This definition has been widely adopted by CAM researchers, cited by official government bodies such as the UK Department of Health, attributed as the definition used by the Cochrane Collaboration, and, with some modification, was preferred in the 2005 consensus report of the US Institute of Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States.
Denne definition er blevet bredt accepteret af forskere inden for alternativ medicin, citeret af officielle statslige organer såsom Storbritanniens Department of Health, tilskrevet som en definition brugt af Cochrane Collaboration, og i en let ændret udgave blevet valgt i det amerikanske Institute of Medicine's konsensusrapport, Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States.