What are the differences between Integrative and Conventional Medicine?

What Conventional Medicine Does: AND What Integrative Medicine Does:
Manage Disease AND Optimizes health
Treats Symptoms AND Treats the Whole Person
Find the Problem and fixes it. AND Identifies the risk and minimizes it.
Uses hi-tech, biomedical interventions AND Uses hi-touch, whole person approaches
Reacts to existing health issues AND Anticipates possible health issues and promotes prevention
Health is most often considered to be the absence of disease.

 

 AND Health is seen as a vital state of physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing, which enables a person to be engaged in life.
The physician tends to act as the

authority figure.

 AND The physician acts as a partner in the

patient’s care.
The patient is encouraged to follow the physician’s directions. AND The empowered and informed patient is

an integral part of the decision-making

process.
The interventions are often directed only towards the treatment of a specific disease or trauma. AND The interventions are designed to

treat the illness as well as the whole

person, addressing the physical, mental,

emotional, social and spiritual factors

that influence health and disease.
A patient’s stress level is not always taken into consideration or treated. AND Patients are taught how to recognize,

manage and decrease stress.
A patient’s dietary habits are largely ignored. AND Patients are given nutritional counseling;

food is understood to have a significant

influence on health and disease.
Social determinants of health such as unemployment, abuse, neglect, and financial status are not always given full consideration. AND Social determinants of health such as

unemployment, abuse, neglect, and financial status are considered in the care.
Environmental influences are rarely addressed. AND Environmental influences on health and

healing are investigated, considered and

addressed in the care process.
Care is not always coordinated

across providers.

 AND Care is coordinated across providers.

 
Health plans are rarely created. AND Each patient is given an individualized

health plan based on his or her unique

needs and circumstances.
Many decisions are based on the needs of the health care system. AND Decisions are based on the needs

of the patient.
Prevention and health promotion are not always practiced. AND Prevention and health promotion

are emphasized.
Only conventional interventions are considered. AND The care makes use of all appropriate

therapeutic approaches.

IntegratIve Medicine, Improving Health Care for Patients and Health Care Delivery for Providers and Payors.  A Bravewell Collaborative Report