Philosophical Foundation for Integrative Medicine
The philosophical foundation for integrative medicine derives from a multitude of different medical, philosophical and scientific traditions.
For example, the idea that a person should be treated in his or her wholeness—mind, body and spirit—is a fundamental premise within integrative medicine that has been informed by the patient-centered care movement, biopyschosocial medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and the medicine of the ancient Greeks as well as modern humanistic and transpersonal psychology. Prevention and wellness, important aspects of integrative medicine, are grounded in medical science but they also draw from the fields of nutrition, stress management, physical fitness, and environmental health. This "gathering" of human wisdom in an effort to care for individuals in the best way possible is a key factor in why integrative medicine is both effective and desirable.
Each person has a significant, innate capacity for healing that can be supported and enhanced, and the primary goal of integrative medicine is to maximize this capacity so that each individual experiences optimal vitality and wellness.
“Integrative medicine addresses the root causes of illness and suffering. These root causes involve many aspects of a person’s life, including the physical but also the psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual dimensions as well.”
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Integrative Medicine: A Report
The Bravewell Collaborative recently released a new, informative report, "Integrative Medicine: Improving Health Care for Patients and Health Care Delivery for Providers and Payors."
This 50-page briefing explains what integrative medicine is and how it can help transform our health care system. It summarizes the evidence presented at the Institute of Medicine's 2009 Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public and answers the question: what is health?
The report discusses the need for health care that addresses the whole person, the connection between lifestyles and health, the importance of the doctor patient-relationship and the need to embrace complexity and connection in both care and research.
Also included are patient stories from Duke Integrative Medicine, Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and The Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine.
Downloads
Integrative Medicine: Improving Health Care for Patients and Health Care Delivery for Providers and Payors (2MB)
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“It is easier and cheaper to prevent the onset of a disease than it is to treat it once the disease has developed.”
— From the IOM Summit on Integrative Medicine
and the Health of the Public
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The Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Integrative Medicine
To better inform those interested in the transformation of health care, Bravewell has released "The Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Integrative Medicine."
This report summarizes the data supporting the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an integrative approach to health care from three sources—medical research conducted at universities, studies carried out by corporations developing employee wellness programs, and pilot projects run by insurance companies.
The research reveals that immediate and significant health benefits and cost savings can be realized throughout our health care system by utilizing three integrative strategies:
Integrative lifestyle change programs for those with chronic disease
Integrative interventions for people experiencing depression
Integrative preventive strategies to support wellness in all populations
Downloads
The Efficacy and Cost-Effectivess of Integrative Medicine: A Review of the Medical and Corporate Literature (569K)
