Evaluating the Economics of Complementary and Integrative Medicine

By Patricia Herman

Book Overview

Is Complementary and Integrative Medicine Cost-Effective?With at least a third of U.S. adults using complementary and alternative treatment, this book can help guide health policy by uncovering new ways to lower costs within the health care system. In September 2012, Patricia Herman, ND, PhD, Senior Behavior Scientist in the Health Division of the RAND Corporation and Senior Fellow at Samueli Institute, published a study summarizing what is known about the cost-effectiveness of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM). The study, published in the British Medical Journal Open Access (BMJ Open), was a comprehensive systematic review of 338 economic evaluations published between 1979 and 2012 that reported on the costs and effectiveness of CIM, including tai chi to prevent hip fractures, manual therapy for neck pain and acupuncture during pregnancy. Of the 56 comparisons made in the higher quality studies, 16 (29 percent) were cost saving, a higher percentage than found in reviews of conventional medicine.In parallel with this study, Dr. Herman and the Samueli Institute produced this handbook to help researchers apply proper economic methods to the evaluation of CIM. The book will also be useful to medical practitioners, hospital administrators, policy makers, and others interested in understanding the basics, uses and limitations of economic evaluation, for healthcare in general and CIM in particular."Sharing research like Dr. Herman's is essential for health care reform. Through this study and Dr. Herman's new book, it's evident that lowering the cost of health care while simultaneously increasing the level of care is the way forward," said Wayne B. Jonas, MD, President and CEO of Samueli Institute. "Integrative health care practices have a role to play in moving health care in the right direction."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1479390356
• ISBN13: 9781479390359
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 100 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.2" x 5.5"