title: The integrative medicine team--is biomedical dominance inevitable?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines (TCAM) continue to find their way into mainstream medical practice, questions arise about the future of integrative medicine (IM). Concern has been voiced that the biomedical profession will dominate IM and many of the core principles and philosophies governing the practice of TCAM will be lost.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using mixed methods, an IM primary care clinic in Sydney, Australia, was compared to the IM models discussed in the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Commercial concerns greatly influenced the team's development and the services provided by the practice under study. Questions arose as to whether the clinic was simply incorporating TCAM or truly integrating it. Further analysis of the data revealed evidence of biomedical dominance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the current health care system in Australia, it seems likely that the biomedical doctor will continue to occupy a central logistical and leadership role in this clinic's IM team.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia. drjenniferhunter@yahoo.com.au
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.forename: Kerryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leeder
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003132:Commerce; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*