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WHAT'S "ALTERNATIVE" ABOUT ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE? |
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Herbal and dietary supplements, homeopathy, acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, biofeedback, and therapeutic massage--these are just some of the products and procedures that fall under the umbrella of "alternative medicine." According to the New England Journal of Medicine, over one-third of Americans have used an alternative therapy either in conjunction with or in lieu of a traditional clinical treatment. It is important for physicians who practice traditional western medicine to be aware of this rapidly growing trend. The American Medical Association has recently emphasized this need by "encouraging its members to become better informed regarding alternative medicine and to participate in appropriate studies of it." Alternative medicine has the potential to change not only how physicians treat a particular illness but also how they view the body, what healing is, and what role a patient plays in the healing process. Alternative medicine also requires a greater awareness of the medical techniques of other cultures and a commitment to care for the whole patient. However, physicians and patients alike also require an acute awareness of the fact that many alternative therapies have not yet been tested for safety or efficacy. While alternative medicine may have a great deal of wisdom to offer us, there are also many products and services currently on the market which are useless at best and hazardous at worst. Tonight's lecture on "What's 'Alternative' about Alternative Medicine?" will address the title question with two goals in mind: first, we'll look at the impact of this trend on the doctor-patient relationship and discuss ways patients can communicate with their physicians about the roles alternative therapies might play in their health care regimens. We'll also explore the research perspective to see how clinical investigators are examining the effectiveness of popular alternative therapies. |
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Senior
Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences and Dean, School of Medicine |
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Dr. Levine joined the University of Pittsburgh in November 1998 as senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine. He was also appointed as a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry. With respect to research, Dr. Levine has focused on studies that exploit the vast amount of data emerging from the human genome project and on the newly emerging and powerful technologies that enable us to visualize the three-dimensional structures of molecules, cells, and tissues as they exist in intact organs. Before his arrival at the University, Dr. Levine had spent his entire professional career at the National Institutes of Health, having joined the NIH as a clinical associate in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1967. He became a senior investigator in 1970 and chief of NCI’s Pediatric Oncology Branch in 1975. From 1982 to 1998, Dr. Levine was scientific director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Along with his influential research in molecular genetics and biochemistry, Dr. Levine exercised a vital leadership role involving the education and training of young physicians and scientists; the development and allocation of research resources; NIH strategic planning; and the administration of the Clinical Center. In addition to having presented many scientific seminars, lectures, and grand rounds worldwide, Dr. Levine has often spoken and written for general audiences on such matters as the doctor-patient relationship, AIDS, and scientific creativity. He has been honored with the Meritorious Service and the Distinguished Service Medals of the United States Public Health Service, the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal, the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the Chicago Medical School, and the NIH Director’s Award. |
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Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neurobiology
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| Dr. DeKosky is a clinician and researcher who is nationally recognized for his contributions to the field of Alzheimer’s disease research. In addition to his role as interim chairman of the Department of Neurology, Dr. DeKosky is also director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, professor and director of the Division of Geriatrics and Neuropsychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry, director of the Memory Disorders Clinic, and director of Geriatric Health Services. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine and undertaking an internship in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins, Dr. DeKosky completed a three-year residency in neurology at the University of Florida and a postdoctoral fellowship in neurochemistry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine faculty in 1990, bringing along his expertise and insight into the neurochemistry of aging and Alzheimer’s disease, central nervous system regeneration, and clinical disorders of memory and cognitive function. He chairs the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council of the national Alzheimer’s Association and is a recipient of the Presidential Award of the American Neurological Association. He has twice testified before United States Senate committees regarding dementia and related research. | |||
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Michael E. Thase, M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry |
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| Michael E. Thase, M.D., is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is an active clinical investigator whose research focuses on the assessment and treatment of mood disorders, including the correlates of differential response to various treatments for depression. A 1979 graduate of Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Thase has directed the Depression Treatment and Research Program at the University of Pittsburgh since its inception in 1987 and is now chief of Adult Academic Psychiatry. A fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Thase has authored or co-authored more than 325 scientific articles, book chapters, and books. | |||
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David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D.
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| Dr. Servan-Schreiber is medical director of the Center for Complementary Medicine at UPMC Shadyside, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a faculty member of the residency programs in internal medicine and family practice. He was also a member of the board of the Nobel Prize-winning international medical relief organization, Doctors Without Borders, USA, from 1991 to 2000. A psychiatrist and cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Servan-Schreiber is an expert in the interface between medical illness and emotional function. He provides holistic psychiatric evaluations as well as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) treatment for chronic illness and for psychological trauma. Before turning to full-time clinical teaching and practice, Dr. Servan-Schreiber was co-director of the Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, where he conducted brain imaging studies and neural network computer simulations to understand the neural basis of emotions. | |||
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http://www.wholehealthmd.com/: This data-rich site is enthusiastic in its desire to integrate the uses of traditional and alternative medicine. http://www.quackwatch.com: This site is opinionated but interesting. While definitely biased toward conventional medicine, Quackwatch does an excellent job of pointing out examples of health-related fraud. http://nccam.nih.gov/: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is an extension of the National Institutes of Health. http://www.hcrc.org/: The Health Care Reality Check provides an abundance of science-based information and keeps up-to-date on the latest research in both alternative and traditional medicine. http://www.ncahf.org/: The highlight of the National Council of Reliable Health Information’s informative site is its thorough rating and analysis of the reliability of other health-care related sites. http://www.pitt.edu/~cbw/altm.html: The Alternative Medicine Homepage is sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. |
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The Alternative Medicine Sourcebook: A Realistic Evaluation of Alternative Health Methods. Dr. Steven Bratman. Lowell House, 1998. St. John’s Wort: Nature’s Mood Booster. Dr. Michael E. Thase and Elizabeth E. Loredo. Morrow, William & Co., 1998. Dr. Rosenfeld's Guide to Alternative Medicine. Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld. Random House, 1996. (Sound recording also available) The Best Alternative Medicine: What Works? What Doesn't? Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier. Simon & Schuster Trade, 2000. Chinese Medicine. Paul U. Unschuld, Nigel Wiseman (Translator). Paradigm Publications, 1998. Ayurveda: The Ancient Indian Healing Art. Dr. Scott Gerson. Element Books, 1997. Healing from the Heart: A Leading Heart Surgeon Explores the Power of Complementary Medicine. Dr. Mehmet Oz with Ron Arias and Lisa Oz. N A L, 1998. Health and Illness: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia. David Levinson and Laura Gaccione. A B C –CLIO, Inc., 1997. |
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