Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMS) Symposium

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Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMS) Symposium

Date of publication: November 2004

Summary
Publication availability
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Summary
In November 2004 at the request of the New Zealand Minister of Health, the National Health Committee (NHC) hosted a one-day symposium looking at opportunities for the Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMS) sector and the biomedical sector to work more closely together. The symposium took as its theme the management of chronic conditions. The symposium followed on from the work carried out by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Health which reported to the Minister of Health in June 2004.

The symposium highlighted the diversity in CAM paradigms, practices, terminology, education, training and research culture. Symposium participants expressed concern that regulation and standardisation of CAM into a biomedical model will not take this heterogeneity into account and thereby reduce the effectiveness of CAM treatments. CAM services include acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy and osteopathy. They are provided by CAM practitioners and by some mainstream health professionals such as general practitioners or nurses. Therapies and products are provided in a variety of ways. These include needling, touching, manipulation of the muscles or spine, taking pills, tonics or enemas; and using creams or essential oils.

The symposium provided a range of constructive suggestions about developing an integrated approach between the CAMs and biomedical sectors, which the NHC included in its advice to the Minister following the symposium.

A key focus of the symposium was how integration of the two sectors could occur. As well as consideration of structural issues, there was discussion on relationship building, evidence, research and regulation. The value and limitations of evidence were highlighted. Participants suggested that a broader range of research methodologies be used for gathering CAM evidence, which would take into account the different paradigms and the relationship between practitioner and patient. There was a call for the development of an infrastructure to support research on CAM treatments and products.

Over seventy people attended the day and presentations were given by academics and practitioners in a variety of fields.

The following documents are the presentations made during the symposium.

Publication availability
The presentations are available in Powerpoint and PDF format below:

The Whole Picture - Integrated Management of Chronic Conditions in New Zealand (Powerpoint, 416 KB)
The Whole Picture - Integrated Management of Chronic Conditions in New Zealand (PDF, 82 KB)

Integration of Two Sectors – Ethical Issues (Powerpoint, 99 KB)
Integration of Two Sectors – Ethical Issues (PDF, 122 KB)

Issues for Integrative Medicine (Powerpoint, 835 KB)
Issues for Integrative Medicine (PDF, 221 KB)

Combinations of Natural Products - Opportunities and Dangers (Powerpoint, 287 KB)
Combinations of Natural Products - Opportunities and Dangers (PDF, 88 KB)

The Way Forward - Integration of Acupuncture into Mainstream Medicine (Powerpoint, 3 MB)
The Way Forward - Integration of Acupuncture into Mainstream Medicine (PDF, 610 KB)

Acupuncture Pre-birth treatment (Powerpoint, 2 MB)
Acupuncture Pre-birth treatment (PDF, 103 KB)

New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Powerpoint, 66 KB)
New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (PDF, 119 KB)

CAM Working with Mainstream Health - A homeopathic perspective (Powerpoint, 74 KB)
CAM Working with Mainstream Health - A homeopathic perspective (PDF, 47 KB)

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Related information
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (www.cam.org.nz)
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a broad domain of healing resources that encompasses all health systems, modalities, and practices and their accompanying theories and beliefs, other than those intrinsic to the politically dominant health system of a particular society or culture in a given historical period.