Subj: NIH ANNOUNCES
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE STUDY OF COMPLEMENTARY AND AL TERNATIVE MEDICINE
Date: Monday,
October 21, 2002 9:09:50 AM
From: olib@OD.NIH.GOV
From: olib@OD.NIH.GOV
(NIH OLIB (OD))
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National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Monday, October 21, 2002
Contact:
NCCAM Press Office
(301) 496-7790
The National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
and 16 Federal co-sponsors announce the launch
of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) study of the scientific
and policy implications of the use of complementary
and alternative medicine (CAM) by the American
public. The $1 million, nearly 2-year study, will be conducted by the IOM, a component of the National
Academies.
The National Academies is a
private, nonprofit, non-governmental institution created by a congressional
charter to be an advisory body for the nation
on scientific and technological matters. The IOM draws upon volunteer panels of experts to examine policy matters regarding the public’s health. NCCAM, the
primary sponsor of the study, is the Federal
Government’s lead agency for scientific
research on CAM.
The IOM will assemble a panel of
approximately 16 experts from a broad range of
CAM and conventional disciplines, such as
behavioral medicine, internal medicine, nursing, epidemiology, pharmacology, health care research and administration, and education. During the course of the
study, the IOM panel will assess research findings,
hold workshops, and invite speakers to address
the panel, among other activities, in order
to:
·
Provide a comprehensive
overview of the use of CAM therapies by the
American public;
·
Identify significant scientific
and policy issues related to CAM research,
regulation, integration, training, and
certification; and
·
Develop a conceptual
framework to help guide decision-making on these issues and questions.
The value of undertaking this
study emerged from discussions among members
of the Trans-Agency CAM Coordinating
Committee, chaired by Stephen E. Straus, M.D., NCCAM
Director. The Committee felt that the IOM had the expertise to critically consider questions of CAM research
and policy.
“Americans use CAM therapies in
record numbers,” said Dr. Straus. “The IOM’s report will give
us a clearer understanding of the scope of CAM
use by Americans, as well as CAM’s public health impact, and scientific and policy issues that will better inform our research decisions.”
The IOM study, led by Senior
Program Officer Lyla M. Hernandez, MPH, of the Board on Health Promotion and
Disease Prevention, will not conduct new surveys of
the public regarding CAM use. Rather, the IOM
panel will gather and analyze existing data.
In addition, the IOM study, which will recruit
panel members after October 1, plans to address
many key questions, such as:
·
What are the methodological
difficulties in evaluating some CAM therapies?
·
How are the different CAM
professions regulated in the United States?
·
What is the current situation
for coverage of CAM by insurers and other
third parties?
·
What are the policy and
regulatory issues regarding licensing and
certifying CAM practitioners?
The answers to these questions
and the information generated by the IOM panel
of leading scholars drawn from both
conventional medicine and CAM, and from education, should serve to complement the recommendations of the White
House Commission on Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Policy released earlier this year.
The agencies that are
co-sponsoring the IOM study include:
John E. Fogarty International Center
National Cancer Institute
National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine
National Center for Research Resources
National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism
National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases
National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development
National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research
National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute of Mental Health
National Library of Medicine
NIH Office of Behavioral and Social
Sciences Research
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
<http://www.nationalacademies.org>. For information on the Institute of Medicine, visit <http://www.iom.edu>.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative medical (CAM) practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at <http://nccam.nih.gov>.