Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Health Practices
In healthcare, the terms complementary and alternative health are often used interchangeably but usually refers to a relatively distinct aspect in the healthcare context. In a bid to enhance the healthcare outcomes, most people in the US turn to alternative healthcare approaches. Apart from the use of conventional medicine, people use complementary and alternative health approaches to improve their healthcare outcomes. In that regard, complementary health emanates when a non-mainstream healthcare practice is put in place together with the traditional medicine practice (Briggs et al., 2015). In this approach, the healthcare approaches used must back the conventional medical interventions to attain desirable health outcomes. The examples of complementary health approaches include the use of herbals, dietary supplements, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals, as well as other interventions that are aimed at achieving conventional healthcare interventions.
However, alternative medicine arises when a non-mainstream practice gets used in a place of conventional medicine (Briggs et al., 2015). In most cases, alternative medicine remains unproven, but some mild interventions are often related to such an aspect. The example of alternative health entails the use of homeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine, whole medical systems, and traditional Chinese medicine. Such interventions are meant to substitute conventional medical practices.
On the other hand, integrative health arises when complementary and conventional medicine practices and interventions are used in an integrated way (Briggs et al., 2015). It aims at achieving the holistic wellness of a patient, and it has grown immensely in the US. It manifests through pain management in soldiers and veterans, programs for promoting healthy behaviors, and management of cancer among the patients and the survivors (Briggs et al., 2015). As an advanced nurse, I would employ the use of an integrative health approach in various patients to improve health outcomes. In that regard, it would be essential to use both traditional medical interventions and other interventions meant to improve the healthcare outcomes of various patients. It would also encourage diversity and ensure that the interventions perfectly complement each other.