CAM research in Denmark

af Jesper Madsen | aug 1, 2006 | Diverse

CAM-research in Denmark has, until recently, been carried out by small groups of dedicated people outside universities, mostly working for free or through small grants from private foundations. The researchers have often experienced serious problems when wishing to continue with their conventional medical career development.

Because of the limited funding, most of the research carried out has been small qualitative studies, with a few RCTs, and literature reviews. Nevertheless, reflexology research is well developed in Denmark because for many years reflexology has been the most frequently used CAM treatment.

In 2000, The Knowledge & Research Centre for Alternative Medicine (ViFAB) was established by the Danish government, after years of pressure from CAM researchers, CAM NGO’s and CAM practitioners.

The medical establishment disagreed, but a parliamentiary majority decided to start the centre which has focused on information, dialogue/bridge building – and facilitating research, but not carrying out projects of their own. Since 2001 the centre has been supporting a number of small research projects, initiated by CAM practitioners and researchers outside universities. The total research budget was 1-3 mill. DKK a year. (6 DKK equals appr. 1 USD).

Into universities
In 2004, the government gave ViFAB the opportunity to increase the funding and encourage universities to initiate CAM research. Total amount: 10 mill DKK. ( the condition for being eligible were that the researchers would find the resource to co-financing in equal amounts).

The task was to establish a large multidisciplinary research group and set up a scientific framework and a research programme – with a focus on the clinical effects of CAM. Vifab ended up financing (50%) two multidisciplinary research groups, with extraordinary grants from the government:

Group 1:
Centre for Cross-disciplinary Evaluation Studies in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CCESCAM.
This group are going to establish a “brick-less” competence-centre on multidisciplinary effect studies on CAM. The involved institutions include University of Aarhus, Aarhus Business School and Odense University Hospital.

Dansk introduktion til CCESCAM

The research projects

Contact:
Associate professor Helle Johannessen, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark: ">
CCESCAM

Group 2:
Interdisciplinary CAM-Research at the University of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen.
The research group will explore the potentials of reflexology, acupuncture and meditation in relation to common diseases like cancer and scleroses.
Contact:
cand.comm, MPH Soren la Cour, Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen: ">
www.kufab.dk

——————————————————-

Except for the two multidisciplinary research groups, the largest of the ordinary annual grants from Vifab so far was 2.4 million DKK:

HELZE – a Danish study on Asthma
Homeopathy – Primary care – Reflexology – Evaluation.

A one-year randomised parallel group comparison of usual therapy and the effect of adding reflexology or homeopathy in moderate chronic asthma. The project is a one year study – starting in the beginning of 2006.

The patients will be divided into three groups. One group will receive conventional treatment for their asthma. The second group will in addition receive homeopathic treatment, while the third group in addition will receive reflexology. All patients will be examined regularly for the effects of the treatment.

Contact:
Reflexologist: Leila Eriksen, ">. Phone: (+45) 43 64 81 39
Homeopath: Anne Langgaard , ">
The project team: ">

© Jesper Madsen, 2006

CAM use in Denmark

af Jesper Madsen | aug 1, 2006 | Diverse

CAM use in Denmark

• 20,1% have used CAM within the last year.
• 40,2% of the population have had CAM experience at some point during their lifetime.
• The typical CAM-user is a woman, 30-66 years of age, 13-14 years at school.

“Use of complementary and alternative treatment in Denmark”, data collected 2003, published Feb. 2006, by The Knowledge & Research Center for Alternative Medicine and National Institute of Public Health. The survey is based on 2593 interviews with Danes, + 18 years.

The most commonly used CAM therapies in Denmark are massage/osteopathy, reflexology and acupuncture. Most of the CAM-treatment providers in Denmark are educated and are practising outside of the established health service. Only a few physicians provide CAM treatments.

No CAM treatment will be paid for by the public health insurance, except for a few instances, ie acupuncture carried out by a GP. Denmark has a non-restrictive legislation on CAM. Anybody may provide CAM, but certain medical procedures and the treatment of certain diseases, still must be carried out by established health care personnel.

Interestingly conventional health care personnel are showing a growing interest in exploring CAM. Recently (2006) the nurses have formed a CAM-organization within “The Danish Nurses Organization”.

© Jesper Madsen, 2006

Sygeplejersker danner fagligt selskab vedr. KAM

af Jesper Madsen | jun 13, 2006 | Diverse

Nyt fagligt selskab vil opsamle og analysere erfaringer med KAM. Selskabet vil bl.a. arbejde for, at behandlingerne foregår inden for sundhedsvæsenet og ikke uden for.

Et større antal sygeplejersker har gennem mange år haft en ”alternativ” uddannelse ved siden af deres sygeplejefaglige. Nu har nogle af dem taget initiativ til dannelsen af ”Fagligt Selskab for sygeplejersker til fremme og integration af komplementære terapiformer i sygeplejen”. Selskabet blev i april godkendt som fagligt selskab under DSR og holdt 20. maj sin anden generalforsamling.

Mange patienter ønsker en reel dialog med personalet om deres brug af KAM, men området har længe været betragtet som kontroversielt og uvidenskabeligt. Og KAM kritiseres da også ofte for, at behandlingerne ikke kan dokumenteres godt nok. Hvordan kan det så være fokus for et nyt fagligt selskab?

– Alt bør være underlagt principperne om dokumentation. Og derfor mener vi det er vigtigt at støtte den KAM-forskning, der allerede er i gang. I øvrigt skal man lige huske, at meget af det, der gøres i dag i sundhedsvæsenet, heller ikke er dokumenteret, og i hvert fald ikke evidensbaseret, siger selskabets formand, Karin Siff Munck, som er cand. cur. og lektor pÃ¥ Højvangseminariet i Glostrup.

Hun mener man bør stille de samme krav til KAM som til etablerede behandlingsformer. Men nogle af de ”nye” metoder forstÃ¥r man knap, og der mangler ofte egnede mÃ¥lemetoder – metoderne bygger som regel pÃ¥ en helt anden opfattelse af krop og sundhed.

Nytænkning

Selskabet vil gøre op med den fragmenterede opfattelse, der afspejler sig i afdelinger og specialer: Øjne, mave, lunge, hjerte. I stedet vil man i højere grad arbejde ud fra en helhedsopfattelse af mennesket i det levede liv, og fokusere på niveauer af sundhed, frem for sygdom og diagnoser.

Siden 2000 har staten drevet Videns- og Forskningscenter for Alternativ Behandling, og Sundhedsstyrelsen har gennem 20 år gjort en indsats på området. Det er godt, men ikke nok, mener Karin Siff Munck.

– Det er vigtigt, at vi som faggruppe markerer os. Vi har det meste af patientkontakten, og der er mange vigtige erfaringer, der skal samles op, analyseres og kvalificeres.

– Inden for forskningen er der behov for nytænkning. Naturvidenskabens mÃ¥de at tænke pÃ¥ dominerer sundhedsforskningen, sÃ¥dan at det eneste gyldige bevis er det dobbeltblindede lodtrækningsforsøg. Vi mener derimod det ogsÃ¥ er vigtigt at indrage forskningsmetoder, som kan indfange det særlige, der sker i komplementær terapi.

– Jeg ser det sÃ¥dan, at vi søger at genfinde en indsigt og en faglighed, vi har glemt midt i den teknologi, vi har været sÃ¥ gode til at tilpasse os. Vi er kommet til at smide nogle gode, grundlæggende principper ud omkring sundhed, velvære og restituering.

Selskabets formål er bl.a. at udvikle og synliggøre en sygeplejefaglig profil indenfor området, at styrke opbygning af KAM-uddannelser for sygeplejersker og at styrke og fremme brobygning og dialog mellem det etablerede sundhedsvæsen og de alternative behandlingsmiljøer.

Formålet er også at synliggøre værdien og fremme anvendelsen af en sygepleje, der styrker menneskers sundhed og selvhelbredende kræfter, de vil fremme dokumentation, evaluering og forskning indenfor området, og de vil skabe overblik over sygeplejerskers viden om og udførelse af KAM.

Selskabets navn er indtil videre FS-KOMP, og det blev stiftet 4. juni 2005 af Birgitte Rasmussen og Karin Siff Munck. I dag har selskabet over 50 medlemmer, og der kommer løbende flere til.

Vil man i kontakt med FS-KOMP, har formanden denne email:
">

FS-KOMP’s hjemmeside under DSR