Conventional Health Care's Interest in and Use of CAM

Evidence suggests that a growing number of physicians already use some CAM practices and consider them safe and effective in offering them to their patients. A comprehensive review of 25 surveys of physician practices and beliefs regarding five commonly used CAM practices-acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and massage-found that about half of the surveyed physicians believed in the efficacy of these five CAM practices. This study found that a significant proportion of conventional physicians were both referring patients to CAM practitioners and/or offering some of these CAM treatments in their practice.

In addition, Pelletier and colleagues found that a small, but growing number of insurance companies are offering or are considering coverage for CAM services. CAM also has made significant inroads into conventional medical education, with more than two-thirds of mainstream medical schools currently offering elective courses in CAM or including CAM topics in required courses.

However, the acceptance of some CAM practices by the conventional health care community did not come without economic and political power struggles. CAM practitioners have filed suit and won court cases against conventional health care professional associations, and in many states CAM professions have faced strong opposition from conventional health care organizations in gaining licensing from state regulatory agencies.

• What is CAM? • Overview • Convergence • Evolution< • Recent History • Consumer Use • Cancer • Chronic Pain • HIV Infection • Reasons • Conventional • Effectiveness • Differences • Major Types • NCCAM's Role • Definitions • Helpful Links
		Conventional Health Care's Interest in and Use of CAM Evidence suggests that a growing number of physicians already use some CAM practices and consider them safe and effective in offering them to their patients. A comprehensive review of 25 surveys of physician practices and beliefs regarding five commonly used CAM practices-acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and massage-found that about half of the surveyed physicians believed in the efficacy of these five CAM practices. This study found that a significant proportion of conventional physicians were both referring patients to CAM practitioners and/or offering some of these CAM treatments in their practice. In addition, Pelletier and colleagues found that a small, but growing number of insurance companies are offering or are considering coverage for CAM services. CAM also has made significant inroads into conventional medical education, with more than two-thirds of mainstream medical schools currently offering elective courses in CAM or including CAM topics in required courses. However, the acceptance of some CAM practices by the conventional health care community did not come without economic and political power struggles. CAM practitioners have filed suit and won court cases against conventional health care professional associations, and in many states CAM professions have faced strong opposition from conventional health care organizations in gaining licensing from state regulatory agencies.