Med Clin North Am. 2002 Jan; 86(1): 63-73.

Traditional Chinese medicine.

Nestler G.

Department of Complementary-Alternative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Nestlerg@musc.edu

According to an article by Wald in the November 2000 issue of Strategic Healthcare Marketing, through physician education, integrated medicine shall continue to be adopted by conventional medical establishments in the United States. With many leading medical schools now adding courses on alternative medicine and hospital administrators recognizing this growing trend, responding to the patients' needs and demands remains paramount. According to a study of 3200 physicians conducted by Health Products Research, physicians expect to offer and embrace therapeutic alternatives outside of the traditional pharmaceutical realm. Greater than 50% will begin or increase using alternative medicine in the next 12 months. Physicians also believe that patient acceptance is greater for alternative therapies, resulting in therapeutic compliance. Most physicians continue to be skeptical about certain treatments, citing a lack of clinical information. With these factors understood, more clinical research to be completed in a teaching hospital environment becomes paramount.