The Dutch complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) protocol

Background There are heated debates on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the Netherlands. There are also many false prejudices for and against CAM which make things more difficult. Method A literature search through Medline, PsychLit, books, Internet resources and in-depth interviews with several experts on this subject. CAM professional rules and Dutch legislation pertaining to CAM were studied. Extensive discussions among authors followed. Results We found nine common prejudices against CAM (the use of CAM in the population and among patients, the characteristics of users, scientific evidence for WM and for CAM, using CAM instead of or together with Western Medicine (WM), how CAM users view WM, CAM and EBM, support by large institutions) and four common predudices for CAM (natural, harmless, scientific evaluation not possible or not needed), all not correct. Based on this, the CAM protocol was created to ensure the safe and wise use of CAM within a non-academic outpatient psychiatric clinic. Conclusion In this presentation the prejudices are negated and the CAM protocol is presented.