Advancements In Integrative Medicine Research To Be Evaluated By Scientists From Leading International Academic Health Centers

Main Category: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 24 Apr 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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As federal policymakers pursue healthcare reform this year, the role of integrative medicine in health promotion and disease prevention will be critically evaluated. As part of this process, a consortium of more than 40 of North America's top medical schools will host scientists from across the globe to showcase original scientific research in the area of integrative medicine. The Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine will convene the 4th North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine on May 12-15, at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel.

Founded in 1999, the consortium works to transform medicine and healthcare through rigorous scientific studies, new models of clinical care, and innovative educational programs based on an integrative model. Among the institutions which will be represented at this year's conference are Duke Integrative Medicine; Georgetown University, School of Medicine; Harvard Medical School; Mayo Clinic, Complementary & Integrative Medicine Program; University of Arizona, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; University of California, San Francisco; University of Maryland, Center for Integrative Medicine; University of Calgary, Canadian Institute of Natural & Integrative Medicine; and Integrative Medicine at Yale.

"The renewed focus on national health reform has inspired new questions about the evidence and research necessary to support the claim that integrative medicine can be a foundational element of health system transformation," says Victor Sierpina, M.D., Chair of the consortium. "This conference is expected to help answer these important questions," he concluded.

The conference will feature nearly 60 podium presentations, 250 poster presentations, and 30 symposia. Among the presentations are:

-- The safety of pediatric acupuncture

-- The chiropractic care of ear infections

-- Spirituality, alternative health practices, and health status among college students

-- Effects of mindfulness meditation on eating behavior, cortisol, and body fat distribution

-- Mind-body interventions to reduce seizures, improve quality of life for people with epilepsy

-- Nutrition, yoga, and journaling to improve clinical outcomes among adults with asthma

-- Placebo and nocebo mechanisms across medical conditions

-- Investing in complementary and integrative medicine, the cost effectiveness agenda

Source: Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine