Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2005; 10: 40
The objectives of this qualitative study were to describe what the integration of CAM means to healthcare policy makers in Canada and to examine their recommendations and concerns with regard to the increased integration of CAM in the conventional healthcare system.
This qualitative study employed face-to-face interviews with 10 provincial government policy makers from Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. The interviews consisted of open-ended questions that focused on the barriers and solutions to the integration of CAM.
Participants highlighted the issues that need to be addressed for CAM integration to proceed: the prevention focus in CAM, economic issues, the need for scientific evidence, the accreditation and education of CAM practitioners, professional boundary issues, the role of advocacy and strategic planning, and a suggested mechanism for CAM service delivery. The findings indicate that policy makers hold a positive view for the integration of CAM at the clinical and primary care level of practice. Policy makers support movement towards integrative health services, but emphasise that the issues of evidence-based CAM research, standards of accreditation and training for CAM practitioners, and the issue of who pays for these services, need to be addressed to ensure the improved health and well-being of Canadians.
Interview findings provide suggestions for the strategic planning of an integrated healthcare system.
This study was supported by a grant from the Max Bell Foundation.
