David Haase, MD, discusses how functional medicine creates health and how it transformed his journey as a clinician.
Functional medicine is a root-cause, whole person approach to care. Providing clinicians with an evaluative method to identify root causes of symptoms and a systems-based approach to therapeutically address disturbances in function that generate those symptoms, functional medicine clinicians are invigorated by the therapeutic relationship with their patients, who are empowered in their health journey.
Benefits for Practitioners
Clinicians choose to practice functional medicine for many reasons, including improved outcomes for patients with chronic conditions and an increased sense of professional satisfaction. With a patient-centered approach, the functional medicine model also honors the practitioner and recognizes the central importance of clinician health and well-being. Functional medicine gives practitioners the tools to effectively care for themselves while caring for others. Other benefits of practicing functional medicine may include:
- A renewed sense of career purpose
- Decreased feelings of burnout or professional fatigue
- Improved work/life balance
- A focus on whole person health, not just management of symptoms
- Designing care strategies that go beyond disease management
- Opportunities for continued learning based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning
- Support from a global network of functional medicine providers
Functional Medicine in Practice
There are many ways for clinicians of various scopes of licensure to practice functional medicine. Functional medicine can be incorporated into nearly every business model, including diverse practice environments, health systems, or institutional and academic settings. The field of functional medicine is growing, and certified practitioners are in high demand, allowing competent clinicians greater flexibility and opportunity.
Practice Opportunities in All Clinical Settings
Private and Group Practices
Many functional medicine clinicians choose to work in or establish private or group practice settings, allowing them to deliver personalized, comprehensive care using a flexible hybrid model. This may incorporate insurance-based, fee-for-service, or membership services, providing a variety of options to meet patient needs. Are you looking for your next role? Explore a variety of opportunities to bring functional medicine care to all patients.
Clinical Systems and Networks
Large institutions and health systems are increasingly recognizing the importance of integrative and functional medicine–trained practitioners. This growing demand reflects a heightened awareness of the value of comprehensive, whole person healthcare. By joining forces with functional medicine experts who expand clinical perspectives, large healthcare systems can increase access to root-cause approaches to patient care. Are you affiliated with a clinic, hospital, or large health system? Encourage your administrators to explore organizational membership and partnership opportunities.
Academic Medicine
IFM partners with leading medical schools to integrate functional medicine–based curriculum into medical school training programs. This enables healthcare students and residents to practice functional medicine from the onset of their careers. Are you an educator? We share a commitment to train the next generation of healthcare practitioners to ensure high quality care at all levels and for all patients. Are you a student? IFM offers an exclusive student membership and tuition program.
Interprofessional Teams
Interprofessional team members offer the personalized support and guidance patients need to successfully build and sustain a lifestyle conducive to healing and optimal well-being. IFM partners with discipline-specific organizations to strengthen care team member competencies and confidence in the functional medicine model. Working together ensures that patients are given comprehensive and compassionate care at every point on the care continuum.
Continuing Education Creates Healthier Outcomes for Patients
Functional medicine provides a new lens for patient care, understanding the deepest causes of their imbalances and addressing health concerns with personalized dietary and lifestyle recommendations. Learn how to effectively integrate these principles in practice through IFM's core curriculum.
REFERENCES
- Beidelschies M, Alejandro-Rodriguez M, Ji X, Lapin B, Hanaway P, Rothberg MB. Association of the functional medicine model of care with patient-reported health-related quality-of-life outcomes. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(10):e1914017. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.14017
- Beidelschies M, Alejandro-Rodriguez M, Guo N, et al. Patient outcomes and costs associated with functional medicine-based care in a shared versus individual setting for patients with chronic conditions: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e048294. doi:1136/bmjopen-2020-048294