By: Aimee Griswold
Alternative medicine is a type of medical treatment that is not a part, nor used in place of, conventional medicine, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 1 The World Health Organization states that traditional medicine is a term that is used interchangeably with complementary and alternative medicine. 2 Traditional medicine is a compilation of knowledge, abilities and methods based on theories, beliefs, and experiences of peoples and cultures. 2 Alternative medicine has been practiced for thousands of years, but hasn’t been fully accepted into United State’s conventional medicine. 3,4 It’s possible that this is due to both positive and negative scientific findings in regards these types of medicine. 5
During the 1990s, the use of alternative medicine began to increase. 4,6 In 2008, Dr. Margaret Chan addressed the World Health Organization Congress on the topic of alternative medicine. 6 She explained that it is readily available, accessible, affordable, and used in large areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 6 In addition, alternative medicine has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry in North America and Europe. 6 She believes the main reason for its increase in popularity is people’s growing belief that natural products are healthy, safe, and good. 6 Alternative medical treatment is the main or only form of health care for millions of people around the world (especially in developing countries). 6 This poses a problem when looking at situations such as cases of malaria (a disease that can be fatal within 24 hours) in Africa that are being treated with alternative medicine (often herbal remedies). 6 Although alternative medicine can sooth, reduce suffering, relieve pain and even treat some ailments, conventional medicine has been scientifically proven to increase chances of survival and improvement in sever cases of illness. 6 This is just one of the reasons why alternative medicine is a controversial issue today.
| Source Analysis Forms |
1.
| Name of source: Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? – http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam |
| Why did you choose it? I chose this source because it is a government web site relating to complimentary and alternative medicine, who in the United States uses it, how many people are using it, and what types of alternative medicine people are using most. |
| How did you find it? I found this source after looking through the sources cited on the Alternative medicine Wikipedia page. |
| Analyze the source’s authority: This source was published by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), which is a big influence in the alternative medical field in the United States. |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: Although the source was published by NCCAM, the writing remains objective. Its information and facts are derived from surveys that have been conducted. |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This source has cited sources, is well written and easy to follow. It doesn’t state any opinions about complementary and alternative medicine, keeping its objectivity in tact. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: This web page was published in October of 2008. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source is very relevant because it relates to alternative medicine, and its current status in the United States at the time. |
2.
| Name of source: Traditional Medicine: Definitions – http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional/definitions/en |
| Why did you choose it? I chose this source because it has some great basic information on alternative, complementary and traditional medicine, as well as other terms that relate to alternative medicine. |
| How did you find it? I can’t remember exactly what I was reading that lead me to the World Health Organization website, but I found this web page after I went to the WHO website and searched for information on alternative medicine. |
| Analyze the source’s authority: The World Health Organization is a government agency and authority on health in the United Nations system. |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: Because of WHO’s authority, it should be objective in providing unbiased and accurate information to the public. |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This source is well written, objective and a great source of definitions that relate to alternate medicine. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: This source was written in 2000, but based off of what I found in other websites the definitions haven’t changed. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source directly relates to alternative medicine and terms that are associated with it. |
3.
| Name of source: Complementary and Alternative Medicine: History, Benefits, and Use by Patients with Cancer – http://www.uwlax.edu/md/forms/Jen%20FINAL.pdf |
| Why did you choose it? I chose this source because it is a research report for a degree in the Master of Science in Medical Dosimetry that focuses on a wide variety of complementary and alternative medicine and therapies, as well as their history, benefits and risks. |
| How did you find it? I was searching for more information on the history of alternative medicine in America, and decided to narrow my search down to strictly educational sites. So, I added “.edu” into my search, and finally came across the pdf of this report. |
| Analyze the source’s authority: The report was written by a graduate student from the University of Wisconsin-LA Crosse, who was working towards her Masters Degree in Medical Dosimetry. It was published by the university on their website. |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: The source is objective. It cited sources throughout the report, and there are no references to the author or university’s opinion of the subject. The report is not a persuasive piece or an expose. |
| Analyze the source’s quality: The source is well written, organized, and cites its sources. The report is easy to follow, easy to access, and was reviewed by a research advisor. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: The report was written in August of 2011, making the report and its information roughly two and a half years old. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: The source refers to complimentary and alternative medicine and therapies, some of their pros and cons, and some of their histories. It focuses on alternative and complimentary medicine and therapies in the United States. |
4.
| Name of source: Traditional Medicine – http://www.who.int/topics/traditional_medicine/en/ |
| Why did you choose it? I chose it because it has clear, simple, and basic information on alternative/traditional medicine. |
| How did you find it? [See Source Analysis #2] |
| Analyze the source’s authority: [See Source Analysis #2] |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: [See Source Analysis #2] |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This source is well written, easy to read, objective and concise. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: I am unsure about when the source was published but the information is still relevant and current today. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source directly relates to alternative and traditional medicine. |
5.
| Name of source: Are You Considering Complementary Medicine? – http://nccam.nih.gov/health/decisions/consideringcam.htm#hed3 |
| Why did you choose it? I chose this source because it is a government web site relating to complimentary and alternative medicine. It is an information page for people who are considering using alternative medicine. |
| How did you find it? [See Source Analysis #1] |
| Analyze the source’s authority: [See Source Analysis #1] |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: [See Source Analysis #1] |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This source is well written and broken into clear, informative sections. It is objective and provides links to other cites with more information on the different sections. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: This source was published in December of 2006. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source is very relevant because it relates to alternative medicine, and things a person should or may want to know before being treated with alternative medicine. |
6.
| Name of source: Address at the WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine – http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2008/20081107/en/ |
| Why did you choose it? I chose this source because it had a lot of interesting information regarding the controversies surrounding alternative medicine. |
| How did you find it? [See Source Analysis #2] |
| Analyze the source’s authority: [See Source Analysis #2] |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: [See Source Analysis #2] |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This source was the transcription of a speech that Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, regarding issues involving alternative medicine. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: This speech was given in 2008. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source directly relates to issues and benefits surrounding alternative medicine. |
7.
| Name of source: The Development of the Office of Alternative Medicine in the National Institutes of Health, 1991-1996 – http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/bulletin_of_the_history_of_medicine/v072/72.2young.html |
| Why did you choose it? I chose this source because it focused on the development of alternative medicine within the National Health Institute, which is a well respected government health organization. It is also a peer reviewed article. |
| How did you find it? I found it while searching for the history and development of alternative medicine in conjuncture with the National Institutes of Health. |
| Analyze the source’s authority: This is an excerpt from the Bulletin of the History of Medicine, which is a peer reviewed academic journal. |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: Because it is a peer reviewed article, it is supposed to be objective. The writing suggests that it is. |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This is a concise, informative piece. It is objective and it has high credibility. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: This source was published in 1998. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source relates to alternative medicine and its development within the National Institutes of Health. |
8.
| Name of source: http://nccam.nih.gov/news/camstats/2007/camsurvey_fs1.htm |
| Why did you choose it? |
| How did you find it? [See Source Analysis #1] |
| Analyze the source’s authority: [See Source Analysis #1] |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: [See Source Analysis #1] |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This source is well written and broken into clear, informative sections. It is objective, provides links to other sites, and cites its sources. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: This source was published in December of 2008. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source directly relates to alternative medicine, the categories of alternative medicine that were most popular at the time, and who the types of people using alternative medicine. |
9.
| Name of source: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-history/ama-history-timeline.page |
| Why did you choose it? I chose this source because it was a government website and focused on the evolution of the American Medical Association, which is a respected health organization. Although the AMA specifies in conventional medicine in the United States, I thought it was important to look at how mainstream medicine has evolved over the years and adapted to the introduction and incorporation of alternative medicine and healing methods. |
| How did you find it? I went to the American Medical Association’s website and searched for their history in order to find this source. |
| Analyze the source’s authority: The AMA is a respected medical association. |
| Analyze the source’s objectivity: The source only mentions alternative medicine when questioning its validity and safety. This shows slight bias against alternative medicine. However, it could also be due to the fact that there is no scientific evidence to support whether or not alternative medicine works. |
| Analyze the source’s quality: This source is clear, concise, easy to follow, and well written. |
| Analyze the source’s currency: Analyze the source’s currency: The last year entry for the timeline was 2012. |
| Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source directly relates to alternative medicine, the categories of alternative medicine that were most popular at the time, and who the types of people using alternative medicine. |
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