Naturopathic Medical Organizations Jointly Issue White Paper on Whole-Person Care to Commemorate International Day of Natural Medicine

Against the backdrop of the International Day of Natural Medicine, the Institute for Natural Medicine and the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians announced the joint publication of a white paper designed to raise awareness of the principles of naturopathic medicine and reaffirm the profession’s commitment to a collaborative model of clinical care.

The paper, Naturopathic Physicians as Whole Health Specialists, The Future is Whole Person Health Care, provides supporting evidence for the profession’s significant contributions to preventive, whole-person care while citing effective models of integrative practice that have called on the expertise of naturopathic physicians in both primary and specialty care environments.

The 44-page paper was issued at a time when the nation’s healthcare workforce is facing a significant undersupply of physicians to meet the growing needs of a system encumbered by pandemic-related requirements. The authors’ intention is to demonstrate how licensed naturopathic physicians, who have graduated from accredited naturopathic medical schools, are uniquely equipped to address this workforce dilemma, respond to healthcare disparities, curb increasing costs, manage chronic conditions, stimulate a passion for prevention and health promotion strategies, and solve some of the challenges associated with declining patient satisfaction in healthcare today.

“This white paper is a timely tool for informing the medical community about naturopathic medicine and how it is strengthening systems of care with evidence-based approaches for addressing chronic disease,” said Michelle Simon, PhD, ND, president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Natural Medicine and one of the paper’s 11 section contributors. “I have worked alongside medical doctors and other healthcare providers throughout my 19 years in clinical practice; our patients have come to rely on this multidisciplinary approach, and this paper reveals a clear roadmap for how collaboration among naturopathic doctors and other healthcare providers can be maximized in clinical, hospital, and academic settings,” she concluded.

The paper also features case studies that illustrate naturopathic approaches to conditions such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) and Long-Haul COVID-19, as well as a research section that summarizes successful clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, depression, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses and diseases.

“Policymakers are scrambling to find ways to expand the healthcare workforce, improve patient outcomes, and lower costs,” said Laura Farr, executive director of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and one of the paper’s contributors. “This white paper provides the framework for how naturopathic medicine has the research behind it for cost effectiveness and patient outcomes, and a foundation of preventive patient-centered philosophy now known to be critical in achieving a more effective healthcare system,” she continued. “We call on all policymakers to take immediate action to remove barriers in the healthcare system currently preventing the rapid deployment of naturopathic physicians into all healthcare environments.”