A good relationship between a patient and a physician is crucial and could become a lifetime — and life-saving — connection. Personally, I do something I like to call the HOPE Note when I see patients. This stands for Healing Oriented Practices and Environments Note. It is essentially a set of questions physicians can ask their patients that address the underlying determinants of their […]

There are many instances of successful merges between faith-based care and health care which reveal a substantial pool of best practices for confronting the challenging work of bridging the gap. As we’ve seen this year, more and more people are seeking different ways to remain healthy and take part in healing environments—wherever they may be. […]

Integrative primary care is the coordinated delivery of evidence-based conventional medical care, complementary medicine and lifestyle medicine within a primary care practice. Incorporating integrative medicine into mainstream primary care practices enables providers to: Deliver higher quality care Improve patient outcomes and satisfaction Lower costs Reduce burnout. Here are 7 ways to add integrative primary care […]

“Healing Tools” summaries are a collection of evidence-based resources to help providers and patients use integrative health approaches to improve health and wellbeing. The tool below is for patients with cancer and their family members as well as providers working with patients with cancer. To see more Healing Tools use this link and to learn about […]

Inevitably in life, we or a family member will get sick or hurt at some point. Sometimes it will build slowly, and other times it pops up out of nowhere. That is why understanding the role of a patient advocate will help make a stressful time more manageable. Thankfully, we now have more resources to […]

Social distancing is essential in helping flatten the COVID-19 curve but it’s also having a devastating effect on our patients’ physical, mental and spiritual health. Nearly half of American adults are feeling socially isolated from family and friends and are struggling to maintain their health, according to the Social Distancing Survey by Harris Poll. Social […]

Written by Jenny Leyh—mother, freelance writer, cancer survivor, and integrative health advocate living in Haddon Heights, New Jersey Confidence in your medical care is critical to your health. Ideally, you have a strong relationship with your doctor, one in which you feel comfortable opening up to them about your physical health as well as the […]

I’ve come to recognize the look of skepticism from new patients. Should they trust me? Will I listen? Will I be a partner to them? I don’t take it personally. I’ve been a patient, too, and unfortunately, understand the situation all too well. You wait for what feels like an eternity for an appointment. Then […]

It is no secret that medicine needs to be reimagined. For one, only about 15 to 20 percent of health-related outcomes are because of medical interventions. The rest are related to health behaviors such as diet, physical activity, smoking status, as well as the physical, social, and economic environment affecting a person’s ability to make […]

Our healthcare system is in flux. As we live longer and embrace changes in lifestyle and environment, we are also being overwhelmed by an increase in chronic disease diagnoses, and the expensive treatments that come with them. To keep up with these changes the fundamental approach of our healthcare system is beginning to move toward […]