title: Using the framework of corporate culture in "mergers" to support the development of a cultural basis for integrative medicine - guidance for building an integrative medicine department or service.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing number of clinics offer complementary or integrative medicine services; however, clear guidance about how complementary medicine could be successfully and efficiently integrated into conventional health care settings is still lacking. Combining conventional and complementary medicine into integrative medicine can be regarded as a kind of merger. In a merger, two or more organizations - usually companies - are combined into one in order to strengthen the companies financially and strategically. The corporate culture of both merger partners has an important influence on the integration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this project was to transfer the concept of corporate culture in mergers to the merging of two medical systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-step approach (literature analyses and expert consensus procedure) was used to develop practical guidance for the development of a cultural basis for integrative medicine, based on the framework of corporate culture in "mergers," which could be used to build an integrative medicine department or integrative medicine service.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results include recommendations for general strategic dimensions (definition of the medical model, motivation for integration, clarification of the available resources, development of the integration team, and development of a communication strategy), and recommendations to overcome cultural differences (the clinic environment, the professional language, the professional image, and the implementation of evidence-based medicine).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The framework of mergers in corporate culture provides an understanding of the difficulties involved in integrative medicine projects. The specific recommendations provide a good basis for more efficient implementation.
authors: University Hospital Zurich, Institute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland ; Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany ; University of Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Integrative Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Claudia M
authors: CM
authors: Witt
authors: Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Marion
authors: M
authors: Pérard
authors: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Integrative Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA ; The Institute for Integrative Health, Baltimore, USA.
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Berman
authors: The Institute for Integrative Health, Baltimore, USA.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Berman
authors: Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Goodyear, Arizona, USA.
authors: Timothy C
authors: TC
authors: Birdsall
authors: Kliniken Essen Mitte, Evang, Huyssen-Stiftung/Knappschaft GmbH Patientenmanagement, Essen, Germany.
authors: Horst
authors: H
authors: Defren
authors: Department of Senology, Breast Center, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Evang. Huyssens Stiftung, Knappschaft GmbH, Essen, Germany.
authors: Sherko
authors: S
authors: Kümmel
authors: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
authors: Gary
authors: G
authors: Deng
authors: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
authors: Gustav
authors: G
authors: Dobos
authors: Robert Bosch Foundation GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors: Atje
authors: A
authors: Drexler
authors: Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Holmberg
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology and Hematology, Paracelsus Medical University, Klinikum Nürnberg, Germany.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Horneber
authors: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Jütte
authors: Integrative Healthcare Solutions, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors: Lori
authors: L
authors: Knutson
authors: Institute of Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Kummer
authors: Frauenselbsthilfe nach Krebs, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Volpers
authors: Schweiger, Schweiger & Associates, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Schweiger
keywords: corporate culture; integrative medicine; mergers
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