VIDEO: How to implement whole-person primary care
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Implementing whole-person care is both achievable and beneficial for primary care practices, according to Wayne B. Jonas, MD, president of Healing Works Foundation.
In a recent article published in Annals of Family Medicine, Jonas and colleagues described the implementation of a whole-person care model, the HOPE Note Toolkit, in 16 practices across the United States.
“About 2 years ago, the National Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Sciences came out with a report on transforming primary care to whole-person care. Now, those of us who practice in primary care know that you have to take care of the whole person to really do it right,” Jonas told Healio. “The whole cliché is that you have to deal with the person’s mind, body and spirit, and that’s not far off.”
However, physicians in the U.S. are part of a system that does not support that type of care, Jonas said. So, he and his team offered a look at how to effectively integrate whole-person care into practice, including resources on how to bill appropriately.
“Doing a whole-person care visit ... is something easy that you can do and can start tomorrow,” Jonas said.