Lindy Kelley

November 7, 2017

English 101

Argumentative Essay

Integrating Integrative Health

As the American Healthcare delivery system begins to dive deeper into costs, deviates

away from patient care to disease management, and expands the already escalating amount of

chronic disease in America, we must turn towards a solution that will patch up the holes in our

current healthcare system. The implementation of Integrative health into our current

conventional system will not only accurately and efficiently lower annual healthcare costs, but

will also restore the current focus of medicine back to health and healing, while also returning

the practice to a disease prevention system from the current disease management system

Integrative health can be defined as the intelligent combination of conventional and

alternative medicine. integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the

whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the

therapeutic relationship [between patient and physician] and makes use of all appropriate

therapies, both conventional and alternative. (Weil 2010). Good medicine is based in good

science. It is inquiry-driven and open to new paradigms.

The use of synthetic drugs and surgery has always been known as "medicine" until recent

decades where it has been deemed "conventional medicine". Conventional medicine, the

standard care practiced by doctors, nurses, and practitioners, has been in use for an increasingly

long duration of time. Because of this, conventional medicine has a multitude of scientific

studies and evidence to back up its efficacy. Conventional medicine is science based medicine. It
is utilized primarily on the basis that it works. Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM)

has a different stigma surrounding it. It doesnt have the scientific backing equal to the that of

conventional medicine. As expressed in the US National Library of medicine, "Complementary

medicine is used as a cloak for alternative medicine; it does not make the patient feel better; it

allows placebos in through the back door; it may interact with effective drug therapy; it is a

waste of precious resources; and it subverts science and is an insult to intelligence" (Baum

2007).

To accurately distinguish, integrative health is not, contrary to popular belief, the practice

of Complementary or Alternative medicine (CAM). Integrative health is a well calculated and

balanced combination of conventional and unconventional medicine. Integrative health simply

supplements the conventional procedures necessary and prevalent in primary patient care. It

gives the patient a chance to seek out other therapies that when used in concession with

conventional medicine, could provide a surplus of health benefits. Many primary care workers

do not understand the difference between integrative health and complementary medicine. This

is one of the biggest obstacles surrounding the delay of the further implementation of integrative

health.

The science behind the benefits of integrative health exists. The problem is, it is in places

where conventional doctors do not look (Weil, 2010). Furthermore, I would like to argue that

there is often not a very adequate evidence base for some conventional medicine procedures.

This is even more dangerous since those methods are practiced with more frequency.

One fundamental idea behind integrative health is the greater potential for a procedure to

cause harm, the stricter the standards it should be held to for efficacy. Integrative health offers an

array of low risk treatments, like breathing techniques, which currently in this stage of
development, have low efficacy rates, but beneficially, low risk factors. This encourages

participants to practice these therapies with low risk while searching for evidence on their own to

support the treatments.

Health care costs in the United States exceed 14 percent of the gross domestic product,

far more than in any other nation. Overall costs were $838 billion in 1992, or over $3,000 per

person (Fries, 93). Integrative health is a proposition for this problem,which has previously

been neglected. Integrative health can reduce the need and demand for medical services.

Preventable illness makes up 70 percent of annual healthcare costs (Fries, 93). Many integrative

therapies are self-managed and require no pharmaceutical demand. Such therapies include, but

are not limited to: aromatherapy, acupuncture, tai chi, meditation. By implementing therapies

consistent to the practices of integrative health, not only can we efficiently lower healthcare

costs, but also bring better health to the patient.

Currently, our nations healthcare systems primary focus is disease management, not

disease prevention. This is problematic because instead of treating the root of the problem, we

are treating the symptoms. This does not solve anything, and ensures the patients return for

further unnecessary medical testing and treatment. Not only does this skyrocket healthcare costs,

through unnecessary pharmaceuticals, surgeries and therapies, but it also takes the focus away

from the patient and onto the patients symptoms. Through the further implementation of

integrative health, the patient will become the focus of modern day medicine. And it is through

this, that we can begin to prevent disease instead of just managing the symptoms.

The Standard of Care in America today is not one that focuses on health and healing.

Integrative health on the other hand, connects an individuals mind body and spirit, treating a

whole instead of the parts that make it up.

 References
Fries, J. F., Koop, C. E., Beadle, C. E., Cooper, P. P., England, M. J., Greaves, R. F., . . . Wright,
D. (1993). Reducing Health Care Costs by Reducing the Need and Demand for Medical
Services. New England Journal of Medicine, 329(5), 321-325.
doi:10.1056/nejm199307293290506

Baum, M. (2007). The dangers of complementary therapy. Retrieved November 08, 2017, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2230518/