From Prevention to Cure: Integrative Care Models Transforming General Medicine Practice

Dr. Rahul Agarwal , Mrs. Komal Sharma , Mr. Prashant Saraswat

Integrated care; Preventive medicine; Curative services; General medicine; Patient-centred care; Chronic disease management; Health system integration; Primary care; Public health

The increasing burden of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases around the world has revealed the inherent constraints in healthcare systems that typically divide preventive and curative care. General medicine, being the point of first line care provision, plays a pivotal role in bridging this gap. A combination of preventive and curative care models provides a pathway that is strategic in enhancing the health outcomes of the population, patient experience, as well as system sustainability. This paper analyzes the principles of integrated care models, clinical applicability, and system-level translation of this concept in general medicine based on the evidence of both preventive and integrative medicine concepts and chronic care models. The review is a synthesis of models that are extant in integrating health promotion, early disease detection, clinical management, and long-term care in integrated service structures. It has a focus on patient-centred care, interdisciplinary teamwork, community involvement, and continuity of preventiontreatment continuum. The paper also addresses how primary care, integration of public health and emerging digital and precision-based strategies can be operationalized to integrate models. Critical issues are discussed in the context of workforce preparedness, health system fragmentation, equity and alignment of policy. The article suggests that the paradigm shift in general medicine should be to integrated, holistic, and value-based care by placing prevention and cure as complementary and not competing areas. The results emphasize the necessity to implement integrated care models in clinical practice and provide context-specific implementation strategies and supporting health policies. Increase in the presence of preventive and curative services should be strengthened to the problem of chronic disease complexity and contribute to the development of resilient healthcare systems.

Volume 11 Issue 2, February-2026

Pages : a399-a403