With the increasing use of acupuncture in clinical settings worldwide, there is a need to develop benchmarks for the practice of acupuncture, against which actual acupuncture treatment can be compared and evaluated. This document presents a stepwise guidance for the administration of acupuncture treatment, provides the minimum infrastructure requirements for delivering an acupuncture service and emphasizes the key elements for the safe practice of acupuncture. This document offers a useful reference point to evaluate acupuncture practice which will benefit policymakers, health workers, education providers and the public in general. It forms an integral part of the updated benchmark series, targeting key modalities of traditional medicine intervention and contributing to the establishment of a reference toolkit for countries.
In 2010, WHO published the Benchmarks for training in tuina. However, various backgrounds of tuina service providers were addressed inadequately in this document, and there is a lack of a defined career pathway for tuina providers. This updated benchmark document aims to reduce the gaps by setting up required leaning modules for each category of tuina service providers at different levels, so that individual practices and practitioners can be compared, evaluated and accredited. This document offers a useful reference point to evaluate tuina service providers, which will benefit policymakers, health workers, education providers and the public in general. It forms an integral part of the updated benchmark series, targeting key modalities of traditional medicine intervention and contributing to the establishment of a reference toolkit for countries.
With the increasing use of tuina in clinical settings worldwide, there is a need to develop benchmarks for the practice of tuina, against which actual tuina treatment can be compared and evaluated. This document presents a stepwise guidance for the administration of tuina treatment, provides the minimum infrastructure requirements for delivering a tuina service and emphasizes the key elements for the safe practice of tuina. This document offers a useful reference point to evaluate tuina practice which will benefit policymakers, health workers, education providers and the public in general. It forms an integral part of the updated benchmark series, targeting key modalities of traditional medicine intervention and contributing to the establishment of a reference toolkit for countries.
The WHO benchmarks for the practice of Unani medicine defines the minimum requirement/criteria for establishing practice in Unani medicine in WHO Member States, by providing minimum reference standards for safety and quality of Unani medicine practice. This document provides WHO Member States with the general and minimum technical requirements for quality assurance and regulation of Unani medicine practice. It is aligned with the objectives of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-23, and reflects the consensus reached through established WHO processes from the community of practitioners in Unani medicine, health service providers, academics, health system managers and regulators. It provides information and describes levels of practice in Unani medicine, presents the different categories of Unani health service providers, describes the requirements for infrastructure and facilities, as well as relevant requirements and considerations in the practice of Unani health interventions, of the health products and medical devices used in Unani medicine practice, emphasizing the key elements for the safe practice of Unani medicine. It also presents the requirements and relevant considerations of regulatory, legal and ethical aspects of Unani medicine practice, and suggests the process for management of related health data.
Integrative Veterinary Medicine Practical guide integrating holistic modalities into Western veterinary practice to help with patient treatment Integrative Veterinary Medicine provides a clinically oriented, evidence-based guide to integrating complementary and conventional therapies into veterinary practice. Covering acupuncture, manual therapies, botanical and herbal medicine, integrative nutrition, and physical rehabilitation, the book draws information on these modalities together into a single resource. Rooted in evidence-based medicine, it demonstrates how to use these modalities in veterinary practice. The book begins by discussing the basic concepts of integrative veterinary medicine, then examines each modality in detail. A companion website offers video clips showing acupuncture techniques. In Integrative Veterinary Medicine, readers can expect to find detailed information on topics such as: Anatomy and physiology of acupuncture with relation to soft tissue and neurologic concepts, and traditional Chinese theory of acupuncture (Yin and Yang, Five Element Theory, and The Meridians) Veterinary manipulative therapy (neurology, biomechanics, and available evidence), and massage therapy and myofascial principles Origins and major systems of herbal therapy with selected evidence-based interventions and adverse events, herb-drug interactions, supplement evaluation, and regulation Trends in nutrition, such as raw diets, home-prepared diets, grain-free diets, owner perception, and current marketing Covering common modalities across all species in one volume, Integrative Veterinary Medicine is an essential reference for any veterinary practitioner wishing to use integrative techniques in their practices, as well as veterinary students, academics, and researchers involved in programs of study related to integrative veterinary medicine.
Anthroposophic medicine (AM) is a form of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCI), integrated into conventional medicine in outpatient practices and hospitals. As more countries begin to set policies and regulatory frameworks for the practice of TCI, policy-makers require information to make informed decisions, including evaluations of the quality of practices, difficulties that may be encountered, and suggested ways in which these can be addressed. These are the first benchmarks for training in AM and reflect what the AM community considers to be minimum training for professionals to practice any of the AM disciplines, in ways which ensure consumer protection and patient safety, including quality assurance, and the effectiveness and proper use of AM.
Ear Acupuncture provides an up-to-date practical guide to the principles and practice of Chinese and Western ear acupuncture. Written clearly with a practical and sensible approach, this book is aimed at both the student and also the practitioner. Excellent two-colour illustrations are used throughout to illustrate the text. Additionally, it integrates the Chinese and Western opinions and also includes chapters covering ear acupuncture used in the treatment of addiction and also the Western theories about how acupuncture works. - Written with a practical and very sensible approach - Clearly presented and easy to read - Excellent 2-colour illustrations are used throughout to illustrate the text - Includes an appendix of acupuncture points
Integration of complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) with conventional medicine is occurring in hospitals and physicians offices, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are covering CAM therapies, insurance coverage for CAM is increasing, and integrative medicine centers and clinics are being established, many with close ties to medical schools and teaching hospitals. In determining what care to provide, the goal should be comprehensive care that uses the best scientific evidence available regarding benefits and harm, encourages a focus on healing, recognizes the importance of compassion and caring, emphasizes the centrality of relationship-based care, encourages patients to share in decision making about therapeutic options, and promotes choices in care that can include complementary therapies where appropriate. Numerous approaches to delivering integrative medicine have evolved. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States identifies an urgent need for health systems research that focuses on identifying the elements of these models, the outcomes of care delivered in these models, and whether these models are cost-effective when compared to conventional practice settings. It outlines areas of research in convention and CAM therapies, ways of integrating these therapies, development of curriculum that provides further education to health professionals, and an amendment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act to improve quality, accurate labeling, research into use of supplements, incentives for privately funded research into their efficacy, and consumer protection against all potential hazards.
