The Conference was an opportunity for me to learn about integrative medicine more from a policy perspective rather than specific details about individual treatment options.  Topics presented and discussed included the preventative benefits of integrative medicine, how integrative health care can affect genetic predisposition, and what research is needed before integrative treatments can be recommended as a course of treatment.

Although integrative medicine can be effective in the treatment of the immediate disease, it may also prevent the reoccurrence of chronic illness.  An integrative approach to health care is about restoring and maintaining health using both conventional and non-conventional treatments.  A holistic treatment offered by integrative medicine may not only eliminate or reduce the disease and/or its symptoms for which the patient seeks treatment, but may also provide the patient with a plan of health that can have lifelong physical, emotional, and spiritual beneficial effects.  Dr. Snyderman from Duke University summarized a comparison of the different approaches between contemporary conventional treatment and integrative treatment as follows: 

Contemporary                                   Integrative

retroactive                                           proactive, lifelong

sporadic                                              continuity of care

disease oriented                                 health and prevention

find it, fix it                                           identify and minimize risk

physician directed                               individual empowerment/partnerships

dogmatic                                             enlightenment

Integrative health means bringing back the centrality of the individual rather than treating only the immediate disease.  Preventing future disease is as important as treating the immediate disease for which the patient seeks treatment.  A physician who takes the time to learn the susceptibilities of the patient may be able to empower the patient to live a healthier and perhaps even a happier life.  For example, an integrative approach to health care might empower a young adult patient with a baseline risk of a heart attack to exercise, eat nutritional foods, stop smoking, and reduce stress so that the patient might never suffer a heart attack that might otherwise occur.

The goal of a combined conventional and integrative approach to health care does not just result in the absence of disease.  A holistic course of treatment offers patients the opportunity to become actively involved in their health so that they can live up to their own personal health potential.  The irony is that suffering that can result from the immediate disease for which the patient seeks treatment can be a doorway to transforming a person’s quality and duration of life if the patient is made aware of the options and benefits of integrative health care.

As humans we have the ability to nurture nature.  Patients who have a predisposition to a particular disease, such as heart disease or diabetes, can significantly reduce the likelihood of chronic illness by adopting a healthy lifestyle.  We have the ability to change our genetic destiny.  An integrative approach to health care can be an effective method to treating diseases to which persons may be genetically predisposed.  As a result, it is vital that physicians offer a holistic integrative approach to treatment that can significantly improve the patient’s duration and quality of life. Unfortunately, there has been relatively little funding dedicated to testing models of integrative care.  In addition, random control trials that were originally developed for drug development are not very effective measurements of some preventative care treatments. Undoubtedly, the scientific community will require hard evidence before accepting the effectiveness of integrative care.  But it may be years before scientists are sufficiently persuaded that integrative health care is effective and safe.  There is a belief among many at the Conference that patients with chronic illnesses cannot wait for the scientific community to formally approve some integrative treatments for which there is absolutely no evidence of negative side effects.

Integrative health care is a holistic approach to treatment that can provide the patient with a plan of health that can have lifelong physical, emotional, and spiritual beneficial effects.  The more I learn about integrative health care, the more I am convinced that it is a tragedy to withhold information about integrative care options and information from patients.  It is time for the medical community to partner with and empower the patient with information about treatment options associated with integrative health care.  Patients have the right to make informed choices concerning their own care that could affect their physical, emotional, and spiritual life.  It is the obligation of physicians to provide patients with these choices. 

Jim Moss is a lawyer who practices in Cleveland, Ohio; he is also a Board member of the Helen Moss Breast Cancer Research Foundation.