Even in countries where CAM is more widely included in medical curricula, education and certification of CAM practitioners is still an existing problem [ 12, 32].
More importantly, in Mainland China, the overall incidence of MK decreased significantly after 2002, when China Food and Drug Administration posted regulations regarding the rigorous inspection and registration of OrthoK lenses, the training and certification of OrthoK practitioners, and the minimal requirements of instrumentation and fitting/follow-up procedures.
Further on, an integration debate has started with ideas about the professionalization process for CM [ 13], propositions for state licensing and certification of CM practitioners are worked out in the USA [ 14] and European regulations on medicinal products of CM and mainstream medicine are harmonized [ 15].
However, there is still no clear consensus in the certification of implant practitioners as recalled by the first European Consensus Conference in 2008 in Prague [ 8] stigmatizing, amongst other recommendations, very diverse training programs throughout Europe both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels that might hamper proficiency required in formative development.
As the first educational director of a Feldenkrais Professional Training Program, he has guided the certification of a host of practitioners and allied health professionals through the years.
The Irrigation Association, a trade group in Falls Church, Va., with 2,000 members, can provide a list of practitioners who have completed its certification program; (703) 536-7030.
As with traditionally licensed practitioners, survey responses may be more representative of practitioners with other CAM credentials than those without these extra certifications or licenses.
There are about 6,600 plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery; most estimates suggest that there are three to four times that number of practitioners performing cosmetic surgery without board certification.
The results concerning sickness absences of different durations are in line with a previous Swiss study, where general practitioners expressed that sickness certification of absences of long duration often is problematic [ 47].
a See Table 4 for results of model 1 and 2. b Board certification of the Swiss Medical Association (family medicine, general internal medicine, general practitioners without board certification).
