Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Objective:

The purpose of this research is to review the economic methods used in complementary medicine (CM).

Method:

A comprehensive literature review was undertaken (1995–2007) to identify peer-reviewed articles related to economic methods used in CM.

Results:

The literature found 15 full economic evaluations of CM: 3 in the manipulative and body-based practices, 5 in the whole medical systems, and 7 in the biologically based practices. No evaluations were identified for the areas of mind–body medicine, alternative medical systems, or energy medicine. The review failed to locate any articles that used alternate economic methods such as contingent valuation or discrete choice modelling. The overall consensus from the 15 economic evaluations, despite variations in project design and methodological rigor, was that CM, as evaluated in these studies, was cost-effective compared to usual care.

Conclusions:

As health care costs continue to rise, decision makers, both consumers and policymakers, must allocate scarce resources toward those treatments that offer the best value for the money. Considerable scope exists to advance the science behind CM through a more systematic integration of economic methods into CM research.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ernst

. The usage of complementary therapies by dermatological patients: A systematic review. Br J Dermatol, 2000; 142:857–861.

Ernst

. Prevalence of use of complementary/alternative medicine: A systematic review. Bull WHO, 2000; 78:252–257.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australias Health 2006AIHW Cat. No. AUS 732006 Canberra: AIHW.

Cherkin

et al. A review of the evidence for the effectiveness, safety, and cost of acupuncture, massage therapy, and spinal manipulation for back pain. Ann Intern Med, 2003; 138:898–906.

Debas

, Laxminarayan

, Straus

. Complementary and alternative medicine. Jamison

et al. Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Herman

, Craig

, Caspi

. Is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) cost-effective? A systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2005; 5:11.

White

, Ernst

. Economic analysis of complementary medicine: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med, 2000; 8:111–118.

Drummond

et al. Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care programmes. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Meenan

. Developing appropriate measures of the benefits of complementary and alternative medicine. J Health Services Res Policy, 2001; 6:38–43.

10.

Meenan

. Applicability of discrete-choice methods to economic evaluations of complementary and alternative medicine (Brief record) Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res, 2005; 5:479–487.

11.

Ryan

, Watson

, Amaya-Amaya

. Methodological issues in the monetary evaluation of benefits in healthcare. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res, 2003; 3:717–727.

12.

Donaldson

, Shackley

. Willingness to pay for healthcare. Scott

, Maynard

, Elliott

. Advances in Health Economics. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons, 2003; 1–24.

13.

Ryan

, Gerard

. Using discrete choice experiments in health economics: Moving forward. Scott

, Maynard

, Elliot

. Advances in Health Economics. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons, 2003; 25–40.

14.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. What is CAM?, 2007 Bethesda, MD: NIH.

15.

Korthals-de Bos

IBC

et al. Cost effectiveness of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and general practitioner care for neck pain: Economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial. Br Med J, 2003; 326:911.

16.

Williams

et al. Cost–utility analysis of osteopathy in primary care: Results from a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Family Practice, 2004; 21:643–650.

17.

Van Tubergen

et al. Cost effectiveness of combined spa–exercise therapy in ankylosing spondylitis: A randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum, 2002; 47:459–467.

18.

Willich

et al. Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with chronic neck pain. Pain, 2006; 125:107–113.

19.

Wonderling

et al. Cost effectiveness analysis of a randomised trial of acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care. Br Med J, 2004; 328:747.

20.

Witt

et al. Efficacy, effectiveness, safety and costs of acupuncture for chronic pain: Results of a large research initiative. Acupuncture Med, 2006; 24,S1:33–39.

21.

Thomas

et al. Longer term clinical and economic benefits of offering acupuncture care to patients with chronic low back pain. Health Technol Assess, 2005; 9:1–109.

22.

Guo

et al. Cost-effectiveness of adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of diabetic ulcers. Int J Technol Assess Health Care, 2003; 19:731–737.

23.

Franzosi

et al. Cost-effectiveness analysis of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) after myocardial infarction. Pharmacoeconomics, 2001; 19:411–420.

24.

Tice

et al. Cost-effectiveness of vitamin therapy to lower plasma homocysteine levels for the prevention of coronary heart disease: Effect of grain fortification and beyond. JAMA, 2001; 286:936–943.

25.

Willis

. The health economics of calcium and vitamin D3 for the prevention of osteoporotic hip fractures in Swede) Int J Technol Assess Health Care, 2002; 18:791–807.

26.

Hopley

et al. Cost utility of screening and treatment for early age related macular degeneration with zinc and antioxidants. Br J Ophthalmol, 2004; 88:450–454.

27.

Hopley

, Salkeld

, Mitchell

. Cost utility of photodynamic therapy for predominantly classic neovascular age related macular degeneration. Br J Ophthalmol, 2004; 88:982–987.

28.

Stothers

. A randomized trial to evaluate effectiveness and cost effectiveness of naturopathic cranberry products as prophylaxis against urinary tract infection in women. Can J Urol, 2002; 9:1558–1562.

29.

Kilonzo

et al. A cost–utility analysis of multivitamin and multimineral supplements in men and women aged 65 years and over. Clin Nutr, 2007; 26:364–370.

Review of Economic Methods Used in Complementary Medicine