‘Integrative healthcare’ may strike you as a healthcare term designed more to impress than inform. But it turns out the term is actually quite informative in that it describes a different way of providing healthcare services. Integrative healthcare is catching on at hospitals, clinics, and group practices around the country.
The KindlyMD medical clinics in Utah offer integrative healthcare. They specialize mainly in things like chronic pain and medication management. Yet their approach to integrative care is similar to the approach taken by most other integrative-based clinics.
Whether you are familiar with integrative healthcare or not, there are some key things you may not know about it:
It Is Individualized Healthcare
The good folks at KindlyMD say that one of the things most patients find surprising about integrative healthcare is that it is individualized. Clinicians may recommend similar treatments for similar conditions, but integrative care is not cookie cutter care. It is not the one-size-fits-all model that American medicine is typically known for.
Clinicians in an integrative setting understand that each patient is unique. Treatment plans are tailored accordingly. In this way, a patient is offered the best possible care based on need, condition, medical history, etc.
It Is Collaborative Healthcare
Patients also tend to be surprised upon learning that integrative healthcare is collaborative healthcare. In an integrative setting, a single doctor or advanced practice nurse doesn’t take on all the responsibility of caring for a patient. Other clinicians and disciplines are brought into play utilizing a team approach.
At KindlyMD, patients might interact with doctors and advanced practice nurses to deal with the physical side of things. They might work with a psychotherapist on the mental health aspects of their care. They might even work with a physical or occupational therapist to address the practical aspects of their care plan.
Alternative Therapies Are Welcome
In my opinion, the most radical aspect of integrative healthcare is that alternative therapies are welcome. And by the way, I consider it radical in a good way. I do not believe in relying exclusively on traditional therapies just because that’s what we have always done. Western medicine has advanced only because people were willing to innovate and take risks.
What types of alternative therapies are utilized? Some of the more well known include chiropractic and acupuncture. There are others. Depending on need, an integrative practitioner might recommend mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, plant-based medicines, yoga, and other options.
Some integrative healthcare clinics restrict their use of alternative therapies to only those with strong scientific evidence behind them. Such treatments are often referred to as complementary. On the other hand, there are integrative clinics willing to explore treatments with more anecdotal evidence than clinical evidence.
The Patient Maintains Control
In a truly integrative setting, the patient is not merely a recipient of healthcare services. He is an active member of his healthcare team. In addition, the patient ultimately exercises control over his own care. He gets the final say on all therapies, procedures, and treatments.
KindlyMD believes it is important for patients to remain in control. When they are active contributors and decision makers, they are more likely to agree with sound advice and follow treatment guidelines. They are also more willing to modify treatment plans when current therapies are not yielding the best results.
The term ‘integrative medicine’ might sound like healthcare doublespeak designed only to impress. Yet it is a rare example of a healthcare term that actually means something to patients. I can tell you this: having experienced integrative healthcare myself, I prefer it to the old way of delivering medical care.
