Though 2017 is closing with a booming stock market that equals wealth for the U.S., the subject of health [care] for our population will not end quite as positively. In addition to rising insurance costs and deductibles, the U.S. population is dealing with deep-seated confusion and anxiety over tax reform law that takes coverage away from millions, and threatens medicine. We live within a broken system with few incentives to
There is an incredible amount of inaccurate information on holistic, integrative, and alternative approaches to preventing cancer, treating cancer, managing the symptoms of cancer treatment, and supporting long-term survival. The importance of clarifying and disseminating vital information led to the founding of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) in 2003. The organization’s mission is to bring scientific rigor to the evolving field, and to help translate these findings to most
Consumers today expect responsiveness, authentic attention, and a high-quality experience—virtual or physical—from each and every one of their transactional relationships. This is non-negotiable. It’s a must-have. Does the end-to-end customer experience your organization delivers align with a service ethos that drives retention, ensures loyalty, and creates fervent word-of-mouth referrals? A Level of Customer Service and Convenience Unimaginable until Recently Take Amazon one-click purchasing, while at home in your pajamas, from
Quality: It’s a Clinical Issue Dietary supplements have become an integral part of American life—and American healthcare. Despite the recession, the supplement industry has grown steadily at 5%-6% per year–twice the rate of OTC drugs. According to a 2011 report from the National Center for Health Statistics, more than half of all U.S. adults regularly take supplements. A 2016 survey sponsored by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, puts the figure
The Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine & Health has grown to over 70 members comprising leading academic institutions, hospitals, and health systems. Its members are actively involved in clinical services, research, and educational programming specific to the field of integrative health and medicine. Is there any doubt that medical school curricula will follow this same trajectory? It’s actually been happening for some time, but only recently thrust into the news
If given a cancer diagnosis, we each ultimately determine whom to trust to manage our care. We are in control of how we research, consider, and source treatment options, and the best path toward long-term survival. Though there can be geographical access issues, financial considerations, and legal limitations to weigh, the choices are largely ours to make. For some folks, closely-held faith-based or spiritual beliefs influence the type of care
Practitioner brands must deal with an absence of consensus on the criteria that define optimal quality. “Be prepared to compete on the battlefield of quality,” said nutrition industry consultant Michael D. Levin. Speaking at Holistic Primary Care’s 2017 Practitioner Channel Forum, Mr. Levin said he expects, “increased demand for transparency in all channels, but especially in the practitioner channel.” The quality imperative was a recurring theme throughout the Forum, which
Are physician online dietary supplement sales, kickbacks or fee-splitting? The Challenge of Physician Online Dietary Supplement Sales Can physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other healthcare licensees create a legally defensible contractual arrangement with a dietary supplement manufacturer or distributor, in which the healthcare clinician receives a discount, rebate, or commission when referring a patient for online purchase of the manufacturer’s dietary supplements? Let’s take Singularity Supplements, a fictional dietary supplement manufacturer,
If you’re a successful physician, chiropractor, acupuncturist, or other licensed healthcare provider, and you want to provide overflow patients to another practitioner you hire, is it a kickback if you pay that second practitioner as an independent contractor? Are payments to an independent contractor physician a kickback? Kickback Basics Let’s review some kickback basics, to start. Stark (or self-referral) arises when the physician refers patients to an entity in which
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The Rise of Integrative Health & Medicine
By Glenn Sabin and Taylor Walsh
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