The health problems of today are different from those of the past and therefore demand new health care approaches and policies. The goals of the conference on disease prevention and health promotion were: to increase knowledge and understanding of the range of approaches to health promotion; to exchange information about the cost and effectiveness of these approaches; and to influence health policy. The conference proceedings contain abstracts of presentations and available information on cost effectiveness. The conference reflected three positions. One position, held by traditional medical practitioners, suggests that the concepts of holistic health are nothing more than magic and mysticism. Another position reflects the concern that traditional medicine has no concern for the whole person and that only holistic health has answers for treatment and prevention of illness in the future. A third position is the claim by some practitioners that these new concepts of health were already part of good clinical practice. (JN)