The Intersection Between Models of Health and How Healing Transpires: A Metaethnographic Synthesis of Complementary Medicine Practitioners' Perceptions

Abstract

Introduction: This metaethnography provides an interpretative synthesis of complementary medicine (CM) practitioners' perceptions toward their health model and the healing process. CM is commonly described on the basis of its distinction from biomedicine with limited research available on CM practitioners' understanding of what the essence of their practice is and how healing transpires as a result. This is despite the significant patronage of CM and high rates of couse with biomedical services.Materials and Methods: An extensive and systematic search of the literature was conducted across seven databases (AMED, SINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, PUBMED, Science Direct, and Scopus) with no date, language, or region restrictions applied. The basis for the search was MeSH terms and keywords relating to (1) CM practitioners, (2) perceptions, and (3) healing. A screening process was conducted and articles were identified for inclusion based on their addressing the research question. These articles were then quality appraised. A seven-stage metaethnographic framework was utilized to assist with identifying and interpreting the themes within the data.Results: Following the screening process, merely 10 qualitative studies were identified, which represented practitioner views across 22 CM professions. CM practitioners believe they provide a distinct model of care informed by a traditional shared holistic and vitalistic philosophy. Nonspecific factors, such as an augmented therapeutic relationship, empathy, and patient empowerment, are actively and deliberately incorporated into the treatment process alongside specific interventions and afforded equal valued.Conclusions: This metaethnographic synthesis brings together the perceptions of CM practitioners on how healing transpires within the CM clinical setting. In a context of medical pluralism and aspirational integrative health care, this synthesis highlights the understanding and approach CM practitioners bring to health management and may assist in further defining CM philosophy and practice, and the positioning of CM in the contemporary health care landscape.

Primary Health Care Case Management Through the Lens of Complexity: an Exploratory Study of Naturopathic Practice Using Complexity Science Principles

“…Naturopathy is philosophically consistent with complex, dynamic and extended network models (Bell & Koithan, 2006;Koithan et al, 2012) based on its meta-theoretical precepts such as holism and nonspeci city that it shares with other complementary medicine professions (Graham et al, 2021a). Naturopathy is founded on an inter-systems approach (Sarris et al, 2014;Steel et al, 2020) aligning it with complexity principles This philosophical foundation makes naturopathy an ideal model to test systems-based tools and strategies in a clinical healthcare setting.…”

“…All systems of medicine are based on a philosophical paradigm. While biomedicine is founded on reductionism and mechanism (Pool & Geissler, 2005), traditional systems of medicine such as naturopathy are founded on holism (Di Stefano, 2006;Graham et al, 2021a). This philosophical position in uences the understanding of the nature of being (ontology), the means used to gather knowledge, and the distinction made between acceptable beliefs and opinions (epistemology), as well as how medicine ought to be practiced (norms) (Andersen et al, 2019).…”

Primary health care case management through the lens of complexity: an exploratory study of naturopathic practice using complexity science principles

“…All systems of medicine are based on a philosophical paradigm. While biomedicine is founded on reductionism and mechanism [15], traditional systems of medicine such as naturopathy are founded on holism [16,17]. This philosophical position influences the understanding of the nature of being (ontology), the means used to gather knowledge, and the distinction made between acceptable beliefs and opinions (epistemology), as well as how medicine ought to be practiced (norms) [18].…”

“…Naturopathic philosophies (holism and vitalism) and principles (treat the cause, treat the whole person, doctor as teacher, above all do no harm, promote health and wellbeing, prevent disease, and the healing power of nature) form the basis of how naturopathy is currently taught and practiced [30,32]. Naturopathy is philosophically consistent with complex, dynamic and extended network models [23,24] based on its meta-theoretical precepts such as holism and non-specificity that it shares with other complementary medicine professions [17]. Naturopathy is founded on an inter-systems approach [33,34] aligning it with complexity principles This philosophical foundation makes naturopathy an ideal model to test systems-based tools and strategies in a clinical healthcare setting.…”

The converging paradigms of holism and complexity: An exploration of naturopathic clinical case management using complexity science principles

“…3,4 However, some professions providing primary health care services actively identify with paradigms that are not reductionist. [5][6][7] The clinical reasoning processes of traditional whole systems of medicine are purported to be underpinned by holism 8,9 ; a philosophical concept defined in the same manner as complexity, where 'parts of a whole are in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole, or cannot be understood without reference to the whole, which is thus regarded as greater than the sum of its parts'. 10 Clinical reasoning is a core component of all health care disciplines 11 and is a key element in assessment and treatment decision making.…”