 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Changing the rules of evidence.: Peter J Flegg
bmj.com, 5 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Evidence or quackery: Nick Ross
bmj.com, 7 Sep 2009 [Full text]
�Closing the gap� or avoiding the unpalatable truth?: Neil E O'Connell
bmj.com, 7 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Uber terms: Richard Bartley
bmj.com, 7 Sep 2009 [Full text]
A Brave New World: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 7 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Mind the Gap: Nicola Robinson, et al.
bmj.com, 9 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Real World Care Moves On: Stephen J Gordon
bmj.com, 10 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Mind the Gap: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 10 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Proving a negative is hard to do: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 11 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: A Brave New World: James M May
bmj.com, 11 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Proving a negative is hard to do: L Sam Lewis
bmj.com, 15 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: A Brave New World: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 16 Sep 2009 [Full text]
All aboard or all at sea: Michael Baum
bmj.com, 17 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: A Brave New World: James M May
bmj.com, 17 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: A Brave New World: Peter J Flegg
bmj.com, 18 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: A Brave New World: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 18 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Proving a negative is hard to do: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 18 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Proving a negative is hard to do: L Sam Lewis
bmj.com, 19 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Proving a negative is hard to do: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 21 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A Brave New World: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 22 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Proving a negative is hard to do: L Sam Lewis
bmj.com, 22 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A Brave New World: Peter J Flegg
bmj.com, 23 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Politics of integration: Joan McClusky
bmj.com, 23 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Non-integrative madness: Richard Bartley
bmj.com, 24 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A Brave New World: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Curious standards: David Colquhoun
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Curious standards: Dr Viera Scheibner PhD
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Curious standards: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 26 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Curious standards: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 30 Sep 2009 [Full text]
Re: Mind the Gap: Edzard Ernst
bmj.com, 2 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: Dr Viera Scheibner PhD
bmj.com, 2 Oct 2009 [Full text]
So it's goodbye to evidence-based medicine, then?: Caroline Richmond
bmj.com, 2 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: John p Heptonstall
bmj.com, 2 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: So it's goodbye to evidence-based medicine, then?: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 5 Oct 2009 [Full text]
"Has the BMJ become so broadminded that it cannot discriminate sense from nonsense?": Jay Ilangaratne
bmj.com, 5 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 5 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 5 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 7 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: "Has the BMJ become so broadminded that it cannot discriminate sense from nonsense?": John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 6 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 7 Oct 2009 [Full text]
google trends are biased and do not provide good evidence for causation: Michael Power
bmj.com, 7 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: google trends are biased and do not provide good evidence for causation: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 8 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 12 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 13 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 13 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: Leslie B Rose
bmj.com, 15 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Curious standards: John P Heptonstall
bmj.com, 16 Oct 2009 [Full text]