Creating Collaborative Relationships: Whole CAM Systems & Complexity Researchers

描述(由申请人提供)：复杂性理论和方法提供了一种内在的整体科学方法来重新考虑整个CAM系统(WSCAM)中的研究人员面临的一些核心困境。复杂系统中因果关系的非线性、间接性与临床上在整个CAM系统中报道的患者反应的个体化和紧急动态模式更相关。以前的会议引发了人们对复杂性思维的广泛兴趣，但CAM研究界本身缺乏足够的专业知识来适应和使用复杂系统方法来研究WSCAM。因此，我们建议召集对WSCAM有经验和兴趣的临床科学家和在复杂系统分析方面具有专业知识的科学家/方法学家：(A)确定系统生物学、心理学和社会科学中的复杂性研究人员使用的分析技术；(B)与这些研究人员建立协作/工作关系；以及(C)开发应用这些技术来研究以患者为中心的WSCAM治疗反应的初步研究方案。本申请寻求对与明尼苏达州明尼阿波利斯市北美补充与整合医学研究会议联合举行的为期三天(2009年5月16日至18日)的研讨会的支持。这次科学会议确定了三个目标。目的1.聚集一批具有WSCAM专业知识的科学家和在选定的生物心理社会领域中具有复杂系统分析专业知识的系统科学家，探索分析技术以评估患者作为复杂系统的能力，并探索这些技术在WSCAM研究中的适用性。目的2.促进复杂性科学家和CAM研究人员之间的合作，方法是确定负责制定方案的基于问题的工作组，应用系统生物学家、发展和组织心理学家、物理学家和数学家使用的技术来质疑WSCAM对作为复杂系统的患者的影响。目标3.以印刷版和电子版分发会议记录，记录会议上的讨论情况。这次会议的成果将是：(1)一套跨学科的研究提案，应用分析技术和复杂系统研究人员研究WSCAM治疗的个体化、以患者为中心的临床结果；(2)出版的会议记录(印刷版和电子版)，其中记录了会议产生的方法学和应用讨论。请拨经费用于团体陆运往返讲习班地点(从较大的会议地点)、被邀请的发言者和具有复杂系统研究专长的与会者的住宿/会议室费用、差旅费和演讲费、建立和维护一个可供公众访问的网站以及有限的行政支助和用品。这次科学会议目前的共同赞助商包括加拿大乐天和约翰·赫克特纪念基金会、亚利桑那大学护理学院和总部设在美国的萨缪利研究所，以增加NIH/NCCAM所要求的奖项。 公共卫生相关性：越来越多的患者寻求补充和替代医学(CAM)治疗，并报告的临床结果与该领域的研究结果不一致。在CAM和医疗保健之外工作的科学家建议，可以使用创新的研究方法来研究、描述和解释患者的经历。这次会议将汇集来自CAM的临床研究人员和复杂性科学家，他们是这些研究技术的专家，以开发新的方法来研究与CAM相关的患者结果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Complexity theory and methods offer an inherently holistic scientific approach to re-consider some of the core dilemmas facing researchers in whole systems of CAM (WSCAM). The nonlinear, indirect nature of causality in complex systems is more relevant to the individualistic and emergent dynamic patterns of patient responses reported clinically in whole systems of CAM. Previous meetings initiated widespread interest in complexity thinking, yet the CAM research community lacks sufficient expertise within itself for adapting and using complex systems methods to study WSCAM. Therefore, we propose to assemble clinical scientists with experience and interest in WSCAM and scientists/methodologists who have expertise in the analysis of complex systems to: (a) identify analytical techniques used by complexity researchers in systems biology, psychology and the social sciences; (b) establish collaborative/working relationships with those researchers; and (c) develop initial research protocols that apply these techniques to study patient-centered responses to WSCAM treatments. This application seeks support for a three-day (May 16-18, 2009) workshop to be held in conjunction with the North American Research Conference on Complementary & Integrative Medicine in Minneapolis, MN. Three aims have been identified for this scientific meeting. Aim 1. Assemble a critical mass of scientists with expertise in WSCAM and systems scientists with expertise in the analysis of complex systems in selected biopsychosocial domains to explore analytic techniques to evaluate the patient as a complex system and explore the applicability of these techniques in WSCAM research. Aim 2. Facilitate collaboration between complexity scientists and CAM researchers by identifying problem-based workgroups charged with the development of protocols, applying techniques used by systems biologists, developmental and organizational psychologists, physicists and mathematicians to question the effects of WSCAM on the patient as a complex system. Aim 3. Disseminate meeting proceedings in print and electronic format that capture the discussions that occur at the meeting. The deliverables from this conference will be: (1) a set of interdisciplinary research proposals, applying analytical techniques complex systems researchers to study individualized, patient-centered clinical outcomes to WSCAM treatments and (2) published conference proceedings (print and electronic) that capture the methodological and applications discussions resulting from the meeting. Funding is requested for group ground transportation to and from the workshop location (from the site of larger conference), lodging/meeting room costs, travel costs and speakers' fees for invited speakers and participants with expertise in complex systems research, establishment and maintenance of a publically- accessible website, and limited administrative support and supplies. Current co-sponsors for this scientific meeting include the Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation, Canada; the University of Arizona, College of Nursing and the U.S-based Samueli Institute, to augment the requested NIH/NCCAM award. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Patients are increasingly seeking treatment with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and report clinical outcomes that are inconsistent with the research findings in the field. Scientists working outside CAM and health care suggest that innovative research methods could be used to study, describe, and explain what patients experience. This conference will bring together clinical researchers from CAM and complexity scientists who are experts in these research techniques to develop new ways to study patient outcomes associated with CAM.