Overview

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) is prominent globally, yet we still know relatively little about these medicines, technologies, products and practices.  

This knowledge gap constitutes a serious problem for many stakeholders including those seeking health and attempting to address illness, clinical sub-populations of patients and those managing their care, all providers and professional groups involved in delivering primary health care including conventional medical and health care providers, and all who manage and direct the health system and health policy.

Our research seeks to build a robust evidence base for TCIM that addresses crucial knowledge gaps and enable effective, evidence-based applications of TCIM to improve policy, enhance health systems and increase the quality of care and treatment for individuals.

Our research program is built around extensive focus on core contemporary health challenges including healthy ageing, chronic disease, digital health technology, women’s health, global health, primary health care and the health and health care of vulnerable communities.

For more details or enquiries concerning funding donations, consultative needs and postgraduate (MA/PhD) study opportunities regarding a specific stream of our program, please contact arccim@uts.edu.au. The streams listed below are not exhaustive but do outline the main areas of research focus amongst ARCCIM researchers.

Areas of research

Complementary and integrative medicine health policy, regulation and legislative issues

This research stream focuses on examining policy, regulatory and legislative issues associated with the increasing impact of CIM practice and use. This stream has attracted competitive internal and external research funding and, in a consulting capacity, has also helped governments in Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States develop regulation and policy around CIM.

Complementary and integrative medicine workforce and professional practice issues

ARCCIM has been instrumental in identifying and examining a range of CIM practitioner workforce and internal professional issues. This body of work focuses upon charting the coverage/provision of CIM practitioner services and exploring a range of significant challenges and issues facing CIM practitioner groups including research literacy and engagement with evidence, professional training and inter-professional communication and relations.

Complementary and integrative medicine /primary health care interface and integration

This stream of the ARCCIM program has attracted significant external competitive funding from NHMRC and the PHCREC program, Dept of Health and Ageing. Our work in this area has to date examined the working relationship between general practitioners/family physicians in Australia and the US with regards to CIM and CIM practitioners. ARCCIM researchers have also been leading the critical examination of the integration of CIM within conventional primary health care and community health care settings.

Health economics of complementary and integrative medicine

ARCCIM senior researchers have been at the forefront of advancing the health economics investigation of CIM. Not only have we been instrumental in outlining an important roadmap and framework for future work in this area but we have also received significant external funding and conducted some of the first cutting-edge modeling in this important area of study.

Complementary and integrative medicine use and practice in rural and urban health

ARCCIM researchers have focused upon the role and use of CIM within rural health care, have explored CIM practice and provision in both rural and urban settings and have provided international leadership in the health geography of CIM in partnership with national and overseas partners. This research has attracted significant NHMRC competitive project funding.

Complementary and integrative medicine use and practice in women's health

This stream of the ARCCIM research program has received extensive funding from NHMRC and ARC via major competitive grants and Fellowships. ARCCIM researchers have focused upon the role and use of CIM with regards to pregnancy, menopause and other key women’s health issues.

Complementary and integrative medicine use and practice in ageing

A major component of the ARCCIM research program has focused upon the use of CIM amongst older adults, examining both self-prescribed CIM product use and CIM practitioner consultations for a range of conditions associated with ageing. ARCCIM provides international leadership in the critical engagement and empirical investigation of this significant area of public health and health services research.

Complementary and integrative medicine use in chronic illness and cancer care

Chronic and cancer care are increasingly important issues within contemporary health systems and ARCCIM senior researchers in collaboration with world-leading partners have been at the forefront of critically examining the role and potential of CIM within these health settings. Our work in this broad area focusing upon cancer care, palliative care, back pain and care, and a range of cardiovascular conditions has received substantial external government support via competitive ARC Discovery and Linkage funding.

Traditional/Indigenous medicine and health care systems

This stream of the ARCCIM research program, which has attracted an ARC Future Fellowship amongst other external funding, is currently based upon projects conducted with research partners in Brazil, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and Australia. This stream focuses upon examining core health services research questions around the community use of traditional medicines and therapies within both indigenous and non-indigenous populations and patient groups.

Complementary and alternative medicine practice-based network and health outcomes

ARCCIM is an international leader in designing and conducting national, longitudinal practice-based research programs which focus upon establishing a broad evidence base for practice and examining a range of health outcomes with regards to CIM use and practice.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.