Ethical accountability and disciplinary codes should apply equally to unconventional practitioners as they do to conventional medical practitioners. Great care should also be taken to ensure that no new therapies emerge in practice without the support of research evidence of the highest standards. It is clear, at the moment, that there is a mismatch between the beliefs and expectations of unconventional medicine practitioners and patients, and the evidence being produced by researchers. The challenge in the coming months and years will be for all those involved in providing healthcare to ensure that treatments are safe and effective. There is a need for professionalism and rigour in research, training and practice of unconventional medicine.
Unconventional medicine is a subject of great complexity and fluidity.
In the future it is important that those responsible for making decisions as to the provision of such therapies have some understanding of their underlying concepts, the evidence of research and the confidence of patients who make use of them. This requirement for 'familiarisation' with unconventional medicine would be of benefit to both conventional and unconventional medical practitioners. A dedicated independent European Office where reliable research data can be gathered in an impartial way would be of value to all health professionals and users of unconventional medicine. According to current practice, the principal criterion used when determining appropriate therapeutic options is effectiveness. This is ideally demonstrated through randomized controlled clinical trials.