Marissa Khajavi, Delia Chiaramonte, Beth Hogans, Jacob Blumenthal, Leslie Katzel, Jeffrey Beans, Jamie Giffuni, Elizabeth A Dennis
{"title":"Development of an Integrative Medicine Rotation for Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine Residency.","authors":"Marissa Khajavi, Delia Chiaramonte, Beth Hogans, Jacob Blumenthal, Leslie Katzel, Jeffrey Beans, Jamie Giffuni, Elizabeth A Dennis","doi":"10.12788/fp.0544","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Integrative medicine or complementary and alternative medicine (IM/CAM) is widely utilized by patients despite the limited training available across health care education. There is a gap between patient interest and the need for guidance amid a lack of preparation among clinicians in IM/CAM. To address this, the Baltimore Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center created a US Department of Veterans Affairs-based whole health rotation that incorporates core IM/CAM competencies for family medicine and preventive medicine residents.</p><p><strong>Observations: </strong>A structured 2-week IM/CAM curriculum was developed by medical school faculty in cooperation with a range of health care professionals. Assessments, including surveys and a case analysis, measured overall program satisfaction, perception of IM/CAM modalities, IM/CAM knowledge, confidence in pain care, self-care perception, self-care practice, and burnout symptom frequency. Residents participating in the IM/CAM rotation reported positive experiences overall, gained knowledge for their own personal benefit, and acquired resources and skills they felt confident discussing with their patients. They also reported a slight decrease in feelings of burnout and perceived stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>IM/CAM education, delivered as a standardized family medicine rotation, enhances resident capacity to make informed decisions and counsel patients on IM/CAM options, while also providing strategies for maintaining optimal health and well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":94009,"journal":{"name":"Federal practitioner : for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS","volume":"42 1","pages":"35-41f"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12169625/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Federal practitioner : for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.12788/fp.0544","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/15 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Integrative medicine or complementary and alternative medicine (IM/CAM) is widely utilized by patients despite the limited training available across health care education. There is a gap between patient interest and the need for guidance amid a lack of preparation among clinicians in IM/CAM. To address this, the Baltimore Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center created a US Department of Veterans Affairs-based whole health rotation that incorporates core IM/CAM competencies for family medicine and preventive medicine residents.
Observations: A structured 2-week IM/CAM curriculum was developed by medical school faculty in cooperation with a range of health care professionals. Assessments, including surveys and a case analysis, measured overall program satisfaction, perception of IM/CAM modalities, IM/CAM knowledge, confidence in pain care, self-care perception, self-care practice, and burnout symptom frequency. Residents participating in the IM/CAM rotation reported positive experiences overall, gained knowledge for their own personal benefit, and acquired resources and skills they felt confident discussing with their patients. They also reported a slight decrease in feelings of burnout and perceived stress.
Conclusions: IM/CAM education, delivered as a standardized family medicine rotation, enhances resident capacity to make informed decisions and counsel patients on IM/CAM options, while also providing strategies for maintaining optimal health and well-being.