From the Research
Career Prospects in Functional Medicine
- The field of functional medicine is growing, with a increasing number of healthcare practitioners investing in the necessary training to apply functional medicine interventions with their patients 1.
- However, the challenges of sustaining a functional medicine practice in the fee-for-service reimbursement system have restricted access to functional medicine, pushing many practitioners to operate outside of the third-party payer system in small, cash-based practice models 1.
- Despite these challenges, studies have shown that functional medicine can be successfully practiced in a standard primary care setting, with active participation in the local community, efficient office visits, and a focus on teaching simple concepts to patients 2.
Key Factors for a Thriving Profession
- The ability to invest time with patients, particularly at the onset of the relationship, is crucial for successfully finding and addressing the causes of chronic disease 1.
- The use of a systems biology approach, which translates the emerging understanding of the gene-environment regulation of the structure and function of the individual into clinical practice, can improve clinical decision making in the treatment of patients with complex chronic disease 3.
- A mutual partnership between functional medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) can benefit both fields, with physiatrists capitalizing on addressing the root causes and downstream effects in patients with chronic diseases 4.
Patient-Reported Outcomes
- Studies have shown that the functional medicine model of care is associated with beneficial and sustainable improvements in patient-reported health-related quality-of-life outcomes, including physical and mental health 5.
- Patients treated in a functional medicine setting have exhibited significantly larger improvements in health-related quality-of-life outcomes compared to patients treated in a primary care setting 5.