Having just returned from the North American Research Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine, I was very excited by the breadth and depth of international research in the field of integrative medicine, especially in mind-body medicine.  Over 800 researchers from all over the world, most from academic medical centers (see information on the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine such as Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, Northwestern, UCSF, Stanford), came together to network and share ideas.

In addition to basic science, we discussed models of care, best practices, management of large bodies of international research data, research grant opportunities, and cost analysis.  Some of the modalities discussed included acupuncture, meditation, guided imagery, herbal medicine, massage, and Qi Gong, looking at effects variously on brain scans, immune function and physiological mechanisms.

The final keynote speaker was Josephine Briggs, MD, Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institute of Health.  NCCAM is 10 years old, and Dr. Briggs discussed the preliminary research agendas for the coming 5 years.

During the conference, I also had the opportunity to visit the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, associated with Abbott Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis).  This institute consists of an outpatient clinic with over 1,000 visits/month, inpatient services, a health center for hospital staff as well as patients, and a research center.  The inpatient services include 24 practitioners of acupuncture, massage, guided imagery, aromatherapy, music therapy, etc., who provide free care for any patient in the hospital. Integrative medicine members hold rounds on patients to discuss best modalities, and also participate in rounds with the medical MDs, to insure best communication for patient care.  Besides these programs, there is a nurses' training program, so that nurses are conversant with this type of care as well as for self care.  This has had such an important impact on nursing satisfaction and decreased nurse turnover, that hospital administration is making sure to budget next year for all RNs to undergo this training.

In one example, we were told of an agitated patient waking up in the recovery room after surgery who remained agitated despite medication, and the nurses called for a "STAT music consult!", who successfully calmed the patient down. 

Research has shown that at least initially these kinds of programs are patient driven - with patients demanding these services.  Consider how you would like to be treated in the hospital, and who you might contact in your local hospital administration to encourage integrative medicine for your care.  See below for the mission statement of integrative medicine.

The Mission of Integrative Medicine

Integrative medicine is an approach to the delivery of health care that draws on the best of the scientific approach to medicine, but refocuses on:

--The responsibility of the physician to involve the patient in their health
--The importance of compassion and caring
--The willingness to entertain non-conventional modalities
with informed skepticism and scientific evaluation
--The recognition of the importance of the mind-body relationship
in well being
--Prospective health planning

Above all, integrative medicine encompasses the caring bond between the patient and the caregiver, and the responsibility of the latter to enable the patient to benefit from the full array of modalities which can be shown to improve health.

---   Harise Stein, MD