Methodological approaches to investigating the savety of complementary medicine

Author(s): Barnes, J.

Abstract: Complementary therapies are often believed to be entirely safe, yet the safety of a particular therapy or remedy can only be determined by evidence and not belief. The aim of this article is to outline briefly the methodological options available for researching the safety of complementary therapies. These tolls include assessing historical use (the 'test of time'), controlled clinical trials, systematic and narrative reviews, spontaneous-reporting schemes, epidemiological investigations, such as cohort studies, case-control studies, case registers, surveys, and outcomes studies. Each of these methods has its strengths and weaknesses. The best methodological approach will depend on the exact research question and the particular situation to be investigated. the savety issue in complementary medicine is grossly underresearched and the use of these methods in determining the safety of complementary therapies should be encouraged.

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