Wow, just writing this headline excites me. Partly because I am so passionate about bringing doctors and patients together for better health outcomes. But mostly because when we add a powerful mission that inspires real action that is grounded in population health management, I believe we can make real progress in creating healthier, happier lives. That’s exciting to me because what’s needed is for us to work together to implement a system that engages patients to become participants in their health. And this, my dear heart-centered friends, is where you, as a wellness and holistic professional, enter the traditional healthcare scene with your subset of heart-centered skills and characteristics that can guide healthcare teams. toward new clinical benchmarks never before experienced in a clinical setting. Yes, it is a bold statement, but I am convinced that it is not only possible but necessary.
So how is such a task undertaken? How can integrative professionals be seen as not just a viable part of the health care team, but a real contributor to patient health outcomes?
I see population-based health care as a kind of stone soup. If you remember the original folk tale, the villagers are tricked by their greed and fear to share and enjoy life with their neighbors. All thanks to a soup that didn’t even exist… until everyone, unaware even of themselves, contributes its only ingredient; that alone wouldn’t amount to much. If each of us is truly interested in spreading our mission where we all share the same goals of healthier and happier people, then we must be willing to participate as a team. We must be willing to see, not just how our own “ingredient” adds value, but how each team member adds value to the end result of restored health and happiness. We must overcome the “us versus them” mentality that has plagued our health care system. We can no longer afford to see the divide between the social determinants of health and the physical manifestations of disease. The lifestyle medicine movement is already seeing the need to include what many holistic practitioners have known for decades, that people are not detached from their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and habits that have a direct impact on health outcomes. . We are not that different, and doctors are more open than ever to understanding all the determinants of health.
There are several things we need to consider first before taking on such a task and one of the biggest challenges I see from wellness and holistic professionals is a willingness to speak and understand the same language as our clinical colleagues. It would be like moving to a foreign country without knowing the language. This happens most often because in our passion and enthusiasm to bear witness to our mission, we tend to focus on the techniques of our modalities rather than the intended health outcome. Can you imagine a surgeon giving the details and methods to use a scalpel to cut our flesh? Ugh, who wants to hear that but another colleague? All I want to know is if and how I will improve! Not the details of the technique. Focus on the health result offered by your modality, which in turn is your mission!
The next thing is that we need to step up and position ourselves and our scope of practice to be aligned with the standards of care for a specific disease state. For example, if you are a licensed or certified massage therapist and have additional certification in the treatment of lymphedema, then you will focus on chronic conditions known to cause lymphedema, such as cancer treatments or diabetes, among others. others. Obviously, your scope of practice should align with the chronic conditions in which you are certified. I will discuss in more detail how to position your scope of practice to build stronger relationships with physicians in future posts. But for now, it’s important to know that not being clear about how your scope of practice aligns with the standards of care for a specific disease state may be the reason for your difficulty obtaining referrals or physician collaborations.
Finally, we need to gain a clear understanding of the “lay of the field,” not only within the clinical healthcare environment, but also within the new payment system that rewards doctors and hospitals for improving the quality of care. Pay-for-Performance is a term for initiatives aimed at improving the quality, efficiency, and overall value of healthcare. These arrangements provide financial incentives to hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers to make such improvements and achieve optimal patient outcomes.
Performance pay has become popular with lawmakers and private and public payers, including Medicare and Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act expands the use of pay-for-performance approaches in Medicare in particular and encourages experimentation to identify designs and programs that are most effective. I see this as another opportunity to expand your mission by demonstrating how you can help increase measures of quality, efficiencies in care, decrease gaps in care, and deliver value in optimal health outcomes.
Therefore, in part 2 of this post, I will clarify what we mean by population-based health management within the constraints of integrative health practice. In fact, we may need clarification on several terms now being used in healthcare settings, such as integration, quality measures, and how understanding these key components within clinical settings can help you establish yourself as a viable member of the healthcare team. healthcare and secure your position as an expert in your field.
Until then, stay well my friends as you help move people toward the truth of wellness with hope, love, and laughter!
