Whole complementary and alternative medical systems and complexity: creating collaborative relationships.
In recent years, investigators have discovered significant limitations in applying biomedical cause-effect assumptions and using conventional efficacy study designs to assess the clinical outcomes of whole systems of complementary and alternative medicine (WS-CAM). A group of WS-CAM researchers has been working collaboratively since 2001 to address the limitations of studies evaluating WS-CAM and discern ways to conduct research that would capture the complexity of such systems and the synergistic effects between the various elements of the system and would take into account treatment individualization and/or the patient-centered nature of treatment systems. In 2009, 14 complexity scientists from systems biology, psychology and the social sciences were invited to attend a workshop with these CAM scientists to (a) identify and discuss analytical techniques that can be used to study phenomena from a complex/nonlinear dynamical sciences perspective, (b) establish working relationships with these researchers, and (c) develop working research projects/ protocols to collaboratively study patient-centered responses to CAM treatments. This paper provides an overview of the workshop goals and outcomes, introducing this special issue of Forschende Komplementärmedizin.
Department of Community Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.
Marja
M
Verhoef
Mary
M
Koithan
Iris R
IR
Bell
John
J
Ives
Wayne
W
Jonas
D035843:Biomedical Research; D002170:Canada; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004493:Education; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States