THE WVESTERN Journal of Medic
Orthodox Medicine Humanistic Medicine Holistic Health Care
DURING THE PAST several years there has been a growing interest in what are being called humanistic medicine and holistic health care. These alternative approaches to medicine and health care are attracting adherents at a time when orthodox or scientific medicine is rendering more and more effective medical care than ever before. But these and other nonorthodox approaches seem to be satisfying many health care needs of many persons who either have not sought traditional care or have not been satisfied with it. It could be that traditional orthodox medicine is losing something or that there is something "out there" that physicians should be more sensitive to and know more about. It seems appropriate therefore to examine what is being called humanistic medicine and holistic health and to assess their relationships to what we call orthodox or traditional medicine. Humanistic medicine appears to focus more upon the human or subjective side of caring and personal satisfaction, and the holistic approach emphasizes more a personal responsibility for health and the well-being of the whole person. Both employ methods not generally used in orthodox or traditional medicine, which of late has tended to be more objective and scientific as its knowledge and technical capabilities have increased. When one reflects upon this one senses something is amiss. The idea of caring is certainly not new to orthodox medicine, nor is concern for the Refer to: Watts MSM (Ed): Orthodox medicine, humanistic medicine and holistic health care-A forum. West J Med 131: 463, Dec 1979
whole patient or health. Moreover, orthodox medicine is not all that scientific either. It too uses ritual, depends upon faith and trust, even the laying on of hands, and certainly it cannot prove the scientific worth of much that is done in accepted practice. After all, the art of medicine is by definition not scientific. Nor can orthodox medicine say that everything in the alternative approaches is worthless, particularly if there is relief and satisfaction to be gained by these means. Patients are whole persons and so are physicians and so are all other health practitioners, and there is much that is not known or understood about what makes up a whole person, let alone the ills and ailments to which the flesh is heir. There are art and science, caring and curing, illness and health, wellness and fulfillment, and poverty and deprivation. And in the prevention and care of illness there are many relationships among each and all of these. Beginning in this issue the editors of THE WESTERN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE propose to provide a forum for dialogue and discussion of orthodox medicine, humanistic medicine and holistic health care. The forum is initiated with statements by persons known to have an interest in and knowledge of this subject. Readers are invited to submit their views constructively and succinctly. As many as space permits will be published in future issues of the journal. At an appropriate time all of the material published and unpublished, will be collated and, if possible, a distillate will be prepared to summarize the dialogue and discussion. -MSMW THE WESTERN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
463
Orthodox Medicine Humanistic Medicine Holistic Health Care
DURING THE PAST several years there has been a growing interest in what are being called humanistic medicine and holistic health care. These alternative approaches to medicine and health care are attracting adherents at a time when orthodox or scientific medicine is rendering more and more effective medical care than ever before. But these and other nonorthodox approaches seem to be satisfying many health care needs of many persons who either have not sought traditional care or have not been satisfied with it. It could be that traditional orthodox medicine is losing something or that there is something "out there" that physicians should be more sensitive to and know more about. It seems appropriate therefore to examine what is being called humanistic medicine and holistic health and to assess their relationships to what we call orthodox or traditional medicine. Humanistic medicine appears to focus more upon the human or subjective side of caring and personal satisfaction, and the holistic approach emphasizes more a personal responsibility for health and the well-being of the whole person. Both employ methods not generally used in orthodox or traditional medicine, which of late has tended to be more objective and scientific as its knowledge and technical capabilities have increased. When one reflects upon this one senses something is amiss. The idea of caring is certainly not new to orthodox medicine, nor is concern for the Refer to: Watts MSM (Ed): Orthodox medicine, humanistic medicine and holistic health care-A forum. West J Med 131: 463, Dec 1979
whole patient or health. Moreover, orthodox medicine is not all that scientific either. It too uses ritual, depends upon faith and trust, even the laying on of hands, and certainly it cannot prove the scientific worth of much that is done in accepted practice. After all, the art of medicine is by definition not scientific. Nor can orthodox medicine say that everything in the alternative approaches is worthless, particularly if there is relief and satisfaction to be gained by these means. Patients are whole persons and so are physicians and so are all other health practitioners, and there is much that is not known or understood about what makes up a whole person, let alone the ills and ailments to which the flesh is heir. There are art and science, caring and curing, illness and health, wellness and fulfillment, and poverty and deprivation. And in the prevention and care of illness there are many relationships among each and all of these. Beginning in this issue the editors of THE WESTERN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE propose to provide a forum for dialogue and discussion of orthodox medicine, humanistic medicine and holistic health care. The forum is initiated with statements by persons known to have an interest in and knowledge of this subject. Readers are invited to submit their views constructively and succinctly. As many as space permits will be published in future issues of the journal. At an appropriate time all of the material published and unpublished, will be collated and, if possible, a distillate will be prepared to summarize the dialogue and discussion. -MSMW THE WESTERN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
463
