Integrative Medicine in Australian Health Care

Integrative medicine is an emerging model of primary health care thatcombines complementary and Western medicine. Despite its increasingpopularity, little is known about integrative medicine and its valueto primary health care. This book explores the practice ofintegrative medicine in the Australian health care system andprovides a wealth of new knowledge about practice styles,interactions between clients and practitioners, and health benefits.A theorised model linking health care quality to practice styles isproduced. Authentically client - centred care is at the core of allthese practice styles. Integrative medicine in which practitionersgenuinely value each other's expertise can make a substantial andfar-reaching contribution to the quality of primary health care.Crucially, integrative medicine harmonises with contemporary socialand cultural attitudes, adding both value and volume to medicalpractice. This book will be especially useful to policy-makers in thehealth system, to owners of primary care practices, to complementaryand Western medical practitioners, and to current and future clientsof integrative medicine.