The arranged marriage of allopathic and alternative medicine.

The degree to which Americans are seeking and paying for alternative health care has caused some hospitals and medical groups to consider incorporating these services within the umbrella of their traditional care. The challenge is to find a standard of care that is consistent with allopathic traditions, but not so restrictive as to undercut the financial and patient satisfaction motives that prompted the interest in alternative care. By focusing on subjective complaints and chronic conditions, it may be possible to walk a path that leaves traditional medical standards intact while gaining the opportunity to attract the dollars and track the effectiveness of alternative care.