Alternative Health Practitioners Not Keeping Up With Latest Research

           The assumption is that any professional running a clinic in their own particular field will be aware of any relevant research carried out.
            Furthermore when the information is out there these experts in alternative medicine can understand any implications that are involved for their patients.
           In the area of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), two large clinical trials, funded by the United States government have taken place in recent years.
           However a survey has recently shown that, alarmingly assumptions should not be made and that often significant findings resulting from detailed studies remain unknown or are not fully comprehended.
           This means that over two billion dollars worth of research which has been instigated by the American National Institute of Health has potentially been wasted, with forty percent of a large number of different therapists, including naturopaths and rheumatologists not knowing of their existence.
          Of the over fifteen hundred clinicians interviewed for the Archives of Internal Medicine publication many were unable to understand what they had read anyway.
          In fact very few of these, amongst others, internists and acupuncturists, felt truly confident enough in their ability to study the data and interpret the final conclusions.
           Often the ability to translate research findings into practical matters was based purely on the background of the professional in question.
           In other words if they had previous experience of research material etc in a more academic environment, usually specialists like rheumatologists, had a greater understanding of its relevancy.
          It is vital that this gap in research data and it’s use in medicine, be it traditional or modern, be sorted out, maybe the NIH need to divert some few dollars towards an awareness campaign for the medical fraternity.