Defining Health in a Comprehensive Context: A New Definition of Integrative Health

• Published in: American journal of preventive medicine 2017-07, Vol.53 (1), p.134-137
• Main Authors: Witt, Claudia M., MD, MBA, Chiaramonte, Delia, MD, Berman, Susan, BA, Chesney, Margaret A., PhD, Kaplan, George A., PhD, Stange, Kurt C., MD, PhD, Woolf, Steven H., MD, MPH, Berman, Brian M., MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative medicine; Chronic illnesses; Definitions; Disease management; Evidence-based medicine; Health care industry; Health care management; Infectious diseases; Integrated approach; Integrated care; Internal Medicine; Life threatening; Physical trauma; Popularity; Social behavior
• ISSN: 0749-3797; 1873-2607
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.11.029

Despite investments in health care, good health remains elusive for many people. Healthcare systems generally are disease-focused and concentrate resources on treatment modalities that often work well for acute or life-threatening illnesses such as physical trauma or infectious disease, but sometimes are poorly suited to the management of chronic illness. Modifying the healthcare system to recognize the importance of social, behavioral, economic, and environmental determinants of health might better address current population needs. With the contemporary shifts in health care that focus increasingly on wellness, health management across the lifespan, patient-centeredness, evidence-based medicine, and the integration of complementary medicine, "integrative medicine" is a term that is increasingly used to describe healthcare interventions. The growing popularity of the term makes it critical to adopt a common definition than can better facilitate discourse and be used to design relevant research, create metrics, and effectively advance the field.