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Widening the Paradigm in Medicine and Health: Person-Centred Medicine as the Common Ground of Traditional, Complementary, Alternative and Non-Conventional Medicine

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Healthcare Overview

Part of the book series: Advances in Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine ((APPPM,volume 1))

Abstract

This chapter outlines the paradigm of person-centred medicine and its contribution to the growing pluralism of medical science. It adds to the paradigm of personalised medicine. It is characterised by a holistic approach, which stems from the demands of patients for a greater humanisation of medicine, individualisation of treatments and autonomy in the choice of therapeutic processes. It finds fertile soil especially in the fields of primary care, paediatrics and geriatrics where there is the most pressing need to reintegrate an image of the human being fragmented by specialism. It answers the needs of patients and healthcare workers to rebuild an effective therapeutic relationship based on trust, empathy, compassion and responsiveness to individual needs and values. The concept of person-centred medicine gains epistemological and practical tools from the common ground of traditional medicine (TM), complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or non-conventional medicine (NCM) (or TCAM for brevity) as visions that observe and investigate nature strictly linked to the bio-psycho-spiritual entity of every human being. The common feature of TCAM systems is a person-centred, salutogenetic, pro-active, pro-resilient healing approach. The current situation of NCM in Europe shows the increasing demand for what these holistic medical systems can offer on the issues of health and future healthcare development.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy

    Paolo Roberti di Sarsina

  2. Charity Association for Person-Centred Medicine, Bologna, Italy

    Paolo Roberti di Sarsina, Mauro Alivia & Paola Guadagni

  3. Observatory and Methods for Health, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Siepelunga, 36/12, 40141, Bologna, Italy

    Paolo Roberti di Sarsina

  4. Italian Society of Anthroposophic Medicine (SIMA), Milano, Italy

    Mauro Alivia & Paola Guadagni

Authors
  1. Paolo Roberti di Sarsina
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  2. Mauro Alivia
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  3. Paola Guadagni
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paolo Roberti di Sarsina .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. place de Jamblinne de Meux 12, Bruxelles, 1030, Belgium

    Vincenzo Costigliola

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di Sarsina, P.R., Alivia, M., Guadagni, P. (2012). Widening the Paradigm in Medicine and Health: Person-Centred Medicine as the Common Ground of Traditional, Complementary, Alternative and Non-Conventional Medicine. In: Costigliola, V. (eds) Healthcare Overview. Advances in Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4602-2_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4602-2_18

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