Integrative medicine is more than another term for complementary and alternative medicine; it is a healing-oriented approach to medicine that looks at patients as whole persons, analyzes their lifestyles, and emphasizes prevention. While integrative medicine practitioners selectively incorporate CAM modalities into comprehensive treatment plans, integrative medicine focuses on health and healing rather than just on disease and treatment, and emphasizes the importance of the doctor-patient relationship in the healing process. In the United States, healthcare consumers' use of CAM has been increasing dramatically in recent years, and has driven the growth of CAM practitioners and products. The need for training practitioners in integrative medicine has led to new academic programs. The University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine provides a two-year academic fellowship that produces leaders in the field, implements research in CAM and integrative medicine and provides continuing professional education for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Recently, a distributed learning program has been initiated. A Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine has been formed including several U.S. medical schools that work together to mold the direction of medical education, practice and research.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to define integrative medicine and how it differs from CAM and from conventional medicine; describe the recent history in the development of integrative medicine; and describe current trends in integrative medical education and research.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.