FROM THE EDITORS June 19, 2006 Issue

THE WORLD IS CHANGING ITS MIND

Let's Talk About the future. More precisely, let's talk about a couple of studies from recent years that offer a snapshot of where society's view of traditional healthcare is today and, if the trends continue, where it could be in the future.

An October 2005 Harris Poll shows that only 9 percent of adults in the United States believe that drug companies are trustworthy. That continues a three-year slide in trust. Then there's a 2002 survey sponsored by the National Institutes of Health which shows that over 60 percent of adults in the United States say they have used some kind of therapy or treatment as an alternative to traditional medicine. Of those same adults, 43 percent chose prayer, making it the top alternative choice.

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