Complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) and Health Policy Change

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Complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) refers to the various ways of treating and helping cure disease and prevent illness in patients (or healthy individuals) through alternative methods. CAM practices include the use of acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathic manipulation, and exercise therapy. Some research has shown that certain forms of CAM such as chiropractic and cranial osteopathy can help relieve pain and discomfort in some cases (though one can’t assume that any form or method will work for everyone). CAM is often seen as a supplement to traditional medicine so it is not always covered by insurance (Fjær, Landet, McNamara, & Eikemo, 2020). Though many people online have expressed doubts about whether or not this form of medicine is safe and effective, others claim it has helped them with their chronic conditions or emotional issues. The main categories of CAM are physical, behavioral, and energy techniques. Physical techniques are modalities that are applied to the human body to relieve symptoms. Behavioral techniques are basically coping skills or tools that can help you deal with stress. And lastly, energy therapies focus on your moods and emotions by stimulating your body’s natural healing system.

Integrative health coverage refers to the coverage of health care services that are made available through different healthcare providers. Outcomes research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine surveyed 1,873 adults between 2011 and 2013 to find out if integrative health coverage helped improve healthcare outcomes for individuals with chronic physical conditions. Results showed that integration rates increased significantly after three years of implementation, suggesting a need for sustainable integrative health coverage to help provide meaningful benefits. The study’s findings suggest the importance of ensuring integrative health coverage remains on the radars, as opposed to being relegated to smaller-funded state programs or regional initiatives which could decrease detection rates over time (Khalil, Al-Eidi, Al-Qaed, & AlSanad, 2018). This integrative health coverage is very vital in enhancing the health of a person and the health of society as a whole. The US spends on healthcare about 16% of GDP, which is only exceeded by Japan and Switzerland. In addition to that, about 18% of GDP goes towards health care costs for insurance alone with out-of-pocket expenses estimated at $150 billion. There has been an even greater increase in spending on medical services, spanning from general practitioners to specialists for over 45%. This does speak volumes as to the need for such coverage and its necessity in improving overall healthcare accessibility and safety.

Improvements can be made through healthcare policy change or health programming to include integrative health. This will improve the number of people in healthcare with this type of treatment offering. Integrative health is about not only improving the quality of health care but also implementing it in a way that will make sense for the patient. This will increase access to practitioners who are trained in integrative medicine, including natural nutrition, acupuncture, herbalism, and spiritual approaches. By promoting these practices, it can also improve health care results by reducing mortality rates due to medical issues. It’s thought that if more patients had access to integrative providers through policy changes or programming improvements they could have improved outcomes for themselves and with their loved ones. Another improvement that will be as a result of this healthcare policy change would be that there would be less negative health behaviors among the general public. A majority of the population in the US has high levels of obesity, so to decrease this could be another way to improve healthcare results. Along with less negative health behaviors, there would also be less self-medication through natural sources, such as herbal remedies or alternative medicine, because it is easier to find prescription medicine to treat any complaint.

An example of a health program that offers alternative or complementary medicine is the one offered by the college of medicine. The College of Medicine offers many alternative forms of medicine, including acupuncture, chiropractic care, and herbalism to name a few. They even offer sessions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which are given by licensed clinical social workers. At the College of Medicine’s various offices around town, you can find everything from preventative care to holistic treatment options that can help you heal physically or emotionally (Herman, Sorbero, & Sims-Columbia, 2017). Come to either their campus or satellite offices today!

References

Fjær, E. L., Landet, E. R., McNamara, C. L., & Eikemo, T. A. (2020). The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Europe. BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 20(1), 1-9.

Herman, P. M., Sorbero, M. E., & Sims-Columbia, A. C. (2017). Complementary and alternative medicine services in the military health system. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(11), 837-843.

Khalil, M. K., Al-Eidi, S., Al-Qaed, M., & AlSanad, S. (2018). The future of integrative health and medicine in Saudi Arabia. Integrative medicine research, 7(4), 316-321.