Factors Affecting Definitions of and Approaches to Integrative Medicine: A Mixed Methods Study Examining China’s Integrative Medicine Development

Table 2

The four definitions used by participants in the present study.

	Approach	Goal	a.k.a.
D1	Fully understand both western medicine and Chinese medicine and then blend the best medicines clinically and theoretically	To create a new medicine	Ideal or classic
D2	Fully understand the strength and weakness of both western and Chinese medicine and then utilize the best parts of both, depending on evidence or not	To better serve their patients or enhance communication between both kinds of medicine	Pragmatic
D3	Under the theoretical framework of Chinese medicine, utilize current technology to study patients and treatment	To improve and modernize Chinese medicine	Modernization of Chinese medicine
D4	Based on their area of specialty in western medicine, study modalities and/or mechanisms of Chinese medicine in clinical practice and research	To enhance and expand the scope of understanding of studied specialty	Westernization of Chinese medicine