What Is Integrative Medicine?

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Having the right information is necessary for successful behavior change; however, it is rarely sufficient.

As humans, our choices occur within context, and each of us has a unique situation.

Understanding what stands in the way of following advice helps us understand the “why” behind noncompliance. 

When healthcare teams work together, it changes the course of treatment and improves outcomes.

After the consultation and a battery of exams, the physician reached a diagnosis, prescribed the right medication, recommended a specific treatment, and sent the patient off with a set of pre-printed standard handouts. The patient’s condition, though, never improved as expected.

What happened? More times than not, the reason has little to do with the quality of the care being provided. Sometimes the prescription is never filled, or, when it is, the medication is not taken as prescribed or at all. When the recommendation is to exercise more or change eating habits, it may well be that the dietary change only lasts a week, and the exercise program never even starts.

In healthcare, the word for this is “noncompliance,” and although it accurately describes what happened, it does little to help us understand the most important aspect of the problem: “why” it is happening.

When the Irrational Makes Perfect Sense

Why would a person who just had a heart attack not take the medication that reduces the risk of another one happening? Why would a person with diabetes not change their diet as recommended and continue eating foods that make controlling their blood sugar levels next to impossible?

From the healthcare practitioner’s........

© Psychology Today