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In attempts to improve their health and/or combat illness, approximately 4 in 10 Americans will use a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy this year. CAM therapies vary widely, with acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, and homeopathy among the more prominent modalities. CAM therapies are used in addition to and/or instead of the more conventional forms of medical care available in U.S. hospitals or licensed physicians' offices. A rapidly increasing interest in CAM has led to a nascent movement aimed at integrating various CAM therapies with the conventional health care system. In Washington State, for example, health insurance coverage for CAM therapies has been mandated, and a number of "integrated" delivery systems have been born. Although the political and economic forces leading to adoption and integration of CAM therapies vary widely by geographic locale, it is likely that some degree of integration will occur throughout much of the United States. Similar processes are occurring in Canada, Europe, and Australia, and indeed within middle and upper level socioeconomic strata worldwide. This paper identifies potential barriers and facilitators to potential integration, of medical disciplines and argues for an accessible, multidisciplinary and evidence-based, yet humanistic and patient oriented approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article briefly discusses various articles contained within the issue that focus on various issues related to complementary and alternative medicine. According to Stephen Groft, first Acting Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine of the U.S. National Institute of Health, worldwide literature searches were used to determine the major fields of practice, which were verified and refined via discussions with practitioners. The six sections, reportedly, were: mind-body interventions; bioelectromagnetics applications; alternative systems of medical practice; manual healing methods; herbal medicine; and diet and nutrition. Currently, U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) now uses five categories, including herbal medicine. In this issue, Curtis H. Jones points out, in his paper, that the category NCCAM now calls Whole Medical Systems overlaps the other four, creating confusion.