Addressing barriers to the conduct and application of research in complementary and alternative medicine: a scoping review

Abstract

Background Over the past few decades, the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown considerably and along with it, scrutiny regarding its evidence base. While this is to be expected, and is in line with other health disciplines, research in CAM is confronted by numerous obstacles. This scoping review aims to identify and report the strategies implemented to address barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM. Methods The scoping review was undertaken using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, JBI and the grey literature. Two reviewers independently screened the records, following which data extraction was completed for the included studies. Descriptive synthesis was used to summarise the data. Results Of the 7945 records identified, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Using the oBSTACLES instrument as a framework, the included studies reported diverse strategies to address barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM. All included studies reported the use of educational strategies and collaborative initiatives with CAM stakeholders, including targeted funding, to address a range of barriers. Conclusions While the importance of addressing barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM has been recognised, to date, much of the focus has been limited to initiatives originating from a handful of jurisdictions, for a small group of CAM disciplines, and addressing few barriers. Myriad barriers continue to persist, which will require concerted effort and collaboration across a range of CAM stakeholders and across multiple sectors. Further research can contribute to the evidence base on how best to address these barriers to promote the conduct and application of research in CAM.

Enablers and barriers to evidence implementation in complementary medicine: A systematic review

“…Attempts at facilitating evidence implementation, both in CM and other health professions, have predominantly focussed on the use of education interventions. 69 , 71 , 72 Findings from these studies suggest that EBP education interventions may be effective in increasing EBP self-efficacy, as well as improving attitudes towards, and/or application of EBP. 44 , 69 , 71 , 73 This might suggest that education alone may be sufficient in addressing many of the cognitive and attitudinal barriers to evidence implementation.…”

Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine Researchers’ Practices and Perceived Barriers Related to Open Science: An International, Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Therefore, CAIM researchers may not obtain the same research experiences as those in the mainstream biomedical field, leading to poorer research practices such as not incorporating international research reporting standards in their work 20 . Strategies such as educational training programs, increased CAIM-related masters and doctoral programs, and OS training would likely improve research literacy and evidence-based CAIM 34,35 .…”

Cyclopia extracts act as selective estrogen receptor subtype downregulators in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cell lines: Comparison to standard of care breast cancer endocrine therapies and a selective estrogen receptor agonist and antagonist

“…The 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) global report on traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) shows an increase in public interest and acceptance and indicates that the practice is mostly accepted in Africa ( WHO Report, 2019 ), especially amongst the population in rural areas ( Dalglish et al, 2019 ). Although T&CM has gained global recognition ( Ekor, 2014 ; Tahvilian et al, 2014 ; Lopes et al, 2017 ; Wang K. et al, 2021 ) its use is still limited by a lack of quality evidence-based research ( Pelkonen et al, 2014 ; Pal, 2021 ; Veziari et al, 2021 ).…”

“…The 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) global report on traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) shows an increase in public interest and acceptance and indicates that the practice is mostly accepted in Africa (WHO Report, 2019), especially amongst the population in rural areas (Dalglish et al, 2019). Although T&CM has gained global recognition (Ekor, 2014;Tahvilian et al, 2014;Lopes et al, 2017;Wang K. et al, 2021) its use is still limited by a lack of quality evidence-based research (Pelkonen et al, 2014;Pal, 2021;Veziari et al, 2021). Often, traditional medicinal products are consumed as diet or as food supplements (Mbendana et al, 2019) and in South Africa, some dietary plants such Aspalathus linearis (rooibos tea), Cyclopia species (honeybush tea) and Athrixia phylicoides (bush tea) are considered medicinal herbal teas (Joubert et al, 2008).…”