Exploring Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Evidence-Based Approaches for Primary Care Clinicians

Overview

There is a shift happening in medicine that is expanding beyond a strictly conventional approach and includes lifestyle factors such as nutrition, and alternative therapies such as acupuncture as well as an emphasis on prevention. Providers are not formally trained in these approaches, putting them at a disadvantage in being able to guide patients who are increasingly demanding of (and often more knowledgeable in) this information. In this talk, we will be examining some of the forces contributing to this change, the evidence in support of these approaches and examine aspects of the delivery of this care including the advantages and challenges.

Learning Objectives

• Distinguish the concepts of alternative, complementary, functional and integrative medicine
• Identify some of the forces contributing to a shift in medicine towards these practices
• Reflect on the philosophy that governs conventional medicine and how that compares with integrative and functional medicine
• Discover evidence for and challenges of select integrative medicine strategies
• Analyze an integrative approach to a common issue