Are there any randomised control trials testing outcomes of the TCM? Best wishes

If get the right TCM practitioner, TCM works for almost all kind clinical trials instead of " randomised control trials".

What is so specific in the TCM that it cannot be tested in an RCT?

No matter RCT fitting TCM or not, it is worth for the nurses know which treatment is the best for the patients. Especially when the western medicine is helpless.

In addition, TCM and the western medicine are two different systems. The western medicine only covers the visible field. Yet, the TCM covers and adopts both of the visible and invisible power to treat diseases. How can use the western's yardstick to measure the TCM. Moreover, when western medicine has no clue diseases, TCM can treat them easily. How to let a non capable system to measure the capability system? Is it right?

It is better to include TCM.

Regards

Dr. Kamath Madhusudhana



Yes. TCM is an infinite medical field. Western medicine is a finite matter. If use the finite world to make a decision or measure the infinite TCM will make a big mistake.

As a Nurse, I would love to have the ability to provide Acupuncture and Therapeutic Touch to patients suffering with pain, anxiety and stress. It would offer (drug free) additional options to treating the patient holistically. Nurses and patients would benefit by adding both as "required" courses in the Nursing Curriculum.

I would recommend that we provide the opportunity for nurses to possess the knowledge and skills and the analytical ability to advocate for their patients the options between TCM and the Western or Medical model of care

I am not convinced by the proposition being posited.

In Australia the scope of practice of specialist nurses including those classifications cited is very focused on specific areas of practice and in some circumstances is location specific. The training to develop specialist skills is distinct, lengthy and expensive. While appreciating that health modalities currently not included in the curriculum for competency in these roles may increase the inherent holistic nature of services provided, possibly being especially relevant within an increasingly multicultural society, the beneficence of any one particular modality over another and then in preference over a competency already in the curriculum needs to be proven.

Possibly credentialing TCM (and other practitioners) to be engaged in healthcare settings to provide services to persons who request them, and as a part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Such an approach would enhance clinical governance through monitoring quality and other indicators ensuring patients have access to safe quality services administered by appropriately qualified specialist service providers. Further, members of different professions experience and grow from interaction with each other enhancing and expanding each others appreciation for the value each add to patient experience.

Not sure that expanding the scope of practice for specialist nurses in the manner being proposed is the most beneficial resolution to expanding holistic care experiences.

Belatedly, what quantum of patients would request such services, noting the increasingly short length of stay for acute hospital patients and subsequently access may be restricted and demand low?

Kindest regards, Carl.

Nowadays, usage of TCM is widespread and therefore should be included in both medical and nursing curriculum

These days patients often ask health care providers about TCM. Therefore, curriculum for training health care providers should have at least basic content about TCM.

No,it is not a good idea

Any therapies involving the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) should be able to withstand the scrutiny of sufficiently rigorous randomized control trials. Advanced practice nursing programs are an excellent place to introduce students to scientific studies involving the use of TCM as a therapy, for example, in the treatment of fibromyalgia. This is after all where students learn to practice evidence-based medicine.

Demand will make the regulation change. There is no one can stop it.

As a nurse coach of almost 30 years, I think that mindfulness should be in all nursing curriculum. It is essential to self-care for practitioners and a skill that can be integrated into most care plans

Yes even if just for information on what TCM offers, they also need to know we offer a complete medical model, and we have to take and pass biomedical exams and ourselves so they are properly informed of what we have to offer, and they need to be able to assess research on TCM in order to give a proper referral.

Thanks Ms Bark and Ms Horner...totally agree

The machine is about $70,000 from what I hear. I wanted to get one where I work but that was the problem. New research supports its use for auditory hallucinations, I sent soem patients (psych meds don't work for all AH) to someone I know who does it but no results yet.

We are in an era of evidence based medicine. We cant use feelings to approve any treatment. Randomised controlled trials are the gold standard for scrutinising an medical intervention. Without any control group, the results of the intervention can be attributed to anything. If any intervention is working, it should pass rigorous RCT. That's my take on any medical or nursing intervention, whether eastern, western or african.

‘Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.’

--- Albert Einstein

For health professionals who really care, the question we should ask is what are we measuring? Are we measuring the right things? Whether what we are measuring really have impact on patient outcome should be the debate focus. Too much ‘measuring’ are getting in the way of the only measurement that really matters: are both healthcare professional and patient happy with the outcome?

TCM has many distinct advantages that should be used to promote optimal health outcomes for humankind. It seems unwise to downplay these benefits by positioning TCM within the framework of Western biomedical model, measuring TCM in the same manner in which Western pharmaceuticals are evaluated. For example, a TCM diagnosis is based on the patient’s active symptoms and invisible Qi situation, which is a more holistic point of view than Western biomedical model’s infection-focused diagnosis. Does Western biomedical approach declare the existence of invisible matter and Spirit? Two domains are from different mindsets, it should not be surprised that their criteria of evaluation differ. Unfortunately, due to misunderstandings of these differences, TCM has often been criticised by Western biomedical model.

I thought TCM meant transcranial magnetic treatment. (sorry about above post) Note that they all ready teach a lot of alternative treatments in nursing and NP school. The National Institute of Health has a complementary division that gives research based information on herbs, etc.