Several factors have set the stage to move integrative health from the margins into the mainstream of care. But significant barriers remain for these practices, including insufficient doctor and patient knowledge about safe and effective treatments, educational challenges, and the lack of insurance coverage.
In this Events @ RAND podcast, some of the nation's leading integrative health experts discuss the path forward for incorporating evidence-based complementary and alternative treatments into standard patient care, medical training, and policymaking.
RAND/Samueli Chair for Integrative Medicine and Senior Health Policy Researcher; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Wayne Jonas, M.D.
Executive Director, Samueli Integrative Health Programs
Shaista Malik, M.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor of Integrative Health, Executive Director of Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, Susan Samueli Endowed Chair of Integrative Medicine, University of California, Irvine
John Scaringe, D.C.
President and CEO, Southern California University of Health Sciences
About 126 million adults report having pain in the past three months. Alternative and integrative therapies, such as acupuncture, mindfulness (meditation), and Tai Chi, may help some individuals manage their pain. This infographic compiles information from hundreds of reviews of the evidence on the effect of these three therapies on different types of pain.
The Culture of Health project focuses on making health a priority in communities. As the United States grapples with health care spending and changing demographics, the Sentinel Communities project will illuminate stories from local communities and paint a picture of the ways communities strive to improve population health.
In addition to conventional medicine, 83 percent of military health care facilities offer therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic, stress management, yoga, biofeedback, and massage for pain management and psychological disorders.
Americans spend billions of dollars out of pocket seeking relief from chronic conditions in alternative schools of health, such as acupuncture or chiropractic. What would it take to more fully integrate such practices into the mainstream?
