Many healthcare providers are taking a new approach to patient treatment by incorporating strategies that encourage preventative action. As of 2022, the top ten hospital systems in the United States were all offering whole person care services like acupuncture, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had incorporated whole person care strategies in 90% of their 1,200 clinics and hospitals across the country. (6) Keep reading to learn about whole person care and how it can benefit you.
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What is whole person care?
Whole person care is a person-centered approach to medicine. Healthcare providers don’t just look at disease symptoms and the area of the body they affect but rather at the person as a whole. (1)(5) Since all bodily systems are interconnected, whole person care encourages health throughout the entire body. Providers investigate a wide range of factors—from biological makeup to behavioral factors, like diet, exercise, sleep, and substance use, and environmental factors, like living conditions and economic status. (5)
Whole person care also factors in a patient’s personal beliefs, values, and goals. This can mean tailoring treatment plans to align with a patient’s religion, overall health aspirations, and personal values regarding what type of medicinal products they consume. (7)
Often, whole person care will incorporate several different treatment modalities. (9) A 2020 review showed that around 53% of US healthcare providers recommended at least one whole person health approach to their patients. Massage therapy was most commonly recommended, followed by chiropractic and osteopathic care, herbal supplements, yoga, and acupuncture. (8)
Why is whole person care important?
Factors like diet, fitness and stress levels, and sleep quality can all impact health status and lead to disease if the body’s needs aren’t met. Many diseases can also coexist with each other, meaning if you have one, there’s a greater chance that you could develop the other. Looking at the whole picture of a patient’s life can help healthcare providers discover the root of the problem. Only treating the symptoms of a disease may temporarily help the problem, but digging deeper to find the root of the problem means a higher chance of healing it permanently and keeping your body healthier overall. (5)
Additionally, conventional medicine providers often see so many patients in a day that they have only a few minutes to spend with each one. Providers of whole person medicine are able to spend more time with each patient to better understand their unique situation and offer personalized treatment strategies for optimized results.
How does whole person care work?
When first visiting a whole person care provider, a patient may be asked to fill out an intake form and detail their family disease history, personal disease and injury history, alcohol consumption, exercise frequency, and more. These details will all give the healthcare provider a better overall picture of a patient’s life and health.
Depending on the type of provider, a patient may be referred to other specialized practitioners, such as a dietitian or a massage therapist, whose services could be complementary and beneficial.
Healthcare providers may also order labs to test different areas of the body to ensure patients maintain healthy levels for all important functioning components. They may also prescribe dietary supplements to address nutrient deficiencies or promote healthy bodily systems. Overall, the treatment strategy will be entirely personalized. (10)
How has whole person care helped already?
While more studies examining the benefits of whole person care are needed, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is one organization that has been leading the way towards integrating whole person strategies into the current healthcare system. Their Whole Health System of Care and Whole Health approach aims to identify the root causes of chronic diseases among veterans to improve overall health and well-being. To do this, they combine integrative health strategies like acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, and biofeedback with conventional treatments. (5)
One study including over 400 surveys sent to veterans found that yoga decreased perceived stress levels, tai chi improved physical and mental functioning as well as anxiety levels, and meditation improved physical functioning. (2)
In 2022, another study found that prescribed opioid doses decreased by 12% when whole person care strategies were implemented in veteran treatment plans compared to conventional-only treatment plans. (11)
Furthermore, studies into irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treatment have shown that both providers and patients feel that there’s a gap in the effectiveness of conventional treatments for IBS. These studies show that whole person care approaches, such as increasing dietary fiber intake and exercise levels and introducing herbal medicines, acupuncture, massage, and behavioral therapy techniques, either alone or alongside conventional care, are beneficial and improve patient quality of life. (3)
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is also conducting studies examining how whole person care approaches, like acupuncture, yoga, massage, and more, can help with post-treatment care and recovery. (4)
The future of medicine with whole person care
Whole person care is an approach to medicine that emphasizes preventative strategies and personalized treatment to achieve optimal health levels in every patient. While research is preliminiary, patients are reporting better experiences and results, and more conventional clinics are starting to adopt whole person care strategies alongside their traditional treatment methods.
Ready to start delivering better patient care?
