Introduction
The New Zealand Centre for Evidence-based Research into Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ENZCAM) is based within the School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Centre was established in 2005 with the aim to research the efficacy and safety of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), with a particular focus on CAM in the New Zealand setting. The centre acts as a focal point to develop novel research ideas in the field of CAM and foster partnerships with researchers both within New Zealand and overseas.
CAM is a group of health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered part of conventional medicine. What is considered to be CAM changes continually, as those therapies that are proven to be safe and effective become adopted into conventional health care and as new approaches to health care emerge. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Examples of CAM include acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homoeopathy, and osteopathy.
The need for such a Centre in New Zealand was one of the key recommendations made by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (MACCAH) in their advice to the New Zealand Minister of Health in June 2004.
NEWS
NEW CAM/IM POst-Graduate course offered for the first time in 2012
Research related to Complementary and Alternative/Integrative Medicine (CAM/IM)
The course to be run in the first half of 2012 has been finalised and is described below. This course examines issues related to research in Complementary and Alternative/Integrative Medicine, including specific issues in CAM/IM research, as well as research design, data collection and data analysis, ethical issues and dissemination of results. Participants will receive individual mentoring for a research proposal of their choice.
There are three two-day blocks of teaching and the Director, Ray Kirk, has said it might also be possible for those from other countries to participate virtually. He should be contacted for more details if this is of interest.
HLTH442: Special Topic: Research related to Complementary and Alternative/Integrative Medicine (CAM/IM) Semester One 2012 (Distance) 20 Feb 2012 - 24 Jun 2012
Pre-requisites: Subject to approval of the Head of School, School of Health Sciences
Fees: Domestic fee NZD 1,748.00
International fee NZD 7,750.00
Minimum enrolment: This course will not be offered if fewer than 4 people apply to enrol.
The course will be taught in three two-day blocks:
- Thursday 23 February- Friday 24 February (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
- Thursday 22 March- Friday 23 February (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
- Thursday 26 April- Friday 27 April (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Professor Ian Coulter will be the lead presenter (RAND, USA)
For further information or to enrol, contact Prof Ray Kirk or Philippa Drayton of the School of Health Sciences:
ENZCAM BRIEF FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Click here to download a pdf of the policy document
Dr Elad Schiff, from Israel gave a presentation on 17 March 2010 on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Israel, click here to download a pdf of the presentation