Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Abstract

As a discipline, preventive medicine has traditionally been described to encompass primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The fields of preventive medicine and public health share the objectives of promoting general health, preventing disease, and applying epidemiologic techniques to these goals. This paper discusses a conceptual approach between the overlap and potential synergies of integrative medicine principles and practices with preventive medicine in the context of these levels of prevention, acknowledging the relative deficiency of research on the effectiveness of practice-based integrative care. One goal of integrative medicine is to make the widest array of appropriate options available to patients, ultimately blurring the boundaries between conventional and complementary medicine. Both disciplines should be subject to rigorous scientific inquiry so that interventions that are efficacious and effective are systematically distinguished from those that are not. Furthermore, principles of preventive medicine can be infused into prevalent practices in complementary and integrative medicine, promoting public health in the context of more-responsible practices. The case is made that an integrative preventive approach involves the responsible use of science with responsiveness to the needs of patients that persist when conclusive data are exhausted, providing a framework to make clinical decisions among integrative therapies.

Overview of international naturopathic practice and patient characteristics: results from a cross-sectional study in 14 countries

“…While primary prevention is a global priority for the health conditions causing early death and disability, it is also worth noting that primary care practitioners may be challenged to accommodate preventive health care service delivery within their usual care load [35]. As such, naturopathic practitioners may be an untapped health resource in many health systems which can relieve the burden on primary care physicians [36]. While our study does not detail the specific prevention, screening or treatment methods used by the clinician, the data suggests they were considering body weight, metabolic disorders, and diet and lifestyle changes in the context of patient care; all of which are important modifiable risk factors for morbidity and mortality [25].…”

Práticas Integrativas E Complementares De Saúde Em Uberlândia, Minas Gerais: O Processo De Implantação Na Perspectiva Dos Trabalhadores

“…Diante de tais argumentações, fica evidente o predomínio do pensamento curativista e de priorização da doença pelos representantes da categoria médica brasileira. Embora vários trabalhos publicados demonstrem a eficácia das medicinas integrativas e complementares como coadjuvantes em tratamentos de doenças crônicas, na prevenção, na promoção da saúde (GENTIL; ROBLES; GROSSEMAN, 2010;RODRÍGUEZ et al, 2011;OLIVEIRA, 2013;JOYCE;HERBISON, 2015;ALI;KATZ, 2015) e também na qualidade de vida (GREESON et al, 2008), a lógica biomédica tem prevalecido sobre a integralidade da atenção.…”

“…Os cuidados de saúde quando não tratam adequadamente os sintomas e não envolvem o paciente em uma aliança terapêutica, não podem ser considerados avançados. O cuidado integrativo amplia a variedade de opções dos pacientes e pode aumentar a probabilidade de sucesso em todos os níveis (ALI; KATZ, 2015).…”

A systematic mapping of substance use, misuse, abuse and addiction prevention research: current status and implications for future research

“…Tertiary prevention aims to soften the impact of an ongoing illness after diagnosis, prevent relapse or focus on rehabilitation. The lines between the different approaches are far from distinct, as is that of prevention and treatment (Ali & Katz, 2015).…”