camwatch

Joos S, Musselmann B, Miksch A, et al. The role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Germany - a focus group study of GPs. BMC Health Serv Res. 2008 Jun 12;8:127. PMID: 18549476

Interesting to read comments from the small sample of 17 general practitioners who were interviewed about their perceptions of CAM, but perhaps even more for the background information about CAM in past and current German health policy.

The discussion of Heilpraktiker alone is more than worth a click:

In addition to physicians there are non-medical, state-licensed practitioners in Germany; the so-called ‘Heilpraktiker’, which were officially recognised by the ‘Heilpraktiker’-law in 1935. A ‘Heilpraktiker’ has to pass an exam on basic medical knowledge and skills at a local public health office to obtain a state license. However, ‘Heilpraktiker’ are not obliged to undertake medical and/or CAM training. ‘Heilpraktiker’ only practice in the ambulatory sector and their services are not covered by the SHI but many private health insurances pay for ‘Heilpraktiker’. Around 10% of patients have a private health insurance in Germany. Moreover, SHI patients increasingly take out an additional private insurance for CAM. Unlike physicians, ‘Heilpraktiker’ do not have to comply strictly with fee schedules and they are allowed to advertise their services to the public. Any CAM therapy can be performed by a ‘Heilpraktiker’ as long as it is consistent with the ‘Heilpraktiker’-law (’avert a danger to the health of the people’). In general, ‘Heilpraktiker’ provide a great variety of CAM therapies. Complications are likely because they perform injections, for instance of homeopathic remedies, and other invasive procedures. The number of ‘Heilpraktiker’ increased from 9.000 in 1993 to nearly 20.000 in 2007. So, with around 60.000 general practitioners (GPs) the ratio of ‘Heilpraktiker’ versus GPs is thought to be 1:3 at present. The majority of ‘Heilpraktiker’ (>90%) are organized within 6 professional associations.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine

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Stefano GB, Stefano JM, Esch T. Anticipatory stress response: a significant commonality in stress, relaxation, pleasure and love responses. Med Sci Monit. 2008 Feb;14(2):RA17-21. Review. PMID: 18227772

Any time "love" shows up in PubMed, it’s worth a look. And this is an interesting article. A multidisciplinary team of researchers in the United States and Germany review the evolution of love in the context of human health.

Love, for example, when experiencing symptoms such as sweating, heart beat acceleration, increased bowel peristalsis and even diarrhea, can be quite a stressful experience…. However, love is certainly known, primarily, for its relation to feelings that we usually like to experience. This intense sensational and emotional state has inspired artists, and thus biologists have concluded that art, when it is associated with biological phenomena like love and reproduction, is part of an adaptational process ensuring survival. Hence, fine arts, love or lust, and the joy that is imbedded in the underlying concepts, seem to be not only individually rewarding but also behaviorally and biologically advantageous experiences, thereby protecting the species.

CAMWatch: Posts about free-access, peer-reviewed articles on aspects of complementary medicine theory, practice and policy. About the blogger.

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine placebo effect

Comments and Links Appreciated!

Brunner E. Biology and health inequality. PLoS Biol. 2007 Oct 23;5(11):e267. PMID: 17958470

From the open-access journal PLoS - Biology. Includes a discussion of the mind-body problem applied to cardiovascular disease. From the introduction:

"Despite continued growth in the global economy, good health remains elusive for a large proportion of the world’s population. Health inequalities between rich and poor countries are based on historical patterns of development and exploitation that leave millions of people starved of basic material and social amenities. In those rich countries where absolute poverty is largely absent, continuing health inequality is more difficult to understand. The discipline of biology has an important contribution to make in this regard. Studying the pathways responsible for translating social differences into biological differences and chronic disease is an intrinsically challenging pursuit. It is also an ethically compelling application of life science."

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine complementary medicine bioethics

Comments and Links Appreciated.