A competence development model for Complementary and Alternative Medicine professionals: aspects of life-long learning

The problems existing in Latvia's healthcare system have caused a profound crisis: formal medical specialists leave the country; remaining specialists refuse to work overtime; young professionals refuse to go to work to remote regions of the country. Public health education is neglected, and people lack self-care knowledge and skills when faced by medical issues. Institutions report that people burden health professionals with problems, which could be dealt on their own. After facing a poor treatment and negative attitude, more and more people use services provided by non-conventional medical practitioners. Education of such practitioners at national level is not encouraged in accordance with the legally defined content of the professional activities of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) specialists. The aim of this research is to promote the development of high quality CAM services. This article will provide a theoretical framework of the conceptual competence development model for CAM specialists. From 2010 to 2017, in the Institute of Conflictology, the legal and actual problems of Latvia's health care system were examined, seeking and modelling possible solutions. Employing the scientific findings and good practice ideas accumulated in the Institute, a theoretical and systematic basis was elaborated for a possible alternative: development of a national professional CAM system. The synthesis of CAM educational problem solutions was recognized as of paramount importance. But in order to understand the legal basis of professional activities of CAM specialists, the content analysis of international and national laws and regulations was performed. Also the legal and factual content of life-long education was clarified in the context of Latvia. A comparative analysis of legislation, good practices and expert advices was used to identify problems and search for solutions. The research revealed that Latvian legislation does not directly regulate professional activities of CAM specialists; only indirectly CAM specialists are mentioned in the Latvian Classification of Occupations, explaining the required qualifications, responsibilities and the level of education required. In the formal education of Latvia, including the higher education system, CAM study programmes have not been developed, although it is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The research data analysis characterizes the legal and factual environment in which the CAM specialists' competence building solutions are possible in Latvia. It allows formulating a scientifically and legally sound recommendation: if CAM educational activities are not possible in the space of formal education, they must be organized through non-formal lifelong education processes. But in order to do it in an authoritative, scientifically and legally sound way, it is recommended to use the competence development model for CAM specialists, developed and approbated by the authors.