What is Integrative Primary Care?
Integrative Primary Care is an approach utilizing both conventional and complementary medicine. It puts you, the patient, at the center of the doctor’s care.
It addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual influences a person’s health. Your doctor will develop, with you, a personalized strategy that considers your unique conditions, needs, and circumstances.
Your personalized strategy will employ the most appropriate array of disciplines to heal illness. This strategy will help you regain and maintain optimal health.
How Will Your Doctor Develop Your Personalized Plan?
Your doctor will take extra time to listen, and ask questions, and really get to know you. You will work closely together to develop goals and strategies that you can use now and through the rest of your life.
What are the Principles of Integrative Medicine?
- Doctor and Patient are partners in the healing process.
- All factors that influence wellness are considered and include mind, body, spirit, and community.
- Doctor uses all available healing sciences to facilitate the patient’s healing.
- Effective interventions are natural and less invasive whenever possible.
- The team of Doctor and Patient adopt a broad concept of health promotion and prevention of illness.
- Personalized care considers and supports the individual’s unique conditions and needs.
Summary
Integrative Primary Care focuses on the immediate strategies and the prevention of disease. It fosters the development of health behaviors and skills to support the patient throughout their lives.
Note: Definitions are summarized from World Health Organization.