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Economic analysis of complementary medicine: a systematic review
1Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Postgraduate Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. a.r.white@ex.ac.uk
Complementary Therapies in Medicine
|June 22, 2000
Summary
Economic analyses of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) reveal mixed results. While some studies suggest cost savings, rigorous research indicates CAM may be an additional expense, necessitating high-quality investigations.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- Economic evaluations of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are crucial for understanding their value.
- Existing literature presents conflicting data on the cost-effectiveness of CAM therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review all available reports on the economic analysis of complementary and alternative medicine.
Main Methods:
- Conducted comprehensive searches in Medline, Embase, and AMED for economic studies (cost description, comparison, effectiveness, benefit).
- Prioritized prospective studies with comparative groups for higher quality assessment.
Main Results:
- Included 34 reports; retrospective studies suggested potential cost reductions in primary care.
- Prospective studies indicated CAM as an additional expense, not a substitute for conventional care.
- Spinal manipulative therapy for back pain may reduce societal costs but not purchaser costs.
Conclusions:
- Spinal manipulative therapy shows potential societal cost savings for back pain but not for purchasers.
- A significant lack of rigorous studies hinders conclusive evidence on CAM cost-effectiveness compared to orthodox medicine.
- High-quality research is essential to determine the true costs and benefits of complementary medicine.