CAM research funding in the UK: surveys of medical charities in 1999 and 2002.
A custom-made questionnaire was sent to all UK medical charities in 1999 and again in 2002. Its primary aim was to assess the commitment of these institutions towards funding research in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Sixty-two (1999) and 60 (2002) answers were received corresponding to response rates of 62% and 55%. The total CAM research funds have increased from pound 70,000 in 1999 to pound 412,755 in 2002. In terms of total research budgets, this amounts to 0.05% and 0.31%, respectively. The number of CAM research projects has increased but so has the number of charities who do not fund CAM research. We conclude from these data that CAM research funding by UK medical charities has increased. In relative terms it does, however, remain low and out of proportion to the prevalence of CAM use in the UK.
Wider
B
B
Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Exeter, UK.
Ernst
E
E
D002608:Charities / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000191:economics*; D003625:Data Collection; D005378:Financial Support; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014837:Voluntary Health Agencies / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*