| The session gives a brief introduction of the EU FP7 granted coordination action CAMbrella and a first presentation of the work plans of different work groups established under CAMbrella.
The goal of CAMbrella is to develop a roadmap for future European research in CAM that is appropriate for the health care needs of EU citizens, and acceptable to the EU parliament as well as their national research funders and healthcare providers. It will enable meaningful reliable comparative research and communication within Europe and create a sustainable structure and policy. CAMbrella is focussed on academic research groups which do not advocate specific treatments. An Advisory Board represents the main CAM stakeholders including consumers, practitioners, clinical providers, and manufacturers of CAM medicinal products.
The specific objectives are to develop an EU network involving centres of research excellence for collaborative research, to develop consensus-based terminology widely accepted in Europe to describe CAM interventions, to create a knowledge base that facilitates our understanding of patient demand for CAM and its prevalence, to review the current legal status and policies governing CAM provision in the EU and, to explore the needs, beliefs and attitudes of the EU citizens with respect to CAM. Based on this information we will create a roadmap that will enable a sustainable and prioritised EU research roadmap for CAM. |