Integrative healthcare: arriving at a working definition.
A variety of integrative healthcare programs and clinics have been initiated both in Canada and the United States. Many different terms (eg, integrative medicine, integrated medicine, multidisciplinary care, integrative health care) are used to describe these initiatives. The diversity of terminology and absence of a shared conceptual framework makes it difficult to assess when integration is actually happening. The objective of this paper was to explore current efforts to conceptualize integrative healthcare and to identify its components. A qualitative content analysis of articles identified in an extensive literature review resulted in the identification of four key components of integrative care: philosophy/values, structure, process and outcomes. These were used to guide the development of a definition of integrative healthcare that should be seen as an "ideal type" or goal toward which practitioners and health systems could strive.
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto.
Heather
H
Boon
Marja
M
Verhoef
Dennis
D
O'Hara
Barb
B
Findlay
Nadine
N
Majid
D002170:Canada; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D017146:Models, Organizational; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024382:Professional Role; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States