Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist Competencies: 2023 Expert Consensus Update

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Lifestyle Medicine
• Professional Competencies

Background:

• Lifestyle medicine (LM) focuses on evidence-based lifestyle interventions.
• Intensive, therapeutic lifestyle change (ITLC) requires specialized skills.
• A prior set of competencies needed updating and expansion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and define the core competencies for LM Intensivists.
• To establish a skill set for intensive lifestyle medicine practice.
• To create a standard for LM Intensivist certification.

Main Methods:

• Expert consensus process involving a panel of specialists.
• Revision and expansion of a previously published competency list.
• Modified Delphi process for achieving consensus on proposed changes.

Main Results:

• The initial 34 competencies were revised and expanded.
• Six key domains of practice were maintained: Learning/Improvement, Patient Care, Systems-Based Practice, Medical Knowledge, Communication, and Professionalism.
• A final consensus was reached on 46 competency statements for LM Intensivists.

Conclusions:

• The defined competencies delineate the scope of practice for LM Intensivists.
• These statements provide a benchmark for the desired skill set in intensive lifestyle medicine.
• The competencies serve as a foundation for the certification of LM Intensivists.