Media Release
1 April 2004
Complementary and alternative medicine information on the web
Cutting through the bewildering array of information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the focus of a new Ministry of Health-funded website launched today.
Ministry spokesperson, Dr Gillian Durham, says www.cam.org.nz provides evidence-based information on the safety of a range of CAM treatments, and how well they work. The website is still in its establishment phase and it is intended that the number of topics on the website will be built up over time. Some of the topics initially included on the site are:
- Spinal manipulation for low back pain
- Echinacea for the common cold
New Zealand Health Technology Assessment (NZHTA) has been commissioned by the Ministry to develop the website. Dr Durham says the NZHTA was commissioned to establish the website due to their specialist research expertise and international reputation for the quality of their work. NZHTA is a research unit based in the Department of Public Health and General Practice, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago.
“The CAM website summarises the evidence on CAM treatments and provides an evaluation of the quality of that evidence. From these evidence summaries, people can draw their own conclusions and make their own decisions. The site does not provide medical advice.”
“Nearly one in four New Zealanders are visiting CAM practitioners each year. And that does not include people who are self-medicating by buying CAM products from pharmacies and health food stores. Some herbal medicines, such as Echinacea for colds and flu, are in common usage. With so much information out there it is hard to know what information is reliable. This website will enable consumers to make better informed choices about their health care options.”
The website is also aimed at health practitioners of all disciplines. Dr Durham commented “many practitioners are interested in using CAM treatments where they are supported by evidence. For them, this website will be a helpful resource.”
The site provides links to other evidence-based websites and identifies any warnings on CAM products from Medsafe and the New Zealand Food Standards Authority websites. The website is also intended to assist the Government’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Health (MACCAH) in meeting its terms of reference. A MACCAH discussion document has already identified a gap in information about how well alternative medicine treatments work and their safety.