Background: Chronic pain affects nearly 116 million American adults at an estimated cost of up to $635 billion annually and is the No. 1 condition for which patients seek care at integrative medicine clinics. In our Study on Integrative Medicine Treatment Approaches for Pain (SIMTAP), we observed the impact of an integrative approach on chronic pain and a number of other related patient-reported outcome measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData supporting the efficacy and cost effectiveness of an integrative approach to healthcare comes from three sources: medical research conducted at universities, studies carried out by corporations developing employee wellness programs, and pilot projects run by insurance companies. The integrative approaches being studied place the patient at the center of the care and address the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental influences that affect a person's health. Most importantly, they promote prevention by engaging the whole person in the attainment of a personalized lifestyle that supports health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this introduction, we describe the overall context and rationale for the Depression in Primary Care program and the design and implementation of its key components, especially emphasizing its unique combined clinical and economic/systems framework. We also discuss some of the new challenges and opportunities that may impact the program's evolution and the state of behavioral health care more generally. We conclude with some thoughts on potential future scenarios and strategies for improving the quality of behavioral health care, including the treatment of depression in primary care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver the past decade philanthropic giving for health has increased dramatically, but giving for mental health has not kept pace. Historically, foundations have been key partners in efforts to improve care for people with mental disorders, and foundation funding has influenced the evolution of U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF