Including Lifestyle Medicine in Medical Education: Rationale for American College of Preventive Medicine/American Medical Association Resolution 959

Abstract

Introduced by the American College of Preventive Medicine and released by the American Medical Association House of Delegates in 2017, Resolution 959 (I-17) supports policies and mechanisms that incentivize and/or provide funding for the inclusion of lifestyle medicine education and social determinants of health in undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education. Resolution 959 was passed to help address the current healthcare costs of lifestyle-related, noncommunicable chronic diseases that exert a devastating economic burden on the U.S. healthcare system. Approximately 86% of $2.9 trillion is spent annually on obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, with very poor return on investment for health outcomes. Lifestyle medicine provides an evidence-based solution to the noncommunicable chronic disease epidemic; however, medical education in lifestyle medicine is minimal to nonexistent. This paper provides the case for healthcare innovation to include lifestyle medicine in the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable chronic diseases. Our medical education system recommendation is to provide lifestyle medicine training for prevention and treatment of noncommunicable chronic diseases. Exemplar lifestyle medicine schools are showcased and guidance for reform is highlighted that can be used to aid lifestyle medicine integration across the medical school education continuum. With a transformation of curriculum and development of new policies to support a focus on lifestyle medicine education in medical education across the continuum, a new healthcare model could be successful against noncommunicable chronic diseases and U.S. citizen wellness could become a reality.

An Interactive Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum for Third-Year Medical Students to Promote Student and Patient Wellness

“…Following the recommendations of professional stakeholders to include lifestyle medicine education in undergraduate medical education curricula, our Lifestyle Medicine and Medical Student Wellness workshops are aimed at third-year medical students and designed to enhance their attitude, clinical skills, and self-efficacy in three of these domains: stress management, nutrition, and physical activity. 8,9 Concurrent with the rising prevalence of chronic diseases in their patients, medical students themselves are experiencing high levels of stress, burnout, and a lack of self-efficacy in their own health care promotion. 10 Educating medical students about lifestyle medicine early in their training and providing resources to support their wellness may mitigate burnout and promote resiliency.…”

“…Following the recommendations of professional stakeholders to include lifestyle medicine education in undergraduate medical education curricula, our Lifestyle Medicine and Medical Student Wellness workshops are aimed at third-year medical students and designed to enhance their attitude, clinical skills, and self-efficacy in three of these domains: stress management, nutrition, and physical activity. 8 , 9…”

First University Chair of Lifestyle Medicine in Peru and Latin America

“…Surge entonces en latinoamérica, la necesidad de generar programas y modelos educativos en Medicina del Estilo de Vida, acorde a los avances en USA y Europa.La Universidad Ricardo Palma es pionera y lidera las actividades educativas y de investigación en Medicina del Estilo de Vida en el Perú y en Latinoamérica. Diversos eventos, simposios, congresos nacionales e internacionales, conferencias y talleres han sido organizados para la comunidad médica y de ciencias de la salud.En ese contexto, de manera visionaria desarrollamos la propuesta de la creación de la Cátedra de Medicina del Estilo de Vida en la Universidad Ricardo Palma, con el objetivo de fortalecer desde la universidad las actividades educativas y de investigación, tanto en el pregrado como en el posgrado; y dirigido a mejorar la salud y la calidad de vida de los estudiantes universitarios, profesores y trabajadores, así como la implementación de programas dirigidos a la comunidad.En octubre del año 2019, la Universidad Ricardo Palma, por acuerdo de Consejo Universitario No 2384-2019, crea la primera Cátedra de Medicina del Estilo de Vida del Perú y posiblemente de Latinoamérica.La importancia y la trascendencia de la Primera Cátedra de Medicina del Estilo de Vida, radica en que toma un concepto innovador en las ciencias médicas, Medicina del Estilo de Vida como un enfoque científico (medicina basada en evidencia); toma lo mejor de la Medicina Preventiva y lo acerca de manera práctica a la realidad clínica y a la toma de decisiones en salud pública, cambia el paradigma de manejo de enfermedad avanzada y de los síntomas y lo dirige a la prevención, tratamiento, control y reversión de la enfermedad(2,3) . El concepto de " reversión de la enfermedad" rompe paradigmas anteriores y abre enormes posibilidades de atacar y revertir las verdaderas causas de las enfermedades: los hábitos y los factores del medio ambiente(3,4) .…”

Inspiring Medical Students to Choose Primary Care Through Lifestyle Medicine Education

“…These institutions include hands-on culinary medicine experiences and incorporate a more comprehensive series of nutrition lectures with the intent of underscoring the importance and inherent value of utilizing food as medicine. 9 More specifically, the concepts, research, and practice of lifestyle medicine are starting to be integrated into medical education from preclinical years into residency. The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville is a pace-setting institution that has integrated approximately 86 hours of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and behavior change education through a formalized lifestyle medicine curriculum incorporated throughout all 4 years of undergraduate medical education.…”

“…10 Other examples include the Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and the Loma Linda University Health Preventive Medicine and Family Medicine residency programs, which offer lifestyle medicine tracks and concentrations. 9 Progressive institutions like these are helping students and residents comprehend, at an earlier time in their careers, the value of why diet and lifestyle are among the first-line therapies for the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, many of which are the leading causes of death in the United States. The striking prevalence of chronic degenerative disease is unquestionable as 6 in 10 adults in the United States have at least one chronic disease and 4 in 10 have 2 or more chronic diseases.…”