A scientific paradigm comprises of a framework that covers all commonly accepted views about a subject. It also details the structure of the direction that a research should take and the ways in which research can be performed. According to Kuhn, a paradigm defines “the practices that define a scientific discipline at certain point in time” (Kuhn, 1962). Kuhn also postulated that the paradigms in general are discrete in nature and are culturally biased.
For instance, a Chinese researcher in medicine would acquire a profound knowledge in eastern medicine and therefore would inhabit a paradigm that is different from that of a western researcher (Experiment Resources, 2008). Western scientific paradigm encompasses the forming of hypotheses, testing such hypotheses under controlled circumstances and conducting an analysis and interpretation of the results obtained from the testing. In the context of healthcare, the treatments for various ailments developed over the period are those, which have been developed out of continuous scientific research and are tested under controlled circumstances for their efficacy.
The practices have been put to use after they have been found to be statistically significantly different from control or placebo treatments. In the process if some of the treatments have been found to be beneficial to particular patients, if they do not satisfy the statistical significant tests, then such treatments would be deemed not acceptable by the practitioners. There will be no reimbursement of expenses incurred on such treatments by the health insurance companies.
Acupuncture is one such treatment where there was no recognition by the practitioners. However, according to recent research, this treatment has been found to be better than placebo without any accompanying side effects, as compared to other medicines used to treat chronic ailments. Still, acupuncture is a major component of traditional Chinese medical practice. There are other similar natural remedies, which are based on herbs or plants found to be useful in treating many ailments.
Applying Western scientific paradigm, to a culturally diverse population like in the United States, would result in cultural clashes. It may also lead to overmedication of the patients. The western scientific paradigm poses a challenge to the researchers to work on discovering newer ways of evaluating healing modalities. The alternatives for the paradigms are considered as a healthy challenge to the values, assumptions, priorities and direction of the traditional medical sciences.
One of the effective alternatives is the “integrative medicine” which involves just the addition of alternative techniques and therapies to conventional medical practices without a total shift to a holistic conceptual paradigm. There is also the use of both alternative and conventional treatments giving rise to “complementary and alternative medicine” which is being followed as an alternative to western scientific paradigm (Gaylord, 2004). The acceptance of western scientific paradigm and the plethora of alternative therapies suggest that there is the likelihood of a convergence between the alternative medicines and the conventional treatments.
The conventional practitioners who are able to assimilate the use and value of the alternative medicines and treatments view this trend as their own training and a culture of scientific reductionism. Those who are unfamiliar with alternative healing practices are inclined to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of their modalities in the context of their own paradigm, ignoring the western paradigm altogether. In some cases of treatments, they might not get convinced in the absence of evidence to prove the efficacy of the alternative medicines developed by the western scientific paradigm.
References
ExperimentResources. (2008). What is Paradigm? Web.
Gaylord, S. (2004). Understanding the Convergence of Complementary, Alternative & Conventional Care. Web.
Kuhn, T. S. (1962). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions 1st edition. Chicago: Chicago University Press.