"The way forward involves not only preventing negligence and fraud, but also facilitating therapeutic exchanges between various healthcare providers and their patients. Framed in this light, the need for international dialogue around common legal and ethical issues pertinent to CAM therapies becomes ever clearer."

— Michael H. Cohen, “Legal and Ethical issues in Complementary Medicine: A U.S. Perspective”, Medical Journal of Australia 181:3:168-169 (2004).

The Institute serves as a reliable forum for investigation and recommendations regarding the legal, regulatory, ethical, and health policy issues involved in the judicious integration of complementary and integrative medical therapies (such as acupuncture and traditional oriental medicine, chiropractic, massage therapy, herbal medicine) and conventional medicine. To that end, the Institute collaborates with scholars and organizations worldwide in developing models of health care that:

* draw on and respect our planetary heritage of healing;

* acknowledge the rights, interests, and needs of patients and families;

* understand health and healing as spiritual and emotional as well as physical journeys; and

* regard human transformation as central to a compassionate, caring healthcare system.