Open Access

Philip van der Eijk, Roman M. Marek, Detlev Ganten

• Introduction – Reflections on Concepts of Health in Their Context. Contrary to what is often believed, health is not simply an objective condition that is easily determined and measured by strict medical criteria in clinical or scientific settings. It is a multifaceted phenomenon whose perception and understanding is influenced profoundly by people’s personal experience, cultural background and social environment. Correspondingly, there is great variety in concepts and definitions of health, both today and in a historical perspective. This collection of studies examines a number of such contextual factors that influence concepts, values and practices related to health, both present and past. It also makes a number of recommendations relevant to medical professionals, politicians, patients and other healthcare stakeholders as to how healthcare systems can be improved and enriched. It advocates a holistic approach to the understanding of health and disease, which involves embracing historical and philosophical concepts in medical reasoning, learning from health practices originated in other parts of the world and establishing interdisciplinary ways of thinking in biomedical research and clinical care.