Lack of Integration Between Western Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Treating Adults in America

Viewpoints published by Ballard Brief are not necessarily endorsed by BYU or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Summary+

There is a lack of integration between Western Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for treating adults in America. Communication barriers, differing approaches to healthcare, and skepticism coupled with a lack of education prevent integration. As a result, patients suffer financial burdens, are unsatisfied with incomplete and insufficient care, and the US healthcare system becomes more fragmented. Integrative medicine provides a holistic, patient-centered, evidence-based solution by combining the safest and most effective practices of Western medicine and CAM in a coordinated way. Kaiser Permanente is a medical group leading the efforts towards integrative medicine with their collaborative care model and integrative clinics around the country.

Key Takeaways+

• About 40% of US adults use CAM, and the trend continues to grow. The National Health Interview Survey found that people with chronic, recurrent, or serious illness most frequently use CAM.
• Nearly 60% of adult Americans have a chronic disease. Chronic diseases cause the most illness, disability, and death in the US and are the leading drivers of healthcare costs.
• The lack of integration between Western medicine and CAM is a social problem because the current structure of the US healthcare system is unfit to meet the increasing demands of ill citizens.
• Since the guiding principles, procedures and products of CAM are different from traditional healthcare in the US and cannot be evaluated by the same scientific standards, conventional physicians are skeptical of CAM, thus preventing integration.
• Patients spend substantial out-of-pocket expenses on CAM, over $30 billion in 2023, due to limited or nonexistent insurance coverage.
• Integrative medicine considers all the physical, emotional, mental, societal, and environmental factors that affect the body to find root causes for disease and provide optimal healing. Multiple modalities are combined to treat an individual with a cohesive, safe and effective care plan.,
• Integrative medicine is a promising solution to the American healthcare crisis and epidemic of chronic disease. Studies show integrative medicine results in substantial symptom improvement, increased patient satisfaction, increased involvement in care, improved overall health perception, and lower healthcare costs.

Key Terms+

Acupuncture — a treatment within Traditional Chinese Medicine where practitioners insert thin needles at specific places on the body to adjust the flow of life energy (known as chi) to relieve symptoms such as chronic pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Chronic disease — a condition that lasts one year or more, requires ongoing medical attention, and limits activities of daily living.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) — a diverse group of medical systems, practices, and products that are outside of conventional medicine and considered to be “non-mainstream” or “Eastern medicine.”

Disease — defined as the “malfunction or the inability to function according to accepted standards” by the World Health Organization.

Fragmentation — a systemic misalignment of incentives or lack of coordination that leads to inefficient allocation of medical resources.

Holistic medicine — a medicinal practice that emphasizes treating the whole person, believing that the bodily systems are interconnected.

Health — a “physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Integrative Medicine — a medical approach that combines conventional medicine with CAM in a coordinated way. Integrative medicine values individualized, holistic, healing-oriented care and addresses all areas of health and well-being.

Medicine — defined as “the art of preventing or curing disease or malfunction” by the World Health Organization.

Polypharmacy — when a patient is using five or more prescribed medications.

Reductionism — the belief that human behavior can be explained by breaking it down into smaller component parts.

Western Medicine — the primary healthcare system in the US, also known as “allopathic medicine,” “biomedicine,” or “conventional medicine.”

The full brief is currently being finalized and will be published shortly. Stay tuned for updates!

By Kaylee Burrill

Published Winter 2025

Special thanks to Mason Scholes for editing and research contributions.