Räisänen publishes article on the implementation of lifestyle medicine in Health Professions

Anu M. Räisänen, director of HealthEU Initiatives & assistant professor, alongside co-authors from Linn County Mental Health and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, has published an article on the integration of lifestyle medicine into health professions education.

The article, titled “Integrating Lifestyle Medicine Content into Health Professions Programs,” highlights the importance of incorporating lifestyle medicine competencies into curricula to empower future clinicians with the skills necessary for the prevention, management and reversal of lifestyle-related chronic conditions.

The research, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, details the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Partial Academic Pathway program. This initiative aims to integrate lifestyle medicine content into various graduate level health professions programs, including physical therapy and occupational therapy. The integration of lifestyle medicine competencies into health professions curricula is expected to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and enhance clinician satisfaction.

Räisänen and her colleagues emphasize the significant role that physical and occupational therapists play in health promotion and the management of lifestyle-related conditions. In the article, they describe how different programs have implemented the lifestyle medicine competencies and provide a case example from a doctor of physical therapy curriculum.

This work underscores the potential of lifestyle medicine to transform healthcare education and practice, preparing future healthcare professionals to address chronic diseases through evidence-based lifestyle interventions that focus on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, social connection and avoidance of risky substances.