Health Care Utilization in an Academic Integrative Medicine Center, 2011-2022.

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Real-World Evidence

Background:

• Patient demand for integrative medicine is rising due to growing evidence and insurance coverage.
• Limited research exists on integrative medicine utilization using electronic health records (EHRs) in real-world settings.
• This study addresses this gap by analyzing EHR data from a large regional health system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the sociodemographic characteristics of adult patients receiving integrative medicine services.
• To analyze healthcare utilization patterns within a large regional health system.
• To identify common reasons for visits and types of services utilized.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal cohort analysis of electronic health records (EHRs) data.
• Inclusion of adult patients (18+) seen at the UCHealth Integrative Medicine Center from April 2011 to December 2022.
• Description of sociodemographic data, insurance types, Social Deprivation Index, reasons for visits, and services rendered.

Main Results:

• The study included 15,157 unique individuals with 95,754 visits over the study period.
• The patient cohort was predominantly female (75%), white (77.2%), with a mean age of 43, and primarily commercially insured (87.1%).
• Top reasons for visits included chronic pain, mental/behavioral health conditions, and obesity, with acupuncture, massage, and physician services being most frequent.

Conclusions:

• This research provides a comprehensive description of a large cohort utilizing integrative medicine services.
• Findings highlight the significant role of integrative medicine in managing chronic pain, mental health, and obesity.
• The study's insights can inform future integrative health care provision, education, research, and policy development.