Scope and Background
CAM is an acronym for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It is "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine" (NCCAM 2007). CAM therapies can be used complementary of, or as an alternative to conventional medicine. Examples include homeopathy, acupuncture, and herbal remedies. In 2007 in the United States, approximately 38% of adults aged 18 years and older reported using CAM during the preceding 12 months (NHIS 2007).
This type of health information still relates to conventional medical librarianship, with similar codes of ethics being appropriate. However, a significant difference with CAM is often individuals engage in research either to educate a physician in order to be treated with complementary or alternative methods, or are interested in self-treatment.
There is still conflict about the reliability of CAM remedies, therefore some physicians are reluctant to engender treatment through these methods. Other reasons for hesitation are simply ignorance or prejudice (against CAM). Conversely, there are patients, or clients, who do not trust strictly conventional approaches, and will only consent to CAM. As is pointed out by Adams et al., one of a number of important ethical points to consider in CAM is, "the level of understanding of risks and benefits of the CAM treatment combined with the patient's knowing and voluntary acceptance of those risks" (2002). This pertains to informed choice, and highlights the necessity of quality, up-to-date resources, preferably of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) research, to best assist the client in making an informed medical decision. To better elucidate informed choice, or shared decision-making, The Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making explains that "a growing body of research shows that when patients are well informed and play a significant role in deciding how they are going to treat or manage their health conditions, things work out better" (2008). As the Medical Library Association (MLA) describes in its about section, "Knowledge is the sine qua non of informed decisions" (n.d.).
Hamm highlights the challenges for librarians of CAM information including lack of extensive resources on CAM topics, lack of resources appropriate for patrons, and the awareness of potential harm from bad information. She continues to note issues for patrons being promising claims leading to (false) hope, information overload, and conflicting or incorrect information (2008).
This code of ethics hopes to address some of the challenges specific to CAM librarianship, while also acknowledging the broader scope of health sciences informatics.
Some examples of CAM libraries:
- Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
- Natural College of Natural Medicine
- Bastyr University
- Native Health Database at the University of New Mexico