Anu Räisänen, director of HealthEU Initiatives & assistant professor, co-authored an article emphasizing the importance of integrating lifestyle medicine competencies into the education of future clinicians. The article, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, discusses the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s Partial Academic Pathway program, which aims to incorporate lifestyle medicine content into various health professions programs. By empowering future clinicians with the skills to prevent, manage, and reverse lifestyle-related chronic conditions, this initiative is expected to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and enhance clinician satisfaction. Räisänen and her colleagues highlight the crucial role that physical and occupational therapists play in health promotion and managing lifestyle-related conditions. They provide examples of how different programs have implemented lifestyle medicine competencies, emphasizing evidence-based interventions focusing on nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, social connection, and avoiding risky substances. This work underscores the transformative potential of lifestyle medicine in healthcare education and practice, preparing healthcare professionals to address chronic diseases through lifestyle interventions. The integration of these competencies into curricula is essential in empowering future clinicians to meet the growing demand for holistic and preventative healthcare.
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