Using Functional Medicine and Technology to Automate Care
In 2023, both functional medicine principles and automation technology are quickly growing in popularity among healthcare professionals. If the most recent pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that patients need the personalized care and expertise of their healthcare professionals both in and out of the office.
As the saying goes, modern problems require modern solutions. Whether you’re a nurse practitioner, medical doctor, nutritionist, or health coach practicing functional medicine principles, automated technology can help streamline your workflow, increase practice revenue, and most importantly, improve patient care by reaching patients even when you’re not around.
Here are some ways in which automated technology can be used to enhance functional medicine:
Wearable Devices and Health Trackers:
Your patients are likely already using wearable technology. For example, they may own a Fitbit or track their steps using their phone. Wearable devices can include phones, smartwatches, blood pressure cuffs or monitors, smart scales, and even rings such as the Oura Ring.
All of these devices can monitor various health metrics, including heart rate, sleep patterns, physical activity, and stress levels. You can leverage this data to gain insight into a patient’s overall health and track progress over time. All of this can automatically sync into the patient’s portal, thus, allowing both you and your patients to automate biometric and activity tracking.
Remote Patient Monitoring and Patient Data Analytics:
Wearable data is excellent, but this data is useless if not applied to improving patient outcomes. In most cases, patients don’t know how to take this data and interpret it. That’s why the BodySite remote patient care system automatically syncs patient devices into the patient record, providing you with a comprehensive view of your patients’ data in-between office visits.
Analyzing large datasets using patient wearables can help you to identify correlations and patterns in patient health data, providing you with the tools you need to make data-driven care decisions. These data points can assist you in diagnosing certain conditions, determining treatment outcomes, and help you to provide personalized recommendations based on individual patient data.
With BodySite, patients’ biometrics, activity and food tracking all populate in one easy-to-view section under the patient dashboard. These dashboards provide a visual representation of health metrics, trends, and actionable insights, enabling patients and healthcare providers to collaboratively track progress and make informed decisions about the patient’s health.
Automated Care Plans
Automated care plans can be a valuable addition to functional medicine practices, providing patients with structured and personalized guidance on how to manage specific health conditions.
BodySite is a remote care platform that offers automated care plans that address various health concerns that Functional Medicine practitioners are already providing guidance on. Examples of these programs include: the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP), the Low FODMAP diet, and the Leaky Gut Protocol.
Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP) & Anti-Inflammatory Protocol:
The Autoimmune Paleo Protocol is a dietary approach designed to reduce inflammation and support individuals with autoimmune conditions. The AIP program on BodySite provides patients with comprehensive guidance on each day of the protocol. This includes meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, and educational resources to help individuals eliminate potential trigger foods through daily meal recommendations and activities. The program can be tailored to individual needs, and progress can be tracked through the platform.
Similarly for any patients struggling with generalized inflammation, the Anti-Inflammatory Protocol is a dietary approach designed to reduce inflammation more broadly. This program also includes meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, and educational resources to help individuals reduce inflammation.
Low FODMAP Diet:
The Low FODMAP diet is often recommended for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other gastrointestinal conditions. It involves restricting certain foods that can trigger digestive symptoms. BodySite’s Low FODMAP program offers an interactive patient approach to healing their gut. Patients can access meal/recipe ideas, shopping lists, and daily guidance on reintroducing FODMAP foods to identify specific triggers. The program aims to alleviate symptoms and improve digestive health, and patients can track their progress using the platform.
Leaky Gut Protocol:
The Leaky Gut Protocol is focused on addressing increased intestinal permeability, which is believed to contribute to various health issues. BodySite’s Leaky Gut Protocol provides patients with a step-by-step plan to support gut healing and restore optimal gut function. It includes dietary recommendations, supplementation guidance, lifestyle strategies, and educational materials to promote gut health and reduce inflammation. Patients can monitor their adherence and progress through the platform.
BodySite’s automated care plans utilize technology to deliver structured and evidence-based protocols, making it convenient for patients to access relevant information and resources every day. These programs can help individuals navigate complex dietary and lifestyle changes, promote adherence, and empower patients to take an active role in their health.
Telemedicine and Virtual Consultations:
BodySite’s native telemedicine solution allows patients to consult you remotely. The set-it-and-forget-it component of this clinic is that patients have access to a calendar where they can schedule based on your customized availability and will be billed based on pre-determined price points. That way you and your staff don’t have to be bogged down by setting up appointments manually.
While in the visit, video conferencing, secure messaging, screen sharing and more enable you to interact with patients, as you provide personalized recommendations, and go over their progress.
Enrolling In the BodySite Solution
If you aren’t yet a BodySite subscriber, what are you waiting for? Take advantage of the BodySite 30-Day Free Trial at the following link: https://bodysite.com/start-a-free-trial/.
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