Integrative Healthcare Defined

Integrative healthcare is based on the philosophy that the combined knowledge of conventional and traditional healing disciplines is ultimately superior to a single model of health and wellness. The objective of integrative healthcare is to blend the best of conventional and traditional medical practices in order to produce safer, faster and more effective healthcare. Modern medical practices, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage and various other medical disciplines, work best in concert to optimize patient care and promote healing.

Fundamental to integrative healthcare is a patient-centric approach that emphasizes the unique attributes of each patient. That is, that health and healing are individually determined and may be different for each person. The goal of integrative healthcare is a collaborative approach between patient and an interdisciplinary team of practitioners who work together as partners in the healing process.

Over 100 hospital-sponsored and private integrative clinics have opened across the United States over the past few years, and the numbers continue to grow. In addition, over 60% of medical schools in the U.S. currently offer courses on alternative medicine practices, and leading hospitals across the country, including Harvard, Duke, University of Minnesota, and Columbia, have opened integrative medical programs.