Integrative medical care

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Introduction

See also Complementary & alternative medicine (CAM), Electronic patient record & mHealth

"... Integrative medicine emphasizes relationship-centered care, develops an understanding of the patient's culture and beliefs to help facilitate the healing response, focuses on the unique characteristics of the individual person based on the interaction of mind, body, spirit, and community ...and regards the patient as an active partner who takes personal responsibility for health" ~ Rakel's Integrative Medicine

Integrative medicine is a patient and healing-centred form of care emphasizing therapeutic relationships between doctors and patients. It applies a more unified approach to human health, integrating the best ideas from conventional allopathic and alternative medicine. Integration means understanding the different philosophies and treatments in medicine and selecting the one most appropriate for patients.

As a growing field, integrative medicine brings patients and providers together to develop diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that draw on expertise and modalities from various medical traditions. Protocols developed in this framework include one or more forms of treatment, diagnostic testing, natural and pharmaceutical therapies, and referrals to other practitioners. Driven by consumer demand, integrative medicine puts its emphasis on understanding patients and assisting with lifestyle changes to address chronic problems. Patient-centered care, empowerment, behavioural changes, continuity of care and outcomes are critical to the future of care.

Some authors suggest a model for integrative care grounded in teams. Primary health partners who know their patients so they can address mind, body and spiritual needs, and coordinates care with other practitioners. Collectively, the health care team meets the needs of patients and is part of the patient-centered home. Creating financial incentives for health promotion and prevention are needed for IM to work; insurers need to consider costs of care, the cost effectiveness of lifestyle approaches and the value of longer office visits in developing therapeutic relationships. Outcomes research must be funded as well as feedback and dissemination strategies. Additional competencies for partners, including CAM and conventional medical providers, need to be developed to foster integrative practices. Skills include learning to develop teams that function well, developing an understanding of healing traditions, and enhancing communication.

For integrative medicine to flourish, new providers, models and a commitment to health promotion and disease management are required.