Evidence-based Practice Method of Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine Based on Literature Retrieval through PICO Question and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Topics

An evidence-based practice method according to literature retrieval through PICO （Patients,Intervention,Comparison,Outcome） questions and complementary and alternative medicine （CAM） topics,which can obtain helpful evidence for guiding clinical practice,was introduced with a practical example in this paper.The knowledge of diseases and Western medicine treatment can be acquired by literature retrieval through PICO question,while searching by CAM topics may provide evidence for Chinese medicine （CM）.Thus the author held that literature retrieval through both PICO question and CAM topics was an ideal evidencebased practice method for integrative Chinese and Western medicine （ICWM）.However,since the standard in CM evidence hierarchy is still under study,the value of the CAM thematic retrieval method remains very limited.In the future,studies on the definition and hierarchy of CM evidences and the herb-drug interaction between Western and Chinese medicine during a combination therapy should be strengthened to improve the status of ICWM evidence-based practice.

The Model of Western Integrative Medicine:The Role of Chinese Medicine

The basic concept of integrative medicine（IM） is that by combining mainstream（biomedicine） with complementary and alternative medicine（CAM）, synergistic therapeutic effects can be attained.When the methods of mind/body medicine（MBM） are added to this combination,as in Western countries,a new concept emerges that drastically changes the approach toward illness. It is interesting to note that the joining of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in the early days of the Peoples＇ Republic of China preceded the Western model of IM by almost 50 years.Several elements that make up the key components of IM as practiced today in the West were already present in the Chinese version of IM,and Chinese medicine has played and continues to play an important role in advancing IM.However,one of the major differences between the Chinese and the Western models of IM today,besides MBM and some other treatment options,is that Western integrative medicine（WIM） strictly requires its CAM methods to be supported by scientific evidence. The therapeutic methods of IM and their applications are many and varied.However,they are most frequently employed to treat chronic medical conditions,e.g.,bronchial asthma,rheumatic disease, chronic inflammatory bowel disorder and chronic pain.Other fields in which IM may be applied are internal medicine（inflammatory bowel diseases and cardiovascular diseases）,musculoskeletal disorders,oncology （chemotherapy-induced side effects）,obstetrics and gynecology（dysmenorrhea,endometriosis,infertility and menopausal complaints）,pediatrics,geriatrics,neurology（migraine and chronic headache）,and psychiatry （anxiety and depression）. The concept of WIM is discussed here in detail by reviewing its scope and implications for the practice of medicine and focusing on the role of Chinese medicine in WIM.