NIH interest in complementary and Alternative Medicine

[Guest guest]

Zinnia,

Thank you for your letter.  I have copied below the original set of tasks t=

hat the

Institute of Medicine was given by NIH, and specific guidance they are

seeking.  Given the type of forum that the IOM is conducting, there are als=

o

many other questions and items discussed, but this should give you an

accurate picture of the scope of their inquiry.

 

Gene Bruno, LAc, OMD

AAOM President

 

 

 

 

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE

 

Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

 

Statement of Task

 

Committee on the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

by the American Public

 

The IOM will convene a study committee to explore scientific, policy and

practice questions that arise from the significant and increasing use of

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies by the American

public.  Specifically, the study will:

 

1. Describe the use of CAM therapies by the American public, providing a

comprehensive overview, to the extent data are available, of the therapies =

in

wide-spread use, the populations that use them, and what is known about

how they are provided.

 

2. Identify major scientific, policy and practice issues related to CAM res=

earch,

and the translation of validated therapies into conventional practice. 

 

3. Develop conceptual models or frameworks to guide public and private

sector decision-making as research and practice communities confront the

challenges of conducting research on CAM, translating research findings int=

o

practice and addressing the distinct policy and practice barriers inherent =

in

that translation. 

 

 

Guidance is specifically sought on the following matters:

 

1. Study the methodological difficulties in the conduct of rigorous researc=

h on

CAM therapies and how these relate to issues in regulation and practice, wi=

th

exploration of options to address the identified difficulties.

 

2. The shortage of highly skilled practitioners who are able to participate=

in

scientific inquiry that meets NIH guidelines, and who have access to

institutions where such research is conducted.  

 

3. The shortage of receptive, integrated research environments and the

barriers to developing multi-disciplinary teams that include CAM and

conventional practitioners.

 

4. The availability of standardized and well-characterized materials and

practices to be studied and incorporated, when appropriate, into practice. =

 

 

5. Existing decision-making models used to determine whether or not to

incorporate new therapies and practices into conventional medicine,

including evidence thresholds.

 

6. Applicability of these decision-making models to CAM therapies and

practices.  Do they form good precedents for decisions relating to regulati=

on,

accreditation, or integration of CAM therapies?

 

7. Identification and analysis of successful approaches to incorporation of=

 

CAM into health professions' education.

 

Impact of current regulation/legislation on CAM research and integration.