Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States

This report was commissioned in September 2002, when 16 NIH (National Institutes of Health) institutes, centers, and offices plus the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality asked the Institute of Medicine to convene a study committee to explore scientific, policy, and practice questions that arise from the significant and increasing use of CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) therapies by the American public. Specifically, this study was asked to

1. Describe the use of CAM therapies by the American public and provide a comprehensive overview, to the extent that data are available, of the therapies in widespread use, the populations that use them, and what is known about how they are provided.

2. Identify the major scientific, policy, and practice issues related to CAM research and to the translation of validated therapies into conventional medical practice.

3. Develop conceptual models or frameworks to guide public- and private-sector decision making as research and practice communities confront the challenges of conducting research on CAM, translating research findings into practice, and addressing the distinct policy and practice barriers inherent in that translation.