Functional Medicine’s “Therapeutic Partnership”: Re-envisioning Patient-Provider Communication

Author ORCiD

0000-0003-2395-5531

College

College of Arts and Letters

Department

English

Graduate Level

Doctoral

Graduate Program/Concentration

Rhetoric

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Abstract

While conventional medicine can boast many successes, its track record with the chronically ill is unacceptable and the number of adults with chronic conditions continues to climb—some researchers even call it a “crisis” (Holman, 2020). The high use of complementary and alternative therapies by the chronically ill also indicates that this population is actively looking for forms of treatment beyond what conventional medicine offers (Falci, Shi, & Greenlee, 2016). Functional Medicine (FM) presents itself as a solution to this crisis; in 2019, a study showed that after six months, FM patients scored higher on a global physical health assessment compared to those seen in a primary care clinic (Pacetti, 2019). Functional Medicine providers are specifically trained to establish a “therapeutic partnership” with their patients, and this concept defines their whole communicative approach. This partnership is revolutionary in medicine in that it aims to transform the patient from a passive receiver of information into an active participant in their care. This approach acknowledges that chronic illness often defies the logic of the symptom-diagnosis-medicate model, and dealing with such complex medical issues demands a rhetorical approach that acknowledges the problem as multifaceted and rhizomatic. Understanding what differentiates FM from other medical models is key to creating and establishing wellness for all patients, not just FM patients. This research seeks to understand the rhetorical philosophy of FM, especially as it serves to provide an intervention that can transform medical communication.

References

Falci, L., Shi, Z., Greenlee, H. (2016). Multiple chronic conditions and use of complementary and alternative medicine among US adults: Results from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13(E61), 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd13.150501

Holman H. R. (2020). The Relation of the Chronic Disease Epidemic to the Health Care Crisis. ACR open rheumatology, 2(3), 167–173. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr2.11114

Pacetti, A. (2019, October 25). Cleveland Clinic study finds functional medicine model is associated with improvements in health-related quality of life: Functional medicine addresses the root causes of chronic disease [Press release]. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/10/25/cleveland-clinic-study-finds-functional-medicine-model-is-associated-with-improvements-in-health-related-quality-of-life/#:~:text=Approximately%2031%25%20of%20patients%20seen,by%205%20points%20or%20more

Keywords

medical rhetoric, patient-provider communication, chronic illness, functional medicine, complementary and alternative health, medical humanities

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Functional Medicine’s “Therapeutic Partnership”: Re-envisioning Patient-Provider Communication

While conventional medicine can boast many successes, its track record with the chronically ill is unacceptable and the number of adults with chronic conditions continues to climb—some researchers even call it a “crisis” (Holman, 2020). The high use of complementary and alternative therapies by the chronically ill also indicates that this population is actively looking for forms of treatment beyond what conventional medicine offers (Falci, Shi, & Greenlee, 2016). Functional Medicine (FM) presents itself as a solution to this crisis; in 2019, a study showed that after six months, FM patients scored higher on a global physical health assessment compared to those seen in a primary care clinic (Pacetti, 2019). Functional Medicine providers are specifically trained to establish a “therapeutic partnership” with their patients, and this concept defines their whole communicative approach. This partnership is revolutionary in medicine in that it aims to transform the patient from a passive receiver of information into an active participant in their care. This approach acknowledges that chronic illness often defies the logic of the symptom-diagnosis-medicate model, and dealing with such complex medical issues demands a rhetorical approach that acknowledges the problem as multifaceted and rhizomatic. Understanding what differentiates FM from other medical models is key to creating and establishing wellness for all patients, not just FM patients. This research seeks to understand the rhetorical philosophy of FM, especially as it serves to provide an intervention that can transform medical communication.

References

Falci, L., Shi, Z., Greenlee, H. (2016). Multiple chronic conditions and use of complementary and alternative medicine among US adults: Results from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13(E61), 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd13.150501

Holman H. R. (2020). The Relation of the Chronic Disease Epidemic to the Health Care Crisis. ACR open rheumatology, 2(3), 167–173. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr2.11114

Pacetti, A. (2019, October 25). Cleveland Clinic study finds functional medicine model is associated with improvements in health-related quality of life: Functional medicine addresses the root causes of chronic disease [Press release]. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/10/25/cleveland-clinic-study-finds-functional-medicine-model-is-associated-with-improvements-in-health-related-quality-of-life/#:~:text=Approximately%2031%25%20of%20patients%20seen,by%205%20points%20or%20more