Countries can build the foundation for cross-national trials by developing local expertise in TM clinical trial design. Over the last decade, patients, policy makers, the medical community, health insurance companies, and social commentators have pointed to the need for an overhaul of the American health care system. The current medical model has been shown to be both the most expensive and the most inadequate in the developed world. This situation calls for a transformation of the current system into one that is affordable, accessible, safe and effective. Integrative East-West Medicine, a health care paradigm that blends traditional Chinese medicine and modern western medicine, appears to be a compelling candidate for the new health care system.
Agenda setting means a process where a social issue becomes a policy issue.
In formulating policies, it is necessary to consider the environments including national income, population, interest groups, etc. In establishing a policy, we must identify problems raised in society, investigate causes of the problems through researches, and consult with relevant parties prior to applications of new policy measures. It is true that traditional medicine has not shown satisfactory growth due to lack of policies compared with Western medicine. To ensure the growth of traditional medicine, we must analyze factors that have direct or indirect influences on policy formulation and establish effective policies based on results of the analysis. In addition, it seems desirable to establish and implement effective policies suited to each country through preliminary steps including a cost-effectiveness analysis, thus contributing to the development of traditional medicine as well as national health care.