Page 100 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

78 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), cre-
ated in 1998, is the lead federal entity supporting scientific research initiatives in the

areas of complementary and alternative medicine. Studies on the applications of
holistic health and alternative medicine in realms of scientific discovery such as

health education, medicine, social work, nursing, and others have been supported by

NCCAM. (A precursor agency, the Office for Alternative Medicine, existed from
1992 to 1998.)
As one of the twenty - seven institutes and centers of the National Institutes of

Health this agency promotes rigorous scientific inquiries on healing practices, edu-
cates complementary and alternative medicine researchers, and informs the public on

the latest findings related to complementary and alternative medical practices. The pri-
mary focus areas of the NCCAM are presented in Exhibit 4.5 .
Exhibit 4.5 presents information of particular relevance for health educators
within the framework of the new responsibilities and competencies delineated by
the Competencies Update Project. Responsibility VII states that health educators
should communicate and advocate for health and health education (Gilmore, Olsen,
Taub, & Connell, 2005). The NCCAM focus areas reveal a need for health educators

EXHIBIT 4.5. NCCAM Focus Areas.
ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
As of August 2006, NCCAM had funded more than 1,200 research projects at scientifi c
institutions across the United States and around the world.

TRAINING CAM RESEARCHERS
NCCAM supports training opportunities for new researchers and encourages experi-
enced researchers to study CAM.

SHARING NEWS AND INFORMATION
NCCAM provides timely and accurate information about CAM research through a Web
site, a national information clearinghouse, fact sheets, a distinguished lecture series,
continuing medical education models, and publications.

SUPPORTING INTEGRATION OF PROVEN CAM THERAPIES
NCCAM’s sponsored research programs help the public and health professionals under-
stand which CAM therapies have been proven to be safe and effective.

Source: Adapted from NCCAM, 2006a.

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