Altern Ther Health Med. 1996 Jul; 2(4): 47-53.

Culturally grounded review of research assumptions.

Hufford DJ.

Doctors Kienle Center for Humanistic Medicine, Pa., USA.

In this article 11 assumptions underlying many discussions of alternative medicine are discussed and critiqued: that (1) cultural factors merely constitute noise in research data that can be removed by proper design; (2) the only proper goal of alternative medicine research is the incorporation of effective practices into medicine; (3) physicians are the primary consumers of good alternative medicine research; (4) control of pathology is the sole measure of the effectiveness of alternative medicine; (5) effects on pathology can be fully separated from effects on perception or quality of life; (6) effects on individual health should be the sole focus of alternative medical research; (7) medicine is aware of all sicknesses appropriate for alternative medicine research; (8) subjective data are less valuable than objective data; (9) the best leads for research come from recognizable systems with advocates; (10) more "modern-looking," highly articulated forms are necessarily better research "bets"; and (11) all good candidates for alternative medicine research are recognized as health practices by those who use them.