"Lifestyle medicine's foundational pillars include a specialized look into diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, mood, substance use, and relationships. Creating a patient-centered plan of care based on these areas are proven successful in preventing, treating, and reversing chronic diseases.

Some may say that health care providers do not have time to focus on intensive lifestyle modification in their visits with patients. This is true in the current fee-for-service, physician-dominated care delivery model.

But to be successful in obtaining shared-cost savings in the value-based care and as accountable care organizations, it is urgent to shift to utilizing more nurse practitioners, dietitians, nurses, social workers, and health coaches in chronic disease treatment and prevention.

This makes it possible to reduce the social and economic impact that many chronic illnesses place on individuals, the health care system, and society.

There is indeed a better way to better health for all Americans."

Elizabeth Simkus is a nurse practitioner.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "It's a lifestyle: Adopting a behavioral approach to health care is urgent."

Reflect and earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME for this episode.