After less than a year in practice,
Dr Dave Sinha, a Calgary GP, decided he wanted more.
"I wanted the chance to deliver family medicine in a
more holistic way." He accepted a position at Calgary's
Integrative Medicine Institute (IMI), a clinic that
"combines the best of both conventional Western and
alternative medicine," as they put it on their website.
There he works alongside practitioners from a range
of disciplines, including a nutritionist, psychiatrist,
acupuncturists, naturopathic doctors and even something
called 'equine therapists.' Doctors' fees are covered
by the province, but all other services are paid for
by the patient or their health insurance.
Growing up in an Indian family,
Dr Sinha says it wasn't unusual to see western doctors
work alongside traditional healers. He says he's not
surprised Canadian patients of all stripes are keen
on this type of 'one stop healthcare shopping.' They
want the same kind of choice and convenience in the
healthcare system they've come to enjoy in other areas
of their lives, he says.
A
MEETING OF THE MINDS
At IMI, patients can book one-on-one appointments with
their practitioner of choice, or they can opt for a
conference-type consultation with representatives from
a range of disciplines. He's also pleased that the clinic's
approach encourages patients to take a more active role
in their own healthcare. Dr Sinha says the close proximity
of other practitioners allows for easy sharing between
clinicians. "Many times I'll hop out and grab someone
to get a quick second opinion," he says.
There are other benefits. He says
he's learned from his naturopath colleagues to treat
the whole person. So now instead of offering what he
calls "one patient, one problem, one medication" care,
with its 15 minute per patient allotment, he tailors
treatments to a patient's unique profile. "Patients
have a disease but they also have an illness experience,
which can be equally as significant," he says. "Your
simple presence, compassion and attention — that
is in and of itself therapeutic."
This exchange of ideas works both
ways. According to Shelley Burns, a naturopath at Toronto's
multidisciplinary Scienta Health-care Clinic and vice
chair of the Ontario Association of Naturo-pathic Doctors,
she and her colleagues are also learning from conventional
medicine. She says they're particularly interested in
diagnostic tools like genetics testing, bone density
analysis, mammography and extensive blood work. "When
it comes down to diagnostics, people want the evidence,"
she says. She notices there's a tendency in her profession
for the old guard to shy away from medical diagnostic
testing, but newer graduates access them more all the
time.
Ms Burns works alongside physician
Elaine Chin. Their practices are so integrated, she
says, they're actually in the same room. "What we are
focused on is preventative healthcare. Dr Chin is also
of the mindset that prescriptive medicine should be
the last line of action except in some very specific
cases," she says. "I truly believe that the patient
gets the best of both worlds."
GROWING
TREND
Shawn O'Reilly, executive director of the Canadian Association
of Naturopathic Doctors, says with confidence that collaboration
between MDs and NDs is a growing trend in Canada. Dr.
Sinha backs this: he's personally noticed that more
and more of his colleagues are interested in this kind
of integrative medicine, either through referrals or
adopting alternative practices themselves. And a sure
sign the integrated care model is gaining in popularity
is the fact that Dr Sinha's own clinic is expanding,
with new clinics set to open in two other cities.
Even the medical old guard is relaxing
its stance on their old bugbear. The College of Physicians
and Surgeons of Alberta, for instance, has had by-laws
in place for several years allowing member physicians
to themselves practise complementary medicine as long
as they meet the College's strict requirements. These
by-laws came after Alberta passed legislation protecting
physicians against disciplinary action for offering
alternative therapies. Ontario and British Columbia
have passed similar legislation.
For now, Dr Sinha says the main
challenge to integrating conventional and alternative
practices is that the existing healthcare system isn't
set up to handle an 'outside the box' multidisciplinary
model. "The fee-for-service system isn't designed to
cover these types of consultations," he says. That said,
Dr Sinha is confident the medical billing system will
eventually catch up with integrative practices. "I think
this is definitely the wave of the future," he says.
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