background: to determine the prevalence and patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (cam) use in urban population in isfahan. methods: in a cross–sectional study through two-stage sampling methods, 870 individuals were selected from isfahan province, center of iran. we selected 20 clusters randomly and chose one household from each cluster by chance then 24 households were included...

background: multiple sclerosis (ms) is an unpredictable neurological disease leading to severe disability in young adults.  the  majority of ms patients  use  complementary and     alternative medicine  (cam)  as adjunct  to conventional  therapies.  this study  aimed  to  investigate the prevalence  of cam utilization among  iranian patients with ms and their attitude  toward the cam usage. me...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the use of alternative therapies among different racial/ethnic groups in the USA. Specifically, we examined whether alternative medicine use differs for working aged whites, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics. DESIGN Using the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, racial differences in utilization were investigated at two levels: (1) the bivariate leve...

Placebo controls are commonly used in clinical trials of investigational treatments because they have important advantages. In recent years, some have criticized the use of placebo-controlled trials when effective alternative therapy exists, regardless of the expected effect of the therapy. In part 1 of this paper, ethical arguments are addressed and the interpretive problems inherent in the us...

The n-of-1 trial is a particularly flexible form of randomized controlled trial that involves a single patient receiving multiple episodes of alternative therapies. Although n-of-1 trials are only applicable in certain treatment areas, the collection of economic data within such trials may provide unique advantages. This paper illustrates the issues around the use of economic n-of-1 trials with...

Responding to an article by R. Burkhardt and G. Kienle in the same issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics, Vere strongly disputes their criticisms of the controlled clinical trial. He maintains that the proper use of the statistical method in a randomized trial provides the 'best, most precise, and most conservative way' for a medical researcher to decide among alternative therapies, and that ...

BACKGROUND Interest in alternative and complementary medical practices has grown considerably in recent years. Previous surveys have examined attitudes of the general public and practicing physicians. This study examined the training, experience, and attitudes of medical school faculty, who have the primary responsibility for the education of future family physicians. METHODS A 24-item, self-...

Public interest in CAM for cancer care likely will influence the need for continued scientific evaluation. The NCI BCS program evaluates case studies involving novel alternative therapies for cancer treatment. Through the NCI BCS program, meaningful data are generated that may lead to NCI-supported research projects, including prospective studies, clinical trials, and advances in scientific kno...

BACKGROUND A variety of occupational groups have been shown to experience elevated risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). Little information on WMSD is available in hotel restaurant workers. OBJECTIVE To document the profile of WMSD in a sample of hotel restaurant workers in Taiwan. METHODS A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather information regarding body site...

If there is any primary rule of science, it is . . . acceptance of the obligation to acknowledge and describe all of re a l i ty, all that exists, e ve rything that is the case. . . . it must accept within its jurisdiction e ven that which it cannot understand or explain, that for which no theo ry exists, that which cannot be measured, predicted, controlled, or o rd e red. . . . It includes all...