Defining Health in a Comprehensive Context: A New Definition of Integrative Health

Despite investments in health care, good health remains elusive for many people. Healthcare systems generally are disease-focused and concentrate resources on treatment modalities that often work well for acute or life-threatening illnesses such as physical trauma or infectious disease, but sometimes are poorly suited to the management of chronic illness. 1 Wagner E.H. Austin B.T. von Korff M. Organizing care for patients with chronic illness. Milbank Q. 1996; 74: 511-544https://doi.org/10.2307/3350391 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2143) Google Scholar , 2 Wagner E.H. Austin B.T. Von Korff M. Improving outcomes in chronic illness. Manag Care Q. 1996; 4: 12-25http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/10157259 PubMed Google Scholar , 3 Coleman K. Austin B.T. Brach C. Wagner E.H. Evidence on the Chronic Care Model in the new millennium. Health Aff (Millwood). 2009; 28: 75-85https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.28.1.75 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1076) Google Scholar Modifying the healthcare system to recognize the importance of social, behavioral, economic, and environmental determinants of health might better address current population needs. 4 Marmot M. Wilkinson R. Social Determinants of Health. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, Oxford2006 Google Scholar , 5 Commission on Social Determinants of Health - Final Report 2008. Geneva: WHO. www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/finalreport/en/. Accessed January 16, 2016. Google Scholar , 6 Benn H. The environmental determinants of health. Glob Health Promot. 2009; 16: 42-43https://doi.org/10.1177/1757975909103748 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar Such changes face many challenges, but a fundamental step is to incorporate emerging concepts such as integrative medicine and social determinants of health in order to create a working definition of integrative health. Creating a more inclusive definition could support strategic planning of initiatives promoting health across multiple sectors of daily life, not just the clinic. WHO Definition of Health. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference NY, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948. www.who.int/about/definition/en/print.html. Accessed October 23, 2016. WHO. Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. First International Conference on Health Promotion. 1986. www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/index4.html. Accessed October 30, 2015.