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Evidence-based practice in British complementary and alternative medicine: double standards?
1Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth, Exeter, UK. Katherine.hunt@pms.ac.uk
Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
|September 23, 2009
Summary
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is crucial in healthcare. However, most British complementary and alternative medicine organizations do not require EBP, unlike medical and nursing codes, potentially impacting patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
Background:
- Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) principles are fundamental to medical ethics and healthcare.
- A 2000 House of Lords committee recommended extending EBP to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
- The integration of EBP into CAM ethics is a critical aspect of modern healthcare standards.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incorporation of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) within the ethical codes of British CAM organizations.
- To assess adherence to EBP standards across various CAM professional bodies.
- To identify discrepancies in ethical requirements between CAM and conventional healthcare practitioners.
Main Methods:
- Examined ethical codes from thirteen British CAM organizations, including naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, chiropractic, osteopathy, and herbalism.
- Extracted statements pertaining to Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) from each CAM organization's code.
- Compared the EBP requirements in CAM codes against those stipulated for British doctors and nurses.
Main Results:
- Only three CAM regulatory bodies mandate Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) for their members: the General Chiropractic Council, General Osteopathic Council, and General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies.
- The majority of surveyed British CAM organizations lack explicit requirements for EBP in their ethical guidelines.
- A significant disparity exists in the adoption of EBP between CAM practitioners and conventional medical/nursing professions.
Conclusions:
- The findings reveal inconsistent standards in UK healthcare, particularly concerning Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in complementary and alternative medicine.
- This lack of uniform EBP adoption may create double standards within the healthcare system.
- Potential compromise of patient safety is a concern due to the inconsistent application of EBP across different healthcare sectors.
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