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An Evaluation of the Evidence in "Evidence-Based" Integrative Medicine Programs
Academic Medicine, 09/01/09

Marcus DM et al. – The authors reviewed the educational material concerning four popular CAM therapies–herbal remedies, chiropractic, acupuncture, and homeopathy–posted on the integrative medicine Web sites of the grant recipients and compared it with the best evidence available. The curricula on the integrative medicine sites were strongly biased in favor of CAM, many of the references were to poor–quality clinical trials, and they were five to six years out of date. Because integrative medicine programs have failed to uphold educational standards, medical and nursing schools need to assume responsibility for their oversight. The authors suggest (1) appointing faculty committees to review the educational materials and therapies provided by integrative medicine programs, (2) holding integrative medicine programs' education about CAM to the same standard of evidence used for conventional treatments, and (3) providing ongoing oversight of integrative medicine education programs.