Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Expanding the boundaries of healthcare
The purpose of this study is to explore the current position of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Dutch healthcare. It is of importance because there is not yet an overview study that is mapping the field in the way this study has done it. Furthermore, this study is relevant because the field of CAM and its corresponding rules and conditions are constantly changing due to internal and external pressure. This study consists of a multilevel analysis on the position of CAM, in which several relevant levels are studied and interviewed. Levels that are included are CAM associations and umbrella organizations, insurance companies, medical students and the Dutch government. The interviews are supplemented with document analysis and a literature research.
The level that contributes most to the position of CAM in Dutch healthcare is the level of the insurance companies. They control the field of, and access to, CAM by imposing rules and condition on CAM associations and practitioners. Medical students, who call for more CAM in their medical curriculum, are another level that influence, though modestly, the position of CAM in Dutch healthcare. Furthermore, CAM associations and umbrella organizations are trying to improve their level of professionalization and transparency by means of organizational changes, partly imposed by established medical institutions. Finally, consumer demands for CAM play a big role in positioning CAM. These levels together determine the position of CAM in the Netherlands and it can be concluded that CAM is in a secondary position when compared to regular biomedicine. However, due to external institutional pressure the field of CAM is rapidly changing. The fact that CAM is in a subordinate position when compared to regular medicine gives insurance companies the ability to impose their rules and conditions on CAM. This is not rejected by CAM associations as they have the internal knowledge that change is needed in order to further professionalize.
Additionally, insurance companies can impose their own rules on CAM associations because the Dutch government is not interfering with CAM. The fact that the position of CAM is changing and improving in the USA and other European countries, combined with the increased number of scientific studies on the efficacy and safety of CAM is beneficial for CAM in the Netherlands and provides a future perspective.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Expanding the boundaries of healthcare
The purpose of this study is to explore the current position of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Dutch healthcare. It is of importance because there is not yet an overview study that is mapping the field in the way this study has done it. Furthermore, this study is relevant because the field of CAM and its corresponding rules and conditions are constantly changing due to internal and external pressure. This study consists of a multilevel analysis on the position of CAM, in which several relevant levels are studied and interviewed. Levels that are included are CAM associations and umbrella organizations, insurance companies, medical students and the Dutch government. The interviews are supplemented with document analysis and a literature research.
The level that contributes most to the position of CAM in Dutch healthcare is the level of the insurance companies. They control the field of, and access to, CAM by imposing rules and condition on CAM associations and practitioners. Medical students, who call for more CAM in their medical curriculum, are another level that influence, though modestly, the position of CAM in Dutch healthcare. Furthermore, CAM associations and umbrella organizations are trying to improve their level of professionalization and transparency by means of organizational changes, partly imposed by established medical institutions. Finally, consumer demands for CAM play a big role in positioning CAM. These levels together determine the position of CAM in the Netherlands and it can be concluded that CAM is in a secondary position when compared to regular biomedicine. However, due to external institutional pressure the field of CAM is rapidly changing. The fact that CAM is in a subordinate position when compared to regular medicine gives insurance companies the ability to impose their rules and conditions on CAM. This is not rejected by CAM associations as they have the internal knowledge that change is needed in order to further professionalize.
Additionally, insurance companies can impose their own rules on CAM associations because the Dutch government is not interfering with CAM. The fact that the position of CAM is changing and improving in the USA and other European countries, combined with the increased number of scientific studies on the efficacy and safety of CAM is beneficial for CAM in the Netherlands and provides a future perspective.
