Setting a research agenda for pediatric complementary and integrative medicine: A consensus approach

Sunita Vohra; Liliane Zorzela; Kathi Kemper; Arine Vlieger; Shay Pintov

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2018.10.022

Setting a research agenda for pediatric complementary and integrative medicine: A consensus approach

Complement Ther Med. 2019 Feb:42:27-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.10.022. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Authors

Sunita Vohra¹, Liliane Zorzela², Kathi Kemper³, Arine Vlieger⁴, Shay Pintov⁵

Affiliations

¹ CARE Program, Dept of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: svohra@ualberta.ca.
² CARE Program, Dept of Pedaitric, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Electronic address: zorzela@ulaberta.ca.
³ College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States. Electronic address: kathi.kemper@osumc.edu.
⁴ Dept of Pediatrics, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.vlieger@antoniusziekenhuis.nl.
⁵ Dept of Pediatrics Kiboga District Government Hospital, Uganda. Electronic address: drpintov@netvision.net.il.

PMID: 30670252
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.10.022

Abstract

Background: Pediatric use of complementary medicine (CM) is common and offers numerous research questions about diverse therapies and conditions. Although research priorities for pediatric CM have been identified, there was a need to update in light of the rapid evolution of the field.

Methods: Building on previous work, we conducted an international, consensus-based 4-step modified Delphi process to develop and refine a pediatric CM research agenda, including on-line questionnaires and an in-person meeting. Participants included health care professionals, researchers, and educators.

Results: We received 376 responses; participants included conventional and CM providers, researchers, educators, administrators, and policy-makers from 15 countries (Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States). While it was recognized that each region must set their own priorities based on use, access, and expertise, a "minimum set" for a pediatric CM research agenda was identified. After three rounds of surveys, participants identified the highest priorities for pediatric CM research as: (i) safety of CM therapies for infants, children, and adolescents; (ii) conditions for which CM use is highly prevalent and for which conventional medicine lacks safe, cost-effective therapies; iii) therapies/therapists to be examined for quality and reproducibility of interventions, comparative and cost effectiveness, dose, etc.; and iv) identification of relevant outcomes and outcome measurement tools.

Conclusions: The results of our study identify that "first do no harm" is the leading research priority for pediatric CM research, followed by more research on effectiveness of CM therapies for conditions not safely and effectively treated with conventional care. In order to improve pediatric health care, interdisciplinary collaborative approaches are needed between CM and conventional providers and researchers.

Keywords: Complementary and integrative therapies; Pediatrics; Research agenda.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Complementary Therapies / methods
Consensus
Delphi Technique
Health Personnel
Health Services Research / methods
Humans
Integrative Medicine / methods*
Outcome Assessment, Health Care / methods
Reproducibility of Results
Research Personnel
Surveys and Questionnaires