CIZG – Consortium voor Integrale Zorg en Gezondheid

The Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (CIZG) wants to contribute to the development of sustainable and responsible Integrative Medicine.

Healthcare that studies and treats people and their health and illness in an integrative and scientific way. A patient-oriented approach with a broad view of the entire person. The focus is on increasing health and the quality of life in a healing environment. A selection of lifestyle interventions and complementary treatment methods that have been found to be effective and safe is also applied in addition to regular care.

The importance of Integrative Medicine and Health

Healthcare in the Netherlands is at the forefront in many respects. Our life expectancy is increasing. This is accompanied by an increase in chronic diseases.

Many of these patients have meaningful questions and an unmet need for healthcare. They are looking for ways to relieve their chronic complaints, to alleviate the side effects of regular treatments and to improve the quality of their lives. They see complementary treatment methods as a possible solution.

Just like in other European countries, every year millions of people in the Netherlands use in addition to regular treatments also self-medication products and complementary treatments.

However, they and their regular practitioners often do not know where to turn for expert, substantiated and safe advice.

Separate worlds

Because regular healthcare and complementary treatment methods are often located in “separate worlds” and patients fear a negative reaction from their doctor, patients often do not share the use of complementary treatment methods with their healthcare professional.

Complementary treatment methods generally have few side effects. However, this is not always the case, for example with interactions between herbs and medication.

Patients, healthcare professionals and institutions therefore need access to reliable knowledge and scientific research into (cost) effectiveness, safety and patient experiences in this area.

Role of the CIZG

The CIZG feels it is important to meet this need and contribute to healthcare in which people, their health and illnesses are studied and treated integrative and scientifically.

A patient-oriented approach with shared decision making and a broad view of the whole person. In addition, the focus is on positive health and increasing the quality of life in a healing environment.

Finally, the application of lifestyle-medicine and a selection of complementary treatment methods which are found to be effective and safe. A number of strict due care criteria are used to make responsible choices and to prevent risks.

Lifestyle medicine

An important part of integrated healthcare is the stimulation of a healthy lifestyle. Clients and patients are hereby invited to work on lifestyle skills in order to optimize their own resilience and self-healing capacity. This includes nutrition, exercise, relaxation, sleep, mindfulness and sense of purpose. This is known as “lifestyle medicine”.

Our mission

With a desire to promote health and well-being and to reduce, or prevent, illness and suffering, the Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (CIZG) wants to make a substantial contribution to the development of sustainable integrated healthcare with compassion for fellow human beings. A healthcare in which people as well as their health and illnesses are studied and treated integrative and scientifically.

The CIZG is thus part of the international development in healthcare known as “Integrative Medicine”.

Our vision

The Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (CIZG) is a Dutch partnership of (academic) hospitals, GGZ organizations and knowledge institutions (GGZ is an association for institutions in mental healthcare and addiction care). The CIZG strives for an integrated healthcare system with scientifically substantiated, safe and effective treatments, with a plausible functional mechanism.

An integrative healthcare system is a system:

In which the healthcare professional plays a coaching role and together with the patient chooses the best form of treatment and support in connection with the stimulation of a healthy lifestyle;
In which people are stimulated to regain and maintain health or are encouraged to deal as optimally as possible with a (chronic or terminal) disease process;
In which, based on the principles of evidence-based medicine, optimum use is made of the rich diversity of treatment methods through five due care criteria.

Motto

The job of the physician is to cure sometimes, heal often and be compassionate and supportive always
(Hippocrates)
The heart of science is an essential balance between two seemingly contradictory attitudes- an openess to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or counterintuitive, and the most ruthlessly sceptical scrutiny to all ideas, old and new’
(Carl Sagan)