For years, the healthcare system has approached patient care in a very particular way. The primary consideration is the patient’s physical condition, almost to the exclusion of anything else. As soon as the patient arrives at the doctor’s office, the physician embarks on a process of diagnosis and treatment, with little regard for their other needs.
For many progressive healthcare practitioners, however, this approach is lacking. A person is more than their diagnosis and symptoms: they are a human being too, with both emotional and spiritual aspects. Traditional care doesn’t address these elements and, therefore, fails to maximize the value of its service.
Data from Bradley University, however, suggests that this paradigm is changing thanks to something called “integrative care.” The idea here is to offer patients an array of services that address both their physical, mental, and spiritual needs. So, for instance, if you’re diagnosed with cancer, your healthcare provider might offer both chemotherapy AND counseling.
When you think about it, this approach makes a lot of sense. Research suggests that the way we feel can have an impact on health outcomes. Individuals with a positive, healthy, happy mindset tend to overcome disease faster than those who view their condition negatively.
Are you interested in how healthcare might be changing for the better? If so, then please check out the following infographic. It charts how integrative care works, why people prefer it, the benefits that it offers, and the results among patients. It supports the idea that healthcare needs to move beyond merely diagnosing and treating symptoms.
Infographic by Bradley University
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