Integrative Health Care-a possible solution to our health care crisis

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

These ideas come from a paper written by Victoria Maizes, MD, David Rakel, MD, and Catherin Niemiec, JD, L.Ac which was commissioned for the IOM Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public, February, 2009. I feel to really solve the crisis in health care this approach could be helpful in both reducing costs and making people feel better. Here are the main points:

Integrative Health Care
1. is patient centered (really getting to know the patient via 90 minute initial consultations)
2. is healing oriented (stressing maintaining health, not just addressing illness)
3. is for using lifestyle changes to help people get and stay healthy
4. is for using both conventional and complementary therapies to help a patient stay healthy

The key to this approach is in patient centered care-
1. informing and involving the patient in medical decisions--this means listening, explaining, not dictating
2. providing physical comfort but also emotional and (if appropriate) spiritual support
3. respecting the patient's culture and their cultural beliefs so that the treatment/lifestyle changes suggested will be ones that are a good fit for the patient.
4. stressing self-care and showing the patient that taking responsibility for lifestyle changes can empower them.
5. using a broad array of therapies and services to find the ones that are most cost-effective and therapeutically efficient.