The PedCAM Network: past, present, and future.

Established in 2004, the Pediatric Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research & Education (PedCAM) Network (www.pedcam.ca) is a multidisciplinary national and international network focused on pediatric research and education with the vision of safe and effective use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in children and youth and is designed to be a networking and information resource for both researchers and practitioners in the field of pediatric CAM. PedCAM offers a wide variety of resources and opportunities to researchers, clinicians, educators and the general public: educational, and funding opportunities; links to core articles and books; a searchable database of pediatric CAM research articles; biweekly electronic updates for members. Currently, it is engaged in several research projects to strengthen the pediatric CAM knowledge base: (i) a modified Delphi consensus process for establishing a pediatric CAM research agenda; (ii) the identification of validated pediatric outcome measures; and (iii) a synthesis of pediatric CAM utilization studies to identify knowledge gaps. The widespread use of CAM in children, and the resulting need for high quality research and education, suggests that the PedCAM Network will remain relevant and timely in its efforts to connect those working in the field of pediatric CAM in Canada and around the world.