Wellness Programmes Integrating a Complementary Modality into Primary-Care Medicine Sarita Verma, Evelyn Forsyth and Leslie Flynn Department of Family Medicine, Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada Contents Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 1. What is ‘Wellness’? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 2. Is there a Demand for Wellness Programmes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 3. What is the Evidence that Wellness Programmes Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 4. Our Experience: The Family Medicine Centre Wellness Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 5. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Abstract The evidence suggests that there are benefits associated with wellness pro- grammes but there are methodological limitations with the current state of studies which prohibit strong conclusions in favour of wellness programmes. Concepts of ‘holistic health’ and ‘traditional’ or ‘alternative health’ care have emerged in the past decade as challenges to conventional medical therapies. Wellness pro- grammes may emerge as adjunctive or complementary modalities in primary care, both for the management of chronic illnesses and for the prevention of debilitating diseases. Although the scientific evidence in the form of randomised controlled trials is not conclusive, there is no doubt that a wide spectrum of ‘wellness’ activities are popular and attracting increased public interest. Further knowledge and understanding of wellness programmes, either as a whole or in their multitude of interventions, is important for primary-care physicians as these programmes may address many psychosocial and spiritual issues in patient care. PRACTICAL DISEASE MANAGEMENT Dis Manage Health Outcomes 1999 Sep; 6 (3): 141-150 1173-8790/99/0009-0141/$05.00/0 © Adis International Limited. All rights reserved. In the last decade, a number of social support programmes have emerged to meet the psychoso- cial needs of people with chronic illness. In addi- tion, concepts of wellness, holistic health and alter- native medicine have become much more popular and user-friendly as adjuncts to traditional medi- cine. Wellness programmes are used in the health- care system as supportive measures in the manage- ment of chronic illnesses and to prevent the morbid effects of long term diseases. This article provides information on the various types of wellness pro- grammes and describes the evidence which is available in the scientific literature to support the efficacy of wellness programmes. In addition, the ‘Mind Your Own Health’ programme at Queen’s University and pilot data on its impact on the qual- ity of life of its participants will be covered. Pioneers, exploring the interface between med- icine and spirituality, have gained an ever widening readership. Peck [1] ventures into the realm of the spirit, claiming that spiritual health is integral to the health of the whole person, body and mind.