Honestly, Research in healthcare is meant to advance knowledge for good of the society, to improve the health of people worldwide, and to discover the optimized ways to treat and prevent disease But is this what the reality is with regard to medical research happening today? The research funders have adopted a long drawn-out bureaucratic process for their grant giving. The Ayurvedic Research Fund system operates within the accepted framework of thinking of western research methodologies which are incompatible with the fundamental nature, attitude, approach, and goals of Ayurvedic research. Any outside-the-box ideas and proposals oriented toward Ayurvedic research and clinical methodologies are seen as uncritically rejected and opposed. Eminence Based Medicine and Experience Based Medicine is seen as widely accepted today and conventional Ayurveda practice is entirely based on decisions of opaque peers and "experts" assessments though experts are never assessed. It is high time to stop and reflect on how we can restructure and reframe the research, clinical practice, and education of Ayurveda strictly based on the inbuilt rational standards of the independent Science of Ayurveda itself and this is what Science Based Evidence Based Ayurveda is aimed to achieve. Meaningful impact in research is more important than profitful impact of research in healthcare. Western Medicine has always aspired to be scientific but the Science of Western Medicine is probabilistic data-oriented conclusions on the benefit- risks of unknown compounds and not the rational knowledge to explain the deep and complex pathophysiological mechanisms happening in the patient in accordance to the nature, state, and stage of his morbidity.
The mission of Science Based Evidence Based Ayurveda ( SBEBA) is to educate medical students in accordance with the highest professional standards to intellectually prepare them to practice the "Patient-centered Medicine" of the highest standard to identify and answer the fundamental questions in identifying the cause mechanism and treatment of diseases in accordance to the state and stage of patients. The goal of SBEBA is to emerge the leaders of Ayurvedic Medicine who will take the foundation of Ayurvedic Science to rationalize, evolve and emerge the finest quality in patient care, research, and education. SBEBA-oriented education enables them to apply the scientific principles of Ayurveda to the diagnosis, management, and prevention of diseases of the present and future. It also enables them to understand the subtlest changes happening in the body of the patient in accordance with the variations in stage and stage of their disease and thereby critical evaluation of the patient is possible in relation to his all activities. This process of critical appraisal will emerge the finest quality algorithms for treatment decisions. Thus SBEBA will enable Ayurvedic medical professionals to obtain a sufficient level of optimized medical knowledge vital to understand the basic facts, concepts, and principles of Ayurveda which are crucial for competent medical practice in Ayurveda. Data of the impact of conventional Ayurveda practice in relation to SBEBA-oriented practice are available in large volumes to explicit the reality about the relevance of the practice of Science-Based Medicine in Ayurveda.
SBEBA promotes Professionalism
SBEBA-oriented education in BAMS and MD and higher education will abolish the existing diffidence and slavery of Ayurveda medical professionals and help them to build up compassion, honesty, and integrity in their profession. This will also result in adherence to the highest ethical standards of professional judgment and conduct advised by the ancient scientists of Ayurveda in place of currently adopted mere business standards and conduct in the Ayurvedic healthcare system. It also helps to emerge a constant critical self-appraisal attitude towards self-knowledge and practice of the system and thereby emerges a healthy professional spirit and integrity among Ayurveda medical professionals. The rational standards of SBEBA could be applied to emerge prescription audit and clinical audit and thereby implement a standardized decision-making process a reality in Ayurveda. It enhances the spirit to constantly work hard in the principles of Science-Based Medicine of Ayurveda and thereby culture and refine their intelligence to upgrade their knowledge and professional skills and stay as responsible medical professionals in the society
Dr. Remya Krishnan MD PhD( Ay)
The Co Pioneer of SBEBA