Traditional, complementary and integrative healthcare: global stakeholder perspective on WHO's current and future strategy.

As the 'WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy: 2014-2023' is entering its final phase, reflection is warranted on progress and the focus for a new strategy. We used WHO documentation to analyse progress across the objectives of the current strategy, adding the role of traditional, complementary and integrative healthcare (TCIH) to address specific diseases as a dimension absent in the current strategy. Our analysis concludes on five areas.

Patient-shared knowledge and information in clinical decision-making: an international survey of the perspectives and experiences of naturopathic practitioners.

Introduction: Most knowledge translation models pay relatively little attention to patient-held knowledge and are largely based on the premise that researchers and clinicians hold all valuable knowledge, and patients are passive recipients of such knowledge. Counter to this clinician- and researcher-centred lens is a growing interest and awareness of patients as experts in their health. While naturopathic medicine is described and experienced as a patient-centred system of traditional medicine, the position of patient-held knowledge is unclear particularly when considered alongside their use of other more objective forms of knowledge such as research evidence.

Naturopathic Workforce: A Global Resource Toward the Goals-A Multimethods Study.

The World Health Organization identified health to be the most important social goal and the 1978 placed primary health care central to its attainment and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the template. The called on a change of focus in primary care, from treatment of specific diseases to the prevention and inclusion of both scientific and traditional knowledge. Such objectives require public-private partnerships in providing health care, including traditional and complementary medicine systems such as naturopathy that align.

Prevalence and predictors of naturopathic practitioners' self-reported practice behaviours: results of an international survey.

Background: The naturopathic workforce spans over 108 countries and is estimated to provide care to over 5.5 million patients globally per month. Despite such demand, naturopathic practitioners are not well integrated into mainstream health systems, in part due to poor knowledge about naturopathy among policy makers and other health professionals.

Community education and health promotion activities of naturopathic practitioners: results of an international cross-sectional survey.

Background: Health promotion and patient education are crucial to improved population health and are also among the core principles that define naturopathy. Yet, the activities of naturopathic practitioners (NPs) with regards to health promotion and community education have not been widely studied.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of an international convenience sample of NPs was conducted through disseminating a 15-item questionnaire prepared in five languages.

Naturopathic community clinics: an international cross-sectional survey.

Background: Globally, naturopathic practitioners offer services in 98 countries, reaching every world region and providing care to diverse populations for a range of acute and chronic health conditions. Community clinics provide free or low-cost healthcare services and play a key role in providing necessary primary healthcare for underprivileged or marginalized populations. However, the reach and impact of naturopathic community clinics (NCCs) has not yet been examined.

Naturopaths' mobilisation of knowledge and information in clinical practice: an international cross-sectional survey.

Background: The contemporary evidence-based practice model acknowledges the importance of patient preferences and clinician experience when applying evidence within a clinical setting. Knowledge mobilisation (KM) acknowledges the complexities of knowledge translation by recognising and respecting diversity in types of knowledge and how such diversity can influence health care and health care choices. While there has been considerable discussion on KM in health care, it has received little attention in the field of naturopathy.

Multivitamins for acute respiratory tract infections: a rapid review.

Seven human clinical trials with some risk of bias suggest that multivitamins may be a safe and effective intervention to relieve some symptoms of respiratory tract infections, increase micronutrient status and immune function; however, further research is needed. There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend multivitamins as a therapy for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. The overall quality of research examining the effect of prophylactic multivitamin supplementation on the effects of the acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) is weak.

Overview of international naturopathic practice and patient characteristics: results from a cross-sectional study in 14 countries.

Background: Naturopathy is a distinct system of traditional and complementary medicine recognized by the World Health Organization and defined by its philosophic approach to patient care, rather than the treatments used by practitioners. Worldwide, over 98 countries have practicing naturopaths, representing 36% of all countries and every world region. The contributions of naturopaths to healthcare delivery services internationally has not been previously examined.