CAM Trials: Are You Missing Critical Data in Your Systematic Reviews?

The Cochrane CAM Field Register is a specialized database created by the Cochrane Collaboration to index citations of controlled trials specifically focused on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions. It's designed to overcome the limitations of relying solely on mainstream databases like MEDLINE, which may not comprehensively cover the breadth of CAM research. The significance of the register lies in its ability to provide a more complete and accurate picture of available evidence for CAM therapies. By using the register, researchers can improve the quality and reliability of their systematic reviews. However, it's worth noting that while the register is extensive, it should be used in conjunction with other databases to ensure a thorough search.

The Cochrane CAM Field Register is important because it increases the likelihood of identifying relevant studies that may be missed by standard databases. This is particularly crucial in CAM research, where studies may be published in journals or languages not typically indexed by mainstream databases. By including citations from international collaborators, the register offers a more comprehensive view of the available evidence. The implications of this more comprehensive search are that systematic reviews are more likely to include all relevant studies, reducing the risk of bias and improving the reliability of conclusions about the effectiveness of CAM interventions. Keep in mind, its always best practice to supplement, not replace, comprehensive searches across multiple databases and sources.

The Cochrane CAM Field Register includes a wide range of CAM interventions, such as non-vitamin, non-mineral dietary supplements (like glucosamine and fish oil), Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, and mind-body practices. It also covers various medical conditions, from heart and circulation issues to mental health and pain management. The significance of this broad coverage is that it allows researchers to investigate the effectiveness of CAM therapies for a variety of health conditions. It's important for systematic reviewers to understand the scope of the register to determine whether it's a valuable resource for their specific research question. However, the register focuses on controlled trials, which may exclude other types of studies, such as observational studies or qualitative research, that may also be relevant to CAM research.

While the Cochrane CAM Field Register can greatly improve systematic reviews, it is important to remember that the register should supplement, not replace, comprehensive searches across multiple databases and sources. Understanding both the strengths and limitations of the register is key to achieving more thorough, accurate, and reliable research in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. Researchers also need to critically assess each study identified in the register for methodological rigor and relevance to their research question.

The Cochrane CAM Field Register was built through regular searches of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), supplemented by contributions from international collaborators. From 2006-2011, the register was built to contain 44,840 citations. The importance of the register is that it can include citations not always found in standard databases and the register benefits from contributions worldwide, increasing the scale of available research. The register also limits to citations of controlled trials, which ensures a degree of rigor.