Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public

Later this month, several of my Marino Center colleagues and I will attend the Institute of Medicine Summit On Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public in Washing ton DC. This conference has reached capacity enrollment of over 600 with a waiting list of several hundred more. Several papers have been commissioned for this conference and may be accessed at
http://www.iom.edu/CMS/28312/52555/62252/62351/62353.aspx. These papers provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of Integrative Medicine.

A key issue raised in several of these papers is the need for a standardized definition of integrative medicine. An appropriate baseline is form the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine which states “Integrative Medicine is the practice of medicine that reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing”.

I will report back on the Summit’s proceedings in early March.