Hearing on Integrative/Preventive/Functional Medicine

[facetguy]

2 things occurred this week in the world of Integrative Medicine:

1) Senate hearing with Drs. Oz, Weil, Hyman and Ornish:
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_02_26/2009_02_26.html (almost 3 hours long)

2) Institute of Medicine's 'Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public'.
www.iom.edu/integrativemedicine

These types of discussions will become more frequent and will be taken more seriously over time, particularly as the current medical system acknowledges its lack of success with treating, let alone preventing, many chronic conditions.

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[Dirt]

2 things occurred this week in the world of Integrative Medicine:

1) Senate hearing with Drs. Oz, Weil, Hyman and Ornish:
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_02_26/2009_02_26.html (almost 3 hours long)

2) Institute of Medicine's 'Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public'.
www.iom.edu/integrativemedicine

These types of discussions will become more frequent and will be taken more seriously over time, particularly as the current medical system acknowledges its lack of success with treating, let alone preventing, many chronic conditions.

That vid is way to long, perhaps you can summarize it for me.

 

[niranjan162]

Im watching it now,

The first half hour, in which Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, Director, Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY testifies, is alot about intergrating alternative medicine like acupunture and the like with EBM. Then there's some talk about creating a "culture of wellness" and making it easier for people to make healthier choices.

Apparently one of the senators overseeing the hearing had a friend whose live was "saved" by alternative medicine.

Dr. Oz makes a comment about how people need to demand that healthcare become a service where doctors make the customer (patient) happy. This is done by making it more competitive. "They do this down the street, how come you guys don't do that here"-Dr. Oz type of medicine.

He also brings up the concept of health coachs. He says NPs and PAs would be better for this role, because doctors wouldnt be interested in doing it. Trained volunteers can also do the job.

The second hour
Dr. Mark Hyman, Founder and Medical Director, The UltraWellness Center, Lenox, MA
Talks about how we need more low tech approaches which work better than lots of medications etc. He talks about a few of his cases. He mentions a program which was closed after a year because it didnt reimburse anything. He basically wants to revamp medical thinking and medical education ( at both the med school and residency level), to push for more preventive care i.e. (according to him) low tech, lifestyle change modalities.

Dr. Dean Ornish, Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, CA
Talks about preventing diseases by changing lifestyle, including cancer. He quotes studies where insurance companies save 30-50% by advocating lifestyle changes. Says Healthcare should be a team effort with the doc as the Quaterback.

Dr. Andy Weil, Director, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, Vail, AZ
Says doctors arent trained to use low tech interventions. Suggests breathing techniques, says people can use it to stop atrial fibrillation.

 

[facetguy]

Some follow-up reporting on the event:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-rose-levy/day-of-reckoning-in-healt_b_169742.html

There are some worthwhile quotes from several key figures within.

As one quote points out, the need to develop "proactive healthcare rather than reactive healthcare" seems obvious but will also be painfully slow to implement.