Humana Alternative Medicine and Ethics (Biomedical Ethics Reviews)

Leading bioethicists and philosophers examine and debate the question of how the health care system should deal with using complimentary and alternative medicines. The distinguished authorities writing here both defend and criticize alternative medicine, with some arguing that the medical system should change substantially in order to accommodate alternative medicine, and others claiming that virtually all alternative treatments are worthless. In the heat of the debate many fundamental issues are raised concerning our health care system, among them the questions of therapeutic effectiveness, media truthfulness, the patient's freedom to choose among treatment options, health insurance coverage, the ability of the current healthcare delivery system to meet patients' needs, and government approval of alternative medicines. Review "This is a fascinating book which deserves a wide readership. As well as its obvious interest to complementary and alternative therapists, it raises important general issues of health care ethics and law. It should certainly be read by the general practitioner and health authority purchasers who may be interested in purchasing CAM therapies, and will, it is to be hoped, be taken up by the growing number of medical schools offering special study modules in this subject."-Journal of Medical Ethics "This book consist of six different essays by authors with widely varying perspectives. All the articles discuss some aspect of health policy related to alternative medicine, including insurance coverage, scientific validity, integration with conventional medicine, and access to treatment. The views range from S. Barrett's complete rejection of nearly all forms of nonconventional treatment to V. Patel's advocacy for greater integration of many of the principles and techniques of alternative approaches. The article by S.M. Weitzman on insurance coverage for complementary and alternative medicine is arguably the best article in the book."-Religious Studies Review From the Back Cover In Alternative Medicine and Ethics, leading bioethicists and philosophers examine and debate the question of how the health care system should deal with using complimentary and alternative medicines. The distinguished authorities writing here both defend and criticize alternative medicine, with some arguing that the medical system should change substantially in order to accommodate alternative medicine, and others claiming that virtually all alternative treatments are worthless. In the heat of the debate many fundamental issues are raised concerning our health care system, among them the questions of therapeutic effectiveness, media truthfulness, the patient's freedom to choose among treatment options, health insurance coverage, the ability of the current healthcare delivery system to meet patients' needs, and government approval of alternative medicines. The issues raised in Alternative Medicine and Ethics pose numerous challenges to the healthcare delivery system that presently dominates in the United States and Canada. The points made here will help bioethicists, medical professionals, managers, and public policy experts to better understand the fundamental nature of our health care system and better meet patients' needs.