Integrative medicine primary care: assessing the practice model through patients' experiences

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Primary Care
• Patient Experience Research

Background:

• The University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (UAIHC) was an innovative adult primary care clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.
• UAIHC utilized a hybrid payment model to offer comprehensive healthcare services.
• The clinic integrated conventional and complementary medical treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient experiences at the University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (UAIHC).
• To assess the fidelity of integrative medicine (IM) care delivery based on patient-reported outcomes.
• To understand patient perceptions of holistic care, provider communication, and overall satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Patient surveys were administered to 83 individuals visiting UAIHC between September 2013 and February 2015.
• Data collection occurred on 10 randomly selected days during the study period.
• Surveys focused on holistic care, health promotion, practitioner relationships, and patient satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Eighty-three patients completed the surveys.
• Patient-reported experiences indicated that UAIHC effectively delivered integrative medicine (IM) care aligned with its defined practice model.
• The findings suggest successful implementation of the intended IM care delivery process.

Conclusions:

• Patients experienced holistic care at UAIHC.
• Positive and caring relationships were established between patients and providers.
• Providers actively promoted patient self-care and well-being, leading to high overall satisfaction.