Ted Kaptchuk and Franklin Miller.
Academic Medicine
March 2005, Vol. 80, Issue #3, pg. 286-290.
Review by: Linda Heun, Ph.D. <lheun@aacom.org>
The authors discuss three potential relationships between mainstream and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). They trace the historical relationship of opposition and the more recent attempt to integrate mainstream and CAM treatments. The authors discuss the ways in which pluralism represents a more effective alternative and make the following points:
- it fosters tolerance and/or cooperation
- it recognizes unbridgeable differences but acknowledges potential value of CAM
- it is consistent with biomedical standards of objective efficacy assessment and universal ethical principles of patient autonomy
- it improves communication between patients and physicians and facilitates informed consent.
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