Arizona County Approves Integrative Care Plan

From an article at Dr. Weil.com

In a vote that may ultimately boost acceptance of integrative medicine (IM) throughout the U.S., the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed on Nov. 28, 2011, to allow the county’s employees and their dependents to receive primary care at an IM clinic scheduled to open in Phoenix, Ariz., in July of 2012. The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (AzCIM) will study patient outcomes to determine the effectiveness and costs of integrative versus conventional primary care within the county’s 13,000 employee system.

NIH Launches Web Resource on Complementary and Alternative Medicine

From the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) press release

A new online resource, designed to give health care providers easy access to evidence-based information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), was unveiled today by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health.

With this new resource, providers will have the tools necessary to learn about the various CAM practices and products and be better able to discuss the safety and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine with their patients….

…NCCAM developed a resource that provides reliable, objective, and evidenced-based information on CAM, including:

• links to relevant clinical practice guidelines
• safety and effectiveness information
• links to systematic reviews
• summaries of research studies
• scientific literature searches
• programs for continuing education credit
• patient fact sheets
• NCCAM’s Time to Talk tool kit on communicating about CAM.

Americans annually spend nearly $34 billion out-of-pocket on CAM products and practices. Surveys show that nearly 40 percent of American adults and 12 percent of American children use some form of CAM. Other surveys show that patients do not regularly discuss these practices with their health care providers. In fact, a recent study of Americans aged 50 and older found that overall two-thirds of respondents had not discussed CAM with their health care provider.

“NCCAM is charged to study and provide evidence-based information on the safety and efficacy of CAM health practices that are readily available and already used by a great number of people,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCAM. “As a physician, I understand the need to have easily accessible and accurate information on all health practices. This Web resource is a way for NCCAM to share this valuable information with all providers.”

To use this resource, please visit nccam.nih.gov/health/providers/.

NCCAM’s Time to Talk campaign encourages patients to tell their providers about CAM use and providers to ask about it by offering tools and resources—such as wallet cards, posters, and tip sheets—all of which are available for free at nccam.nih.gov/timetotalk/.

The mission of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation’s Medical Research Agency—includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

Additional Resources

Natural & Alternative Treatments
Contains detailed information on almost 200 different conditions and the conventional and natural treatments used to treat them, over 300 herbs and supplements, plus drug-herb and drug-supplement interactions for more than 90 drug categories.

Drugs and Supplements (sponsored by the Mayo Clinic)

Somewhat lengthy drug and over-the-counter medicationinformation with these sections: description, before using, proper use, precautions and side effects. From Micromedex, a trusted source of healthcare information for health professionals.  

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians

Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information (from a MedlinePlus page)

Prescription and over-the-counter medication information contains answers to many general questions including topics as what a drug is used for, precautions, side effects, dietary instructions, and overdoses. From the American Society of Health System Pharmacists

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians.

Related Articles

• Let’s do some real science for a change! The NCCAM Strategic Plan 2011-2015 (scienceblogs.com)
• Herbal Medicines: ‘Natural’ Doesn’t Always Mean Safe, Says Royal Pharmaceutical Society (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Health-Care Providers Are Prescribing Nontraditional Medicine (Medical News Today, 10 May 2011)
• Integrative medicine, spirituality improves outcomes in urban adolescents with asthma (eurekalert.org)
• Audio File About the NCCAM Health Care Provider  Portal (NCAAM) 
• Study Questions Giving Babies Botanical Supplements, Teas (jflahiff.wordpress.com)

Herbs at a Glance – Sage

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has published a new Herbs at a Glance fact sheet focusing on Sage.

 

A few herb related Web sites

• Dietary Supplements Labels Database

Information about ingredients in more than three thousand selected brands of dietary supplements. It enables users to determine what ingredients are in specific brands and to compare ingredients in different brands. Information is also provided on the health benefits claimed by manufacturers. These claims by manufacturers have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Check out the Help section for tips on how to browse and search this site.

 

• Drug Digest

This noncommercial consumer health and drug information site provides information about drugs and treatment options to be discussed with your primary health care provider or a pharmacist.  Information about over 1,500 drugs as well as common herbs and supplements. The check interactions tab (potential interactions between drugs)  and conditions/treatments area provide easy-to-read overviews. Information provided by Drawing pharmacy experts, licensed doctors of pharmacy, and physicians. From ExpressScripts.

• Drugs, Supplements, and Herbal Information (from a MedlinePlus page)

Prescription and over-the-counter medication information contains answers to many general questions including topics as what a drug is used for, precautions, side effects, dietary instructions, and overdoses. From the American Society of Health System Pharmacists

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians.

• Drugs and Supplements (sponsored by the Mayo Clinic)

Somewhat lengthy drug and over-the-counter medicationinformation with these sections: description, before using, proper use, precautions and side effects. From Micromedex, a trusted source of healthcare information for health professionals. 

Herb and supplement information includes information on uses based on scientific evidence as well as safety and potential interactions with drugs, herbs, and supplements. From Natural Standard, an independent group of researchers and clinicians.

• Natural & Alternative Treatments**
  Contains detailed information on almost 200 different conditions and the conventional and natural treatments used to treat them, over 300 herbs and supplements, plus drug-herb and drug-supplement interactions for more than 90 drug categories.

Tai Chi and Qi Gong for Health and Well Being: Video Now Available

From the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

This 12 minute video is an educational tool that features tai chi and qi gong as activities to enhance wellness. You can also download this video to your computer or portable media player.

Segments include introduction, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and cool down

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.

The NCCAM Web site includes research-based information on treatments and conditions for both health care professionals and the rest of us.

Locating Health and Medical Information – An Updated Library of Congress Guide

This Science Reference Guide includes information in the following areas

• Safe Searching
• Information about Doctors
• Medical & Health Information
• Dictionaries, Abbreviations, Syndromes, Eponyms
• Medical Tests & Examinations, Dealing with Doctors
• Information on Drugs
• Complementary & Alternative Medicine, Wellness, Nutrition
• Hospitals, HMOs, Nursing homes
• Magazines, Newsletters
• Selected Web Sites
• Resources For Online Books, Journals & Articles

Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits

Eastern ‘exercises’ may aid heart, immune system, balance, bone health and quality of life.
The news item may be found at  Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits

Credentialing CAM Providers: Understanding CAM Education, Training, Regulation, and Licensing

Wondering how to find information about a health care provider who specialized in complementary or alternative medicine (CAM)?

This new fact sheet provides a general overview of the status of CAM credentialing, summarizes licensure for selected types of CAM practitioners, and suggests sources for additional information.

Questions to Ask When Considering Complementary or Alternative Therapies

The use of complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) is on the rise. However, before using CAM, it is advisable to consult with your primary health care provider, or any specialized health care provider you are under the care of.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has prepared Questions to Ask When Considering CAM.

The questions will help you gather the information you need about a CAM therapy.
Links are also provided to additional resources.

The Mulford Library of the University of Toledo has two relevant  online Library Guides

• Consumer Health includes the section Evaluating Health Information
• Drugs, Supplements, Herbs, and Vitamins includes the section Herbs and Botanicals (Consumers)

Related Articles

• Review highlights need for more education and guidance on CAM use in midwifery (esciencenews.com)
• Integrative oncology: Where “individualization” really means “making it up as you go along” (scienceblogs.com)
• Medical Schools Embrace Alternative Medicine (usnews.com)
• Consumer Health Toolkit (fremontlibraries.wordpress.com)
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the Rise (webmd.com)
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine – What People Aged 50 and over discuss with their healthcare providers (nccam.gov, 2011)