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Integrative medicine outcomes: what should we measure?
Jennifer Hunter1, Katherine Corcoran, Stephen Leeder
1Menzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. drjenniferhunter@yahoo.com.au
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
|January 23, 2013
Summary
Integrative medicine (IM) outcomes are diverse. Stakeholder interviews revealed that while physical and mental health are key, a holistic approach necessitates including broader topics like lifestyle and spirituality, underscoring the need for stakeholder consultation.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Holistic Health
- Healthcare Research
Background:
- Integrative medicine (IM) combines conventional biomedicine with traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM).
- IM addresses acute and chronic diseases, promoting holistic health, wellness, and health promotion.
- Defining and measuring IM outcomes is complex due to its broad scope.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key outcomes stakeholders consider important for integrative medicine research.
- To understand the range of perspectives on measuring IM effectiveness.
- To inform the development of outcome measures in primary care IM settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving interviews with stakeholders.
- Exploration of perspectives on various potential IM outcome domains.
- Analysis of stakeholder consensus and divergence on outcome importance.
Main Results:
- Physical health and mental health were universally considered important IM outcomes.
- Stakeholders with holistic views advocated for broader outcome measures, including lifestyle and quality of life.
- Spirituality emerged as a contentious topic, with differing views on its inclusion and categorization.
Conclusions:
- Stakeholder consultation is crucial for defining and prioritizing outcomes in integrative medicine research.
- A comprehensive approach to IM outcomes should consider a wide array of domains, reflecting diverse health perspectives.
- Further research is needed to refine the measurement of complex outcomes like spirituality within IM.
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