U.S. health care systems reduce costs, improve patient experience by delivering integrative care

U.S. health care systems and clinics report reducing costs, improving patient experience and health, while enhancing clinician wellbeing by delivering integrative care, according to a new white paper published by The Family Medicine Education Consortium and Samueli Foundation. The Case for Delivering Whole-Person Health Care details how shifting treatment practices to a whole-person approach that integrates evidence-based conventional medicine, non-drug treatments, and self-care can help achieve far-reaching systemic improvements. Our health care system was designed to treat acute disease, not to prevent and manage chronic disease. Poor management of chronic diseases has led to a relentless rise in health care costs; declining life expectancy and quality of life; growing patient dissatisfaction; and provider burnout. Now, we have examples of how to address these challenges: by delivering a health care model that benefits both the patient and the health system's bottom line."