Integrative Health
An integrative perspective is essential for healthcare
Health care today faces complex challenges that can’t be addressed by isolated approaches. An integrative perspective brings together diverse fields and methods to better reflect the complexity of human health. By connecting traditional therapies and modern medicine, as well as mind and body, we gain a more complete understanding of what supports well-being. This allows for more effective and personalized care.
Integrative health is a state of well-being in body, mind and spirit that reflects aspects of the individual, community, and population.
It is affected by:
1. individual biological factors and behaviors, social values, and public policy,
2. the physical, social, and economic environments, and
3. an integrative healthcare system that involves the active participation of the individual and the healthcare team in applying a broad spectrum of preventive and therapeutic approaches.
Integrative health encourages individuals, social groups, and communities to develop ways of living that promote meaning, resilience and wellbeing across the life course.
Definition from:
Witt, C.M., Chiaramonte, D., Berman, S., Chesney, M.A., Kaplan, G.A., Stange, K.C., Woolf, S.H. & Berman, B.M. (2017). Defining health in a comprehensive context: A new definition of integrative health. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(1), 134-137. Read here
Integrative oncology is a patient-centered, evidence-informed field of cancer care that uses mind-body practices, natural products and/or lifestyle changes from various traditions to complement conventional cancer therapies. Integrative oncology seeks to optimize health, quality of life and clinical outcomes throughout the course of treatment, empowering people to prevent cancer and become active participants before, during and beyond cancer treatment.
Definition from:
Witt, C.M., Bartsch, H.H., Güthlin, C., Lampert, C., Längler, A., Ritter, C.A., Rostock, M., Schildmann, J., Weis, J., Wilhelm, M. & Horneber, M. (2017) Kompetenznetz Komplementärmedizin in der Onkologie (KOKON). Ein wissenschaftlicher Beitrag zur Verbesserung der Versorgung. Forum, 23, 416-426. Read here
Witt, C. M., Balneaves, L. G., Cardoso, M. J., Cohen, L., Greenlee, H., Johnstone, P., Kücük, Ö., Mailman, J., & Mao, J. J. (2017). A comprehensive definition for integrative oncology. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs, (52), 10. Read here
