This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The "integrative medicine" put forward by Bell et al¹ is a most fascinating ideal. From my point of view, it deserves several comments.

First, "integrative medicine" is not new. It is virtually identical with good holistic medicine as it existed throughout the history of medicine. Inventing fancy new terminology for something that always was at the heart of our profession might distract from the purpose and turn out to be counterproductive.

Second, the way Bell et al¹ put it, "integrative medicine" is not more than a theory. Much of it is plausible but this should not distract us from the fact that this theory requires rigorous testing. Before we see the results of such tests, we cannot decide whether it is worth adopting their model.

Third, even if the Bell et al¹ model produces relevant benefit for patients, we have to test whether it is implementable. Emphasizing the "bio-psycho-socio-spiritual dimensions" . . . [Full Text of this Article]