What is Salutology?
The concept
Salutology comes from two latin words "salud" and "logic", meaning "health" and "study", which translate to "the science or the study of the origins of health". It is a specialty of medicine that focuses primarily on optimizing and maintaining health rather than treating disease.
You don't have to be healthy to be seen by a Salutologist, a specialist in Salutology. The goal is to help you achieve the healthiest version of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, no matter where you are health-wise at this time in your life!
Salutologists are doctors (MD or DO) who work with other doctors, various health professionals (ex. nurses, dentists, physical therapist, public health specialists, etc) and other disciplines (ex. psychologist, educators, etc) to bridge the gaps between healthcare and a healthier you!
Our history
The term derives from a fairly old concept known as salutogenesis, which is widely recognized in the scientific literature. Derived from Latin and Greek, it signifies "the origins of health".
Salutogenesis is defined as an approach focusing on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than on factors that cause disease (which is known as pathogenesis). It is a novel way of thinking about human health and wellness. An illustration of what this approach entails in medicine can be found in the following TED talk. A summary of the principles of salutogenesis can be found in this short YouTube video. A free online textbook published in 2017 on the subject is available for download here on Springer.
Salutology is a recently proposed new name for the specialty of preventive medicine, in particular the specialty area of general preventive medicine and public health. This medical specialty implements health solutions that account for both pathogenesis and salutogenesis to help you achieve and maintain optimal health throughout your entire life!
Who we are
Salutologists is a term newly proposed to designate physicians/medical doctors (MD or DO) trained in the specialty of preventive medicine.
We practice community medicine in the public health system domain, population medicine in the healthcare system domain, and clinical preventive medicine (including lifestyle medicine) in the clinical care system domain, to help our patients, their families and their communities reach their best selves with regards to the mind, body and spirit.
These terms were introduced to the members of the medical specialty of preventive medicine in attendance at the 2018 annual meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine via a panel discussion. They became associated with the specialty in 2019 after their publication, via a seminal paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM), by a group of forward thinking preventive medicine residents and faculty members from the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.