“CAM” stands for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which covers a whole host of different therapies used traditionally and in the community. There are a number of different formal definitions of CAM, as discussed in the slides below. In 2022 Ng et al developed an operational definition of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine derived from a systematic search of peer-reviewed and quality-assessed resources, available here. They have also created a textword search string based on this operational definition for researcher use, available here.
'Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is a title used to refer to a diverse group of health-related therapies and disciplines which are not considered to be a part of mainstream medical care' (House of Lords, 2000).
'Complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine (CAIM) refers to non-mainstream practices that are used together with, in place of, or in coordination with conventional medicine, respectively' (NCCIH, 2021).
'Complementary and alternative medicines are treatments that fall outside of mainstream healthcare' (NHS, 2016)
'Those forms of treatment which are not widely used by the conventional healthcare professions, and the skills of which are not taught as part of the undergraduate curriculum of conventional medical and paramedical healthcare courses' (BMA, 1993).
'Complementary medicine (CM) is a broad domain of healing resources that encompasses all health systems, modalities, and practices and their accompanying theories and beliefs, other than those intrinsic to the politically dominant health system of a particular society or culture in a given historical period. CM includes all such practices and ideas self-defined by their users as preventing or treating illness or promoting health and well-being. Boundaries within CM and between the CM domain and that of the dominant system are not always sharp or fixed.' (Zollman & Vickers).
'The terms "complementary medicine" or "alternative medicine" are used interchangeably with traditional medicine in some countries. They refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country's own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant health care system' (WHO, 2000).
'traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness' (WHO, 2000).
'Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a broad domain of healing resources that encompasses all health systems, modalities, and practices and their accompanying theories and beliefs, other than those intrinsic to the politically dominant health system of a particular society or culture in a given historical period' (Wieland, 2011).
'CAM, as utilized by European citizens, represents a variety of different medical systems and therapies based on the knowledge, skills and practices derived from theories, philosophies and experiences used to maintain and improve health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, relieve or treat physical and mental illnesses. CAM therapies are mainly used outside conventional health care, but in many countries some therapies are being adopted or adapted by conventional health care' (Uehleke et al., 2012).
Sources:
- BMA (British Medical Association)., (1993). Complementary Medicine: New Approaches to Good Practice. UK: Oxford University Press.
- House of Lords, Select Committee on Science and Technology., (2000). Sixth report. Complementary and alternative medicine. London: House of Lords.
- NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)., (2021). Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? USA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed at: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name
- Ng, J.Y., Dhawan, T., Dogadova, E., Taghi-Zada, Z., Vacca, A., Wieland, S.L., Moher, D. (2022) Operational definition of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine derived from a systematic search. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies volume 22, Article number: 104
- Ng, J.Y., Dhawan, T., Dogadova, E., Taghi-Zada, Z., Vacca, A., Fajardo, R., Masood, HA., Patel, R., Sunderji, S., Wieland, L. S., Moher, D. (2022) A comprehensive search string informed by an operational definition of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine for systematic bibliographic database search strategies. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 22, Article number: 200
- Uehleke, B., Falkenberg, T., von Ammon, K., Lewith, G., Lazarus, A., Roberti di Sarsina, P., (2012). A pan-European research network for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. CAMbrella.
- WHO., (2000). General Guides for Methodologies on Research and Evaluation of Traditional Medicine. Geneva: World Health Organization.
- Wieland, L.S., Manheimer, E., Berman, B.M., (2011). Development and classification of an operational definition of complementary and alternative medicine for the Cochrane Collaboration. Alternative therapies in health and medicine. 17.(2), 50.
- Zollman, C., Vickers, A., (1999). What is complementary medicine? BMJ. 319. (693).