RESEARCH METHODOLOGY POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Herman PM, Sherman KJ, Erro JH, Cherkin DC, Milliman
B, Adams LA.
A method for describing and evaluating whole medical
systems: An illustrative example of naturopathic medicine.
University of Arizona pherman@u.arizona.edu
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to use
naturopathic medicine as an example to explore the development and testing
of a theory-based treatment categorization scheme (treatment criteria)
that would adequately reflect the underlying paradigm of the naturopathic
medical system.
METHODS: As an illustrative example the published
literature on naturopathic medicine, including the texts used to teach
this medicine, was analyzed by the authors to identify the underlying
theoretical constructs that define naturopathic medicine. From these
constructs a set of treatment criteria were developed and modified for
each of three conditions (menopausal symptoms, bowel dysfunction, and
fatigue/fibromyalgia) until consensus was reached between the two naturopathic
physician authors. These criteria were then reviewed and confirmed by
the remaining authors. The treatment criteria were then "tested" post-hoc
against an existing database of actual treatments prescribed by a random
sample of naturopathic physicians.
RESULTS: A set of meaningful, trackable treatment
criteria based on the naturopathic practice principles were defined
that could have generated the majority (82% to 93%) of treatment prescriptions
given at visits for these conditions. Several of the treatment criteria
components are common across the three conditions studied, and might
be appropriate for all visits to naturopathic physicians; whereas others
are specific to each condition.
CONCLUSION: These types of criteria could be
used in future studies of whole systems to allow for the characterization
of the practice of each medical system and of its patients, the determination
of consistency across practitioners and studies, and the assessment
of model validity.
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