“Integrative medicine is well poised to address these challenges through regular engagement, by increasing motivation, and by incorporating lifestyle-based support,” said Dr. Christopher Knee, ND, MSc, medical education and research manager, the integrative medical advisory team at Fullscript. “Those lifestyle-based behaviours include nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and sleep.”
The study revealed that 93 percent of the 605 patients surveyed felt that at least some change was needed to improve their health, and as they continued to work with their practitioners, they became more ready to change. In addition, patients felt most successful with changing their supplement intake and dietary or nutrition behaviours but reported that lifestyle treatments such as stress management, physical activity, or improving sleep habits were harder to follow.
The most common barriers to adherence and behavioural change for patients working with integrative practitioners were cost, time, and motivation.
“Practitioners can use techniques such as motivational interviewing, and other measurement tools such as patient questionnaires, to determine which barriers are most impactful to a patient or the areas where they may need extra support,” Knee added. “The goal is to identify whether patients are ready to change, and what type of support they need to feel empowered.”
Strategies such as providing education and simplifying treatment plans; receiving monitoring and feedback from practitioners; and setting up goals, plans, and commitments, were all impactful. Additionally, the use of evidence-based technologies was found to be a cost-effective means for practitioners to deliver successful behavioural change support.
The ultimate goal of the study was to better equip practitioners to support long-term change and improve health outcomes for their patients.
You can view and download the entire behavioural change report here. To learn more about Fullscript, go to Fullscript.com.
