Implementation science in traditional, complementary and integrative medicine: An overview of experiences from China and the United States

Non-pharmacological therapies for cancer patients in Portugal and Brazil: an experience report

“…Although there are limitations, there are many evidence-based guidelines, notably for acupuncture, massage therapy and relaxation techniques, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and natural supplements (2,24) . In the North American health system, the provision of NPTs is facilitated, although they have not yet been implemented in the hegemonic conventional system due to barriers related to evidence (5) .…”

“…Despite advances, the country and surroundings still face challenges in providing comprehensive and equitable services, they are unaware of the side effects of all herbs, they are faced with logistical difficulties, among others (2) . TCM is implemented at all levels of health care and, despite the high number of clinical studies, it still lacks better evidence, collaboration of professionals who work in an individualized and classic way, concomitantly with conventional medicine, to develop a guideline for clinical practice in the context of integrative health (5) .…”

“…In this framework, different nomenclatures can represent these therapies: traditional (ancestral knowledge and practices from different cultures prior to the conventional ones), complementary (nontraditional practices used with conventional therapy, although not integrated into the health system), and integrative (concomitant with conventional treatment), with the exception of the alternative (replaces conventional treatment) (4) . The absence of universal consensus and the interchangeability of terms are understandable, since the comprehension of conventional or non-conventional treatments differs within regions, countries, and cultures, and may change over time (5) .…”

“…This study is justified by the conceptual proposition of IO, which is not restricted to curing or prolonging survival, but also to alleviating symptoms, improving quality of life and physical, emotional and/or spiritual well-being with the use of different strategies and holistic view of care, highlighting the increasing prevalence of NPTs and resulting in the need to implement integrated health services (5,7) . Therefore, the question is: what is the experience of a group of Portuguese and Brazilian nurses in the implementation of non-pharmacological therapies in the care of patients with cancer?…”

A systematic review of traditional health tourism: A priori of wellness tourism

“…For example, China's government promoted TCM abroad, leading to a proliferation of international clinics and healing tours focused on traditional Chinese medicine starting in the 1990s (Zhan, 2009). The THT segment has expanded exponentially since 2000, and the key factors driving this surge include rising lifestyle diseases, interest in natural remedies, cultural rediscovery, and stressed healthcare systems motivating cross-border care (Chung et al, 2022). Asia remains the epicenter of traditional health tourism and is led by China, India and Thailand, but its popularity is increasing worldwide.…”