A scientific validation model for medications has existed since the 1960s, with specific regulations recognized worldwide (e.g., FDA, EMA, ANSM). A similar procedure has recently been implemented for medical devices in Europe. However, until now, no consensual model existed for nutritional, bodily, and psychosocial health services due to confusions between approach, protocol, and technique/ingredient. A participatory, pragmatic, and multidisciplinary consensus work followed international scientific health recommendations to address this for NPI (Ninot et al., 2023).

This work took into account the specificities of NPI, health risks, the balance between internal and external validity, the justification of explanatory mechanisms, ethical considerations in health, and respect for contexts of use. The NPIS Model accelerates research through the harmonization of methodological and ethical expectations in NPI. It also enhances the identification, referencing, transferability, and implementation of NPI for the benefit of user health and safety, improving the quality of training.

Ultimately, the NPIS Model distinguishes between individualized, science-based services aimed at addressing known health issues in Western medicine and occupational practices (lifestyle, art of living, work, sociocultural activity, personal development, pursuit of happiness, spiritual practice, etc.). In this sense, the model does not impede individuals' freedom to choose a particular lifestyle. It aims to address a specific health issue for an individual or a group of people within a limited timeframe and a framework regulated by the health sector. The NPIS Model encourages innovations across all other health sectors, particularly in health organizations and early identification actions for health problems.

Each NPI file in the NPI Registry has been submitted by a practitioner or researcher through the dedicated platform hosted by the NPIS. Each file undergoes review by an independent and integrated scientific committee. This committee invites relevant scientific societies and health authorities to validate the NPI files and/or to oversee the decisions made. Each validated file is then reviewed by a committee of users and professionals. Once labeled NPIS©, the file is translated into at least English and French and integrated into the NPI Registry.

The file contains standardized content supported by scientific studies that align with the NPIS definition of NPI, the expected specifications (Table 2), and the consensual evaluation framework for NPI, known as the NPIS Model. It includes a manual for professionals, an information notice for users, a section on funding options, and an area for anonymous user feedback. This ensures the file remains dynamic and part of a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement for the NPI.

A minimum of one prototypical study, one mechanistic study, two interventional studies, and one implementation study published in a peer-reviewed journal is required for an NPI proposal to be accepted by the expert committee tasked with validating the NPI file and awarding the NPIS© label. Specifically, experts must have evidence to anonymously vote on each criterion of the NPI file proposed to the NPIS by a submitter:

• Described (≥ 1 prototypical study)
• Explainable (≥ 1 mechanistic study)
• Effective (≥ 2 interventional studies)
• Safe (≥ 2 interventional studies)
• Implementable (≥ 1 implementation study in the country)

A professional must understand all the specifics of the NPI, the criteria justifying its use, how to implement its protocol, whom to contact, useful tips, required materials, and any prerequisite training needed.

Interoperability between the information systems of healthcare providers and funders is crucial for the efficiency of NPI. Assigning a unique code to an NPI enhances information sharing, decision-making, implementation quality, traceability, monetization, and impact analysis. This way, an NPI becomes an identifiable act within an institutional nomenclature. The characteristics of an NPI are described and justified by studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals that meet international health research standards. They must conform to the NPIS Model. Innovative practices, through a process of standardization and independent expertise, become NPI labeled as NPIS©. They can be integrated into personalized health pathways by a professional, a multidisciplinary team, a health center, a care facility, a medico-social organization, a health network, a digital platform, or any other organization authorized to provide health solutions. With a unique coding system for each NPI that is interoperable with insurance and professional nomenclatures, authorities in a country and insurance systems can implement monitoring and feedback procedures regarding the use of NPI according to their risk management levels. Data from user experiences, professionals, healthcare providers, and institutions can lead to new research questions. Research can foster innovations, such as isolating more specific, effective, implementable, and efficient NPI within local platforms and organizations.

Immaterial practices of prevention and care have existed since ancient times. However, the diversification of practices, the multiplication of professions at the intersection of prevention, care, and social assistance, and the globalization of information systems have leveled these services and obscured them at a time when medicine has made significant advances in the early detection and diagnosis of health issues. The interdisciplinary and multisectoral approach of the NPIS generates a value chain, from the design of practices to their implementation, regulation, and financing.

Innovative economic model initiatives are emerging worldwide, including fee-for-service, bundled payments, social economy provisions, offers promoting sustainable development, e-health economy, human innovation bundles, and long-term economy (World Economic Forum, 2024). The NPIS Prospective Pole, led by Michel Noguès, documents these initiatives in books (Noguès, 2022; Noguès, 2024). The NPIS Forums invite all innovators to share their experiences.

The choice and implementation of an NPI at a given moment in a person's prevention and care journey do not depend on the NPI Registry, nor on the mission of the NPIS. These decisions are influenced by individual health situations, preferences, the availability of professionals, the qualifications of practitioners, accessibility in a given area, and socio-cultural contexts. The art of combining NPI with each other and with other health solutions at the right time lies with professionals, expert systems, interdisciplinary organizations, and the healthcare system in place in a specific country. The NPI Registry highlights essential practices that have proven effective and continue to evolve through research and feedback analysis. The NPIS has no authority to impose a choice of NPI. Each professional is free to follow them, to pursue others, or to create new ones. The same applies to each healthcare organization.

An independent healthcare professional or a multidisciplinary team from a multi-professional health center, a care network, a hospital, a medico-social establishment, a medico-educational facility, a nursing home, a prevention center, an occupational health service, a school/university service, or a palliative care service can select one or more NPI to integrate into an individual's personalized health pathway. This applies to individuals facing loss of autonomy (e.g., a frail person over 90 years old), at increased risk of illness (e.g., a smoker), living with a disability (e.g., loss of autonomy due to paraplegia), or suffering from an illness (e.g., a neurodegenerative disease). Given that health issues are now multifactorial and complex, the solutions available to improve each person's health are diverse and depend on local availability. Multiple NPI can be offered in prevention, care, and support by a physician, any authorized healthcare professional (e.g., pharmacist, nurse, midwife, physiotherapist), or a team. They are cataloged in a centralized digital platform, the NPI Registry. These NPI complement other health solutions provided at various points in a person's life journey (e.g., medication, medical devices, hospitalization, social assistance). They evolve over time based on the individual's health status, fragility, and needs (Figure 4).