| EFCAM Declaration |
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EFCAM Definition of CAM A diverse range of autonomous healthcare practices used for health maintenance, health promotion, disease prevention and for the treatment of ill-health. These practices can also be integrated for use together with conventional medical approaches to create a broader range of healthcare options for the public. CAM practices share the following principles: • Holistic • Enhancing self-healing capacity • Natural • Safety of patients and users, • Traditional and established use, • Open to innovation, • Prevention, • Health supporting, • Curative, • Can be used in combinations or individually, • Increasing the range of options for patient care and treatment, • Promoting self-responsibility for health. The Context CAM approaches to health care are used across Europe by a high and increasing percentage of the public.
CAM disciplines are practised by medical doctors and other healthcare professionals across Europe, each within the boundaries of their competence. CAM approaches are not uniformly recognised throughout Europe and the right to practise CAM varies from country to country. Access to CAM care varies from country to country and between socio-economic groups. Costs of conventional care continue to rise while the preventive and curative approaches of CAM offer both short-term and long-term cost benefits. In 1997 the European Parliament called on the EU Commission to act in the area of CAM. People are seeking a more holistic approach to healthcare. |
