Expert Consensus Statement Defines Best Practices for Integrating Lifestyle Medicine into Primary Care
A multidisciplinary panel assembled by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has recently published an expert consensus statement that outlines the implementation of lifestyle medicine in primary care. This statement aims to provide support and guidance to clinicians in helping their patients achieve optimal health outcomes in primary care settings.
A Game-Changing Advancement in Healthcare
The study, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, marks a significant milestone for the field of lifestyle medicine. Lifestyle medicine is a rapidly growing medical specialty that utilizes therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary approach to treating chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. This expert panel is the first to describe the integration of lifestyle medicine into primary care, making it a groundbreaking development.
Improving Patient Outcomes and Quality of Life
By adopting a lifestyle medicine approach in primary care, where disease risk factors and symptoms are often first detected, healthcare providers have the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life. The statement highlights that the evaluation and management of chronic diseases account for approximately 80% of medical encounters, largely due to lifestyle choices that influence the leading causes of mortality.
Alignment with National Recommendations
Lifestyle medicine aligns with many of the recommendations outlined in the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2021 report, “Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: Rebuilding the Foundation of Health Care.” This alignment further emphasizes the importance and relevance of lifestyle medicine in primary care settings.
Expert Panel’s Insights
The expert panel, consisting of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, a clinical psychologist, and other health professionals practicing lifestyle medicine, used a modified Delphi Survey to achieve consensus on 65 statements. These statements were divided into 10 categories, covering various aspects of lifestyle medicine integration into primary care.
Key Consensus Statements
Some of the key statements that achieved consensus include:
- “Optimal lifestyle medicine services in primary care are best delivered through a multi-disciplinary team approach utilizing a qualified clinician lead and qualified supporting health professionals.”
- “Effective deprescribing of medications is an essential part of safe and effective lifestyle intervention treatment.”
Rising Interest in Lifestyle Medicine
Interest in lifestyle medicine has been steadily increasing in recent years as awareness grows about the unsustainable trajectory of chronic diseases in the United States. More than 60% of U.S. adults and an alarmingly rising number of children have already been diagnosed with at least one chronic disease, while 40% have two or more.
A Growing Movement
Since the certification of lifestyle medicine by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) in 2017, over 5,000 physicians and other health professionals have earned certification in this field. Medical education institutions and health systems, including the U.S. military, are increasingly incorporating lifestyle medicine into their practices. Currently, more than 300 residency programs incorporate the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC), and student-led Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups (LMIGs) are present on 132 U.S. campuses.
Future Directions
The expert consensus statement also calls for further research to explore reimbursement models that make the incorporation of lifestyle medicine economically sustainable for clinicians. Additionally, the panel highlights the need for guidelines to better define Intensive Therapeutic Lifestyle Change intervention (ITLC) and determine how lifestyle medicine can effectively address the social determinants of health.
Conclusion
The publication of this expert consensus statement is a significant step forward in integrating lifestyle medicine into primary care. By raising awareness and providing guidance, the statement aims to inform clinicians as they transition to a healthcare delivery model that places lifestyle medicine at the foundation of all healthcare.
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