Shifting epistemology and priorities in healthcare, opportunities abound

Abstract

Our ways of knowing and understanding have changed throughout history, influenced by cultural values, politics and priorities. In this modern, neoliberal era that emphasises open economies and competition, our lives and identities are framed by entrepreneurial beliefs, attitudes and thinking, with much enterprise geared towards satisfying consumers. In healthcare, naturopathy is theoretically an antidote for tired, single dimension healthcare due to a philosophical basis of holism and complexity, differentiated by its principles of practice. Recognition of naturopathy as a scarce asset may articulate increasing opportunities for the profession, but it requires an appetite for integration, and for leadership to extend the discipline beyond health utility and education to foster critical evaluation, questioning and challenging, and support solutions that enable us to walk the talk at all levels, including the organisational levels of our profession.