Information for professionals
Scientific research
RBCZ, together with the Van Praag Institute and the Louis Bolk Institute, has started pilot projects in which regular and complementary care providers have worked together on the treatment of specific indications. The goal is that the client, together with his regular care provider, can come to a choice for supportive and appropriate care, supported by scientific insights.
The recommendations are based on scientific insights up to August 2023 and apply to the following indications:
Explanation
The choice of the six indications was the result of three pilot projects, which met four times between 2021 and 2023 in collaboration with the Van Praag Institute. The pilot projects consisted of therapists from various complementary therapies and regular care providers from various care disciplines, see Table 1. The scientific substantiation for the recommendations for these six indications was carried out by the Louis Bolk Institute.
| Complementary therapy | ||
Region Amsterdam
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Region Utrecht
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Region Northern Netherlands
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| Regular healthcare providers | ||
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*PPC = persistent physical complaints
Collection of scientific research
Scientific studies were searched for in Pubmed by a researcher from the Louis Bolk Institute. They were then assessed for quality by two researchers. First, search terms were chosen for the six indications and the 13 therapies (MeSH terms). Initially, meta-analyses, systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were searched for. If no good studies were found, other types of studies were also searched for, such as observational studies and case studies. These studies were then included in the assessment. Literature was also provided by the professional organisations. The studies found per indication and per therapy were assessed to determine whether they were suitable for inclusion in the assessment based on the title, then based on the abstract, or based on the entire text.
Pyramid of evidence
SORT method
The Louis Bolk Institute has mapped out scientific substantiation for this indication according to the SORT method for various complementary therapies. The abbreviation SORT stands for ‘Strength of Recommendations Taxonomy’.
The recommendations are intended for use in 1-on-1 advice only. And are only to be used by healthcare professionals. They are not intended for further distribution to consumers or patients.
