Telehealth and telemedicine have been imagined, reimagined, and explored in a variety of models since 1906 when the inventor of the electrocardiogram published a paper on the telecardiogram. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported significant implementation of telehealth in the U.S., and by 2012, telehealth…

The nursing profession has always been associated with holistic patient care. Integrative nursinghas broadened nursing’s healthcare embrace with relationship-based, evidence-informed, andcollaboratively interdisciplinary interventions directed toward whole person health and well-being.Given healthcare’s current focus on whole health, and medicine’s interest in salutogenesis, whatis the integrative nurse’s role in creating the optimal healing environment for every patient?…

Pain Awareness Month each September gives us an opportunity to refresh our knowledge withthe latest stats and research and to communicate integrative medicine’s options and clinicalapplications in healthcare’s response to a global health burden. The National Health InterviewSurvey, considered the best single surveillance source for monitoring chronic pain data in theU.S., has reported that 20.4%…

“Precision Medicine” has been solidly on the healthcare radar for the past decade, gainingmomentum, clarity and support each year as new findings emerge. Precision medicine is notsimply “personalized medicine.” It goes much further, to rely on system-wide collaborationfocused on patient-centered engagement, digital health, genomics and other moleculartechnologies, data sharing and data science. Download the PDF…

One year ago, this space was devoted to culinary medicine’s focus on patient-centered nutritionand lifestyle behavior as one intervention toward whole health and well-being favored to helpadults and children worldwide struggling with obesity and chronic disease. We examined the roleof teaching kitchens as community learning laboratories and noted an increasing number ofmedical schools, nursing schools,…

In any developing field, leadership involves the willingness to take some risks. Risk-taking,when introducing new ideas and advocating change, can be managed. Nowhere is this moreevident than in integrative medicine, where leadership belongs to every involved researcher,clinician, educator, student and trainee. It could be argued that such leadership calls foreducation first, then equal parts collaboration…

The U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is leading the world and inspiring its healthcare leaderswith a steady system-supported march toward “personalized, proactive, patient-driven care.” For thelast 10 years, the VHA has taken some bold steps forward in integrative medicine and health,translating research and commitment into approaches, results and, most recently, the focused pursuitof measurement toward…

The health benefits of nature are well documented in an increasing body of research suggesting that access to nature may be vital to our health and well-being. Integrative medicine is leading healthcare’s movement toward consideration of nature’s healing properties and the central role that all healthcare providers can play in facilitating nature-based interventions and community-based…

Over the next 20 years, the number of new cancer cases is expected to rise approximately 50% worldwide, according to the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO). Patient-centered integrative interventions like acupuncture, yoga, meditation, massage and other mind-body therapies, diet and other lifestyle changes and natural products, offer evidence-based options for patients living with cancer as…

Historically, GMVs are a method of improving treatment for patients with chronic conditions, adopted by large medical systems like the Veterans Administration and Kaiser Permanente. Today, integrative medicine has extended the value and impact of group visits, broadening their scope (i.e., mind-body modalities, teaching kitchens, acupuncture) with an integrative approach. Download the PDF for details.

The United Nations (U.N.) identifies health as a shared responsibility, involving equitable access to essential care. The World Health Organization (WHO), as the directing and coordinating authority for health within the U.N. system, is committed to global health development through the principle of equity, i.e., access to life-saving or health-promoting interventions, with a priority given…

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recognizes the increasing use of integrative therapies for children and advises pediatricians and other clinicians who care for children to counsel patients and families about all relevant, safe, effective, and age-appropriate health services and therapies. However, many pediatricians remain unaware of integrative medicine’s potential to provide expanded, evidence based…

Incorporating integrative medicine education into primary care residency training is strategically advancing the movement toward whole health in mainstream medicine to meet an increasing public interest and demand for comprehensive whole health care. Educators and administrators leading this effort are addressing unique challenges with well-researched curricula and implementation projects – with program success worth sharing…

Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Integrative pain management therapies offer evidence-based options for patients with chronic pain as a first line of treatment. What can we do to ensure that these and other proven non-drug options for…

Health coaching is not new; neither is it a subset of the decades-older “life coaching.” There is need and room for both today, when people everywhere are trying to recover or discover some balance after the last 18 months of global chaos – political, environmental, medical, behavioral and societal. It can be overwhelming. Timing may…

Increasing worldwide obesity and the prevalence and cost of chronic disease call for impactful, low-cost lifestyle interventions that people can incorporate into daily life. Culinary medicine, with its focus on patient-centered nutrition and lifestyle behavior is showing noteworthy promise as a critical element in filling this need, and teaching kitchen “learning laboratories” are taking this…

The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health accepted the role of recognizing integrative medicine fellowship programs in 2020, a responsibility previously held by the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). Today, 18 programs are recognized in nine states, including Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, plus Washington DC.  As this developing…

The World Health Organization estimates that 450 million people suffer from mental or neurological disorders or from psychosocial problems. Integrative mental health (mind, brain and behavior) is an important portal to addressing a pressing worldwide need in healthcare. Helen Lavretsky, MD, MS suggests an “all hands on deck” approach to the world’s mental health crisis…

Nutrition is considered a foundation of lifestyle medicine, yet much remains to be learned so that it becomes mainstream in practice. Integrative nutrition science and research are leading the way, with targeted education lending breadth to our knowledge and depth to patient consultation and healthcare delivery. Download the PDF for details.

Music’s healing power is well documented, recognized in the healthcare community since the second World War. Understanding its benefits, and given its history and current public embrace, how is music therapy best positioned within the current healthcare matrix of integrative services?  What is its relationship to the business of care? Download the PDF for details.

Clinical resilience to reduce stress and burnout may be more crucial than ever to the well-being of healthcare professionals and to the physician-patient relationship. How is it defined and how can we harness the benefits most effectively for our healthcare workforce? Download the PDF for details.