Evid Based Integrative Med 2005; 2 (1): 1-2EDITORIAL 1176-2330/05/0001-0001/$34.95/0

© 2005 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved.

In the first year of publishing Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, our overall goal was to focus onthe evidential basis for incorporating complementary or alternative healthcare practices with conven-tional medical approaches, to form a model of healthcare centred on overall wellness. Our significantfocus and debate was on several emerging issues in the field of integrative medicine: vocabulary,conception and characterisation of the term ‘integrative medicine’. We posed and responded to theimportant uncertainties of this domain: “what is?”, “how to?” and most importantly “why?”. Weclarified that if these evolving, novel or ancient therapies were to be integrated into traditional medicalpractice, they have to be evidence-based, to ensure credibility and safety. We recognised and understoodthat we will apply the standards of ethics and rigour in the scientific enquiry process of examining theefficacy and safety of these therapies as we do in traditional medical practice, using the time-honouredscientific paradigm. We have published several reports on the prevalence of use and types of integrativetherapies in specific populations and implications of these integrative therapies in clinical practice.Some of the outstanding academic medical institutions around the world have guided us and offered acomprehensive roadmap to establishing clinical, education and research programmes in integrativemedicine and evaluating them. There have been several reviews of specific integrative medicaltherapies, contributing to the groundwork of emerging evidence regarding the efficacy and safety ofthese practices. In line with the national and international organisations of complementary andalternative medicine (CAM) and integrative medicine, our goals have been, and will continue to be,dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorousscience, and providing a forum for disseminating credible and authoritative information to professionalcommunities to help them make better informed choices regarding these therapies.

In the coming years, we will continue to move towards accomplishing these goals. Our current focusis on publishing reports from the scientific community on topics encompassing integrative medicalapproaches that can be classified into five major domains.

1. Alternative medical systems, which are built upon complete systems of theory and practice, such ashomeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

2. Mind-body interventions, which use a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind’s capacityto affect bodily function and symptoms, such as meditation, prayer, mental healing and therapies thatuse creative outlets such as art, music or dance.

3. Biologically based therapies, which involve the use of substances found in nature, such as herbs,foods and vitamins or other biological products such as shark cartilage or fish oils.

4. Manipulative and body-based methods, based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more partsof the body, including chiropractic, osteopathic manipulation and massage.

5. Energy therapies, which involve the use of energy fields such as biofield therapies (qigong, reiki andtherapeutic touch) or bioelectromagnetic-based therapies using electromagnetic fields, such as pulsedfields, magnetic fields or alternating-current or direct-current fields.

Our primary responsibility is to publish and support work that uses well established tools of rigorousscientific design, conduct and reporting. These reports will include, but are not limited to, the following.

• Reviews of evolving integrative medical practices.

• Reports of integration of scientifically proven integrative medical practices into conventionalmedicine.

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• Reports of original basic and clinical research geared to elucidating mechanisms of action underlyingintegrative medical practices.

• Reports of efficacy and safety of integrative medical therapies in animal models and clinical trials.

• Reports of studies of entire systems of traditional and indigenous medicine (e.g. Native Americanmedicine, Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine).

• Reports of programmes to develop models for incorporating integrative medical practices into thecurriculum of medicine, dentistry, nursing and other health sciences.

• Healthcare policy considerations.

• Directions for further research.

We will continue to ensure that the safety of the public and an ethical and empirical scientificframework directs this field of enquiry and practice.

Nagi Kumar

Editor

© 2005 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved. Evid Based Integrative Med 2005; 2 (1)