(Ebook) Alternative medicine in America : from quackery to commonplace by Mary Ruggie ISBN 9780521542227, 9780521834292, 0521542227, 0521834295

(Ebook) Alternative medicine in America : from quackery to commonplace by Mary Ruggie ISBN 9780521542227, 9780521834292, 0521542227, 0521834295

Most users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approach it differently than physicians, because they employ informal knowledge, based on their experiences, beliefs, and values. Mary Ruggie stresses that, although physicians also use informal knowledge from their clinical experience to understand patients and their needs, they rely on formal knowledge, based on science, to understand medicine. Thus, if CAM is going to become a legitimate part of health care, physicians must insist that scientific research prove its safety and efficacy
List of tables; List of acronyms; Preface; 1. Introducing CAM and the many questions it raises; 2. Understanding CAM: the problem of knowledge and the power of words; 3. The growth of CAM: patterns of use and meaning; 4. Physicians: learning new ways; 5. Medical research: science and interpretation; 6. Investigating CAM: the devil in the details; 7. The road ahead: accommodation or integration?; Notes; Bibliography