Incorporating Complementary and Integrative Health Providers in the Public Health Pandemic Response: Lessons from COVID-19 and Recommendations for the Future from a Multidisciplinary Expert Panel

Rand Health Q. 2022 Aug 31;9(4):4. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Complementary and integrative health (CIH) providers, such as chiropractors and naturopathic doctors, have been an underutilized public health asset in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article seeks to inform how they can be better integrated into future responses to public health emergencies. The authors convened an expert panel of ten CIH and public health practitioners and researchers for a daylong discussion of how the CIH workforce could be better mobilized during future crises. In this article, the authors summarize the key barriers identified in the discussion and make recommendations on how they can be overcome.

Keywords: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); Integrative Medicine; Pandemic; Public Health.