The Role of Integrative Care in Advancing The Science of Patient-Centered Care

According to Global Health Advances in Health and Medicine, integrative medicine is a care approach that puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health. While some people may have doubts about integrative medicine and wonder if it’s here to stay, the real question is how quickly it will become the standard method of patient care and in which form it will be available.

How Integrative Care Works

Integrative care is personalized and addresses the entire person — mind, body and spirit. The concept is driven by asking questions and seeks to administer more natural and less invasive care solutions. Through integrative care, patients are empowered to develop healthy behaviors and skills for use on a daily basis. Integrative care strategies may include:

• mind-body therapies
• nutritional guidance
• meditation
• resilience training
• massage therapy
• acupuncture
• herbal/nutritional medicine

The concept of integrative care constantly is evolving and being improved. Integrative care practitioners are personally committed to exploring and developing new treatment options. Furthermore, collaboration is one of the main benefits of integrative care, which is an important factor in achieving clinical success.

Core Models of Integrative Care

There are three main types of integrative care models used in modern practice:

• Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model: A patient presenting with substance abuse initially is screened to identify the severity of the condition. If a patient’s condition is deemed too complex for the primary care clinic to deal with, the patient is referred to a specialty care provider.
• Primary Care Behavioral Health model.
• TEAMcare and Collaborative Care model.

Additionally, other forms of care include the Consultative care model, where the patient’s primary care provider and the integrative physicians and practitioners work closely together, and Comprehensive Care, which is administered to patients with a specific condition for the duration of the treatment. In the Primary Care model, care is offered to patients throughout their entire lifespan.

Clinical Benefits and Outcomes

A recent survey of 29 integrative care centers found that this approach to patient care is most effective in the treatment of a number of medical conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, depression/anxiety and stress. Integrative care increases patient-practitioner trust and cooperation, and trust leads to improved care and lower per capita costs of health care. It is important to note that integrative care is efficient, effective and inexpensive, which is largely due to the fact that treatment is simplified to ensure all care services are properly monitored and managed.

The Evolution of Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine is an evolutionary and research-based field of study for healthcare providers. It takes a personalized upstream approach to address the whole person rather than just one underlying disease. To ensure optimal wellness, this practice investigates all variables that could be impacting health - from genetics and environmental exposures to lifestyle patterns. This dynamic course of study allows professionals to quickly and efficiently incorporate what they learn into their existing practices.

Functional Medicine Market Data

The following data highlights the growth and impact of functional medicine in the current healthcare landscape:

Provider Education and Certification

The key to success in integrative care lies in provider education. This step is achieved through teaching and designing medical and nursing school curricula. Continuous medical education programs are also incredibly helpful. Most integrative care providers offer fellowships and host regional and national conferences for practitioners. Certification empowers you with knowledge to address the underlying causes of chronic conditions and helps you learn to combine your expertise in Western medicine with powerful, evidence-based functional strategies.