Why IM Research?

• Research
• Why IM Research?

Much of conventional medical research focuses on subsystems of the body. Integrative medical research is interested in whole systems and uses complexity science and whole systems approaches to study complex packages of care.

Most research efforts nationwide apply reductionism to CAM research, an approach that may not answer broader questions regarding integrative models of care or the nature of healing. Researching a single intervention or an aspect of an intervention taken out of context may not provide an adequate test of the value of the intervention. Modalities that do not fit neatly into the current research paradigm are at risk for being marginalized without appropriate methods for studying them.