Cam Assessing Reliability and Credibility

CAM

Assessing Reliability and Credibility of CAM Resources Presentation

Assessing reliability and credibility of CAM

(Complementary Alternative Medicine) resources

Just Google it?

Not so fast!

BEWARE!

Speaker's Notes: 'Just Google it.' A common response to so many modern problems -- including health-related ones. This can be problematic -- even dangerous.

This website is brought to you by Watch for sponsorship

Carefully review website authorship

Speaker's Notes: More and more people are relying upon websites and 'sponsored' information (such as advertisements for drugs and herbal supplements) when making decisions about their health, and not relying upon their physician's advice. This is particularly true of individuals seeking to explore CAM (complementary alternative medicine) to supplement or replace conventional treatment.

Slide

Does this mean I can't use the Internet at ALL?

You can

But do so with care

Speaker's Notes: The Internet can provide valuable information -- if you know where to look.

Slide 4:

Obey the Three Cs':

Credibility,

Compatibility

And Common Sense

Speaker's Notes: When evaluating an alternative health website or other source of information, apply the 'Three Cs': Credibility, Compatibility, and Common Sense

Slide 5:

Credibility

Is the website credible?

What are the author's credentials?

Speaker's Notes: Is the website credible? Ask yourself: Who authored this website? What are the author's credentials? If the author is a layperson, remember that one person's anecdotal experience does not have the weight of a scientific study, and correlation between a single person's alleged recovery and a particular treatment does not equal causation.

Also there is the issue of bias -- is the website author selling a particular kind of supplement or treatment? If they have legitimate credentials, do they back up their claims with footnotes, links to legitimate resources such as the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Journal of American Medicine) or websites of professional associations such as the American Medical Association? (Benedetti, 2010)

Broken 'links,' grammatical and spelling errors, strange fonts in odd colors, and exclamation points, are obvious red flags. However, it is important to remember that even drug companies that sell supplements have sophisticated advertising budgets that can present their claims in a biased but slick and highly persuasive manner.

Slide 5:

Compatibility

Does the website provide 'only one answer?'

Does it discredit conventional medicine?

Speaker's Notes: Always remember that you are researching alterative complementary medical treatments -- treatments designed to be used in conjunction with scientifically-validated 'conventional' medicine. Websites that promise to be the 'only' needed cure for a disease or are devoted to debunking basic aspects of conventional medical treatment are suspect. Anti-vaccination websites that promote nutritional therapy to 'cure autism,' websites that suggest herbal remedies can be used in lieu of chemotherapy, or that magnets can eliminate chronic pain are examples of how promoters of certain techniques may debunk more legitimately-accepted practices and treatments in a dangerously misleading fashion.

Slide 6:

Common Sense

Trust your gut

If it sounds 'suspicious' -- look elsewhere

Speaker's Notes: Even a layperson must be an informed consumer about his or her health. If a weight-loss supplement or a cure sounds too good to be true -- it probably is!

Slide 7:

Consumer attitudes and beliefs

Remember that some CAM has a long proud history

For example, acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Speaker's Notes: Of course, while a consumer shouldn't be too credulous, on the other hand don't automatically be skeptical because something sounds 'weird.' Acupuncture, for example, is an ancient remedy that is often suggested by physicians as a form of complementary treatment for nerve pain. The health benefits of vegetarianism should not be automatically discounted simply because it is not 'the norm.'

Side 8:

Credibility example: Depression website

Some CAM websites aren't black and white in terms of credibility

Some are a mix of good and potentially suspicious advice [Image: Display picture of homepage of Depression website]

Speaker's Notes: Many websites are not 'clear cut' in terms of how legitimate their advice may or may not be. For example the website "Depression" created by Holistic Online is authored by a doctor, Jacob Matthew (http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Depression/dep_home.htm/). The link to his biography does provide information on his schooling, although he is said to be a contributor to Herb Health and Harmony magazine and Lotus Magazine rather than more conventional medical journals. The articles on the website do feature articles on classified subcategories of depression such as bipolarity, major depression, minor depression, and psychotic depression and information about drug treatments and side effects that are legitimately accepted by the medical community.

Side 9:

Compatibility example

A website should review CAM and conventional medicine in the same terms

Look for slanted advice [Image: Display picture of editorial on Depression website' URL: http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Depression/dep_editorial.htm]

Speaker's Notes: The website does not claim that alternative treatments should be used to replace conventional medicine. One editorial written by Dr. Matthews (and it is clearly marked as an editorial opinion, not as fact) reads: "There has been tremendous progress made in the past years in understanding how the brain works. One of the outcomes of this research is that we now understand that depression may be due to the decreased activity of the serotenergic pathways in the brain. (This is called monoamine hypothesis.) Antidepressants work on these receptor sites. The problem is that they also work on other receptor sites leading to substantial side effects…. What all these means is that we have an arsenal of therapies that can be used as Complementary therapies to make the antidepressants more effective. In case of mild depression, these therapies may be used as a stand-alone treatment. If you are suffering from severe depression, you should contact your psychiatrist and get immediate treatment" (Matthews, 2010, Editorial)

Slide 10:

Common sense example [Image: A large number 5]

In your mind, rate the websites according to the 3 Cs

Use a 1-5 scale