Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been advocated as a new paradigm in orthodox medicine and as a methodology for natural medicines, which are often accused of lacking an adequate scientific basis. This paper presents the voices of tradition-sensitive naturopathic practitioners in response to what they perceive as an ideologic assault by EBM advocates on the validity and integrity of natural medicine practice. Those natural medicine practices, which have tradition-based paradigms articulating vitalistic and holistic principles, may have significant problems in relating to the idea of EBM as developed in biomedical contexts. The paper questions the appropriateness of imposing a methodology that appears to minimize or bypass the philosophic and methodological foundations of natural medicine, and that itself seems primarily driven by political considerations.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	evidence-based medicine, naturopathy
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Research Field:	Naturopathy
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health)
Objective Field:	Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Evans, S (Dr Sue Evans)
ID Code:	112602
Year Published:	2006
Web of Science® Times Cited:	30
Deposited By:	Pharmacy
Deposited On:	2016-11-17
Last Modified:	2017-04-11
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