IFM increases awareness of functional medicine through education, strategic communication, and establishing connections with patients, practitioners, policymakers, and individuals, with specific focus on the following priority areas:
Reducing Chronic Disease
Functional medicine education ensures a deeper understanding of how to evaluate and address the root causes of chronic disease (or conditions) with targeted interventions that can prevent disease progression and improve patient outcomes. Through a better understanding of root causes such as lifestyle factors, genetics, and environmental influences, IFM-trained and certified practitioners promote preventive measures based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning, reducing the need for costly treatments and alleviating the burden of chronic diseases on individuals and healthcare systems.
Improving Cost and Reimbursement
Cost and limited reimbursement of functional medicine care and practice directly impact the accessibility and affordability of a personalized approach to care. Advocating for fair reimbursement rates and coverage for functional medicine services incentivizes healthcare providers to adopt these approaches, expands patient access to identify root causes of dysfunction, and ultimately reduces overall healthcare costs by emphasizing preventive and personalized care.
Promoting Population Health
Promoting health equity, reducing disparities, and creating environments that support healthy living help to address the underlying social determinants of health that contribute to inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes. Advocacy efforts, including the expansion of functional medicine training for practitioners and education for patients, is critical to this work. Ensuring all individuals have access to a personalized approach to care improves population health and creates more equitable opportunities for all to achieve optimal health and well-being.
IFM Welcomes Embrace of Whole Health Approach to Healthcare
A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report concluded that a whole health approach results in a better patient experience and patient-reported outcomes, increased access to care, reduced emergency room use and hospitalizations, and improved clinical quality metrics.
The Hunger, Nutrition, and Health strategy has never been more important than it is today with the continued rise of chronic diseases in the US. Functional medicine providers are uniquely positioned to utilize personalized nutritional approaches in disease prevention and empowering their patients in their trajectory to health and well-being."
IFM and Its Leadership Support the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
In support of this national effort, IFM is proud to work alongside functional medicine practitioners and community partners to decrease the incidence of chronic disease and elevate the role of nutrition and lifestyle changes in the transformation of health for all.
Become a Functional Medicine Advocate
Looking for a simple and concise way to talk about functional medicine to friends, family, patients, and colleagues?