The Evolving Role of Medical Doctors in Holistic Patient Care

Traditionally, the role of a medical doctor has been to diagnose various symptoms, treat aches, pains and sprains and prescribe medication for colds, flu and other general ailments. However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement towards holistic patient care, which takes into account the physical, mental, emotional and sociological factors that contribute to a patient's overall health.

In this article, the medicinal professionals at Intercare Medical and Dental Centres will explore the constantly evolving role of medical doctors and explain their increasing place in holistic patient care.

Motivating Factors that Have Evolved the Medical Doctor into the Role of the Holistic Practitioner

One of the principal motivating factors for the evolution of the general practitioner to a holistic practitioner has been that healthcare, in general, has changed dramatically since COVID-19. The pandemic served as a catalyst for telehealth and virtual care options where increased familiarity with digital therapeutics set patients in a comfort zone that allowed the average general practitioner to treat more than just the common cold. This shift in general practice has been driven by several factors, including:

• - Through the pandemic, the average medical doctor was placed under increased pressure to deal with much more than the general diagnosis of simple medical conditions. They had to adopt an overall, holistic approach to medicine that could lead to better patient outcomes.
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• - With the increasing acceptance of online healthcare, patients both young and old became more accepting of the role of the medical doctor advising on other, more severe diagnoses, and relying on more personalised and comprehensive medical care.
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• - COVID-19 saw home-bound citizens having to deal with the rising prevalence of chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems among close relatives and other family members. These illnesses required more of a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment, making the general practitioner more responsible for positive outcomes as the primary healthcare provider.
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As a result of these evolving trends, the medical doctor was increasingly called upon to play a role in holistic patient care. This meant moving beyond simply treating common and chronic diseases to addressing the underlying causes of health problems and helping patients achieve optimal, overall wellness.

6 Ways a Medical Doctor Can Contribute to Holistic Patient Care

With modern medicine and advanced technology on their side, there are many ways that general practitioners (GPs) can contribute to holistic patient care. Some of these might include:

• - Patient Care: GPs have to provide compassionate, efficient and effective medical care in an appropriate bedside manner to promote health and well-being and treat problems effectively.
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• - Medical Knowledge: A medical doctor should be an expert in established and new biomedical, clinical and cognate sciences and how to apply these practices to patient care.
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• - Professionalism: Commitment to professionalism through general and holistic medicinal practices includes carrying out professional responsibilities, sticking to ethical principles as per the doctors' Hippocratic oath and being sensitive to a diverse patient population.
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• - Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Similar to patient care, physicians must not only be able to communicate effectively with their patients but also be able to involve their families in an empathetic manner and advise other health professionals with the patient's best interests at heart.
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• - Systems-Based Practices: The medical doctor should be aware of and responsive to the larger context and system of healthcare. This means that they must also realise when they need to find and use recourses available to them, like specialised treatment, to provide the best care possible.
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• - Practice-Based Improvement and Ongoing Learning: Doctors should always be ahead of their game, continually investigating and evaluating ways to improve their practice through hands-on experience, ongoing educational courses and updated medical procedures.

 

3 Additional Responsibilities of the Average Medical Doctor

 

General practitioners diagnose and treat general injuries and illnesses and can even act as first medical responders in the event of a severe trauma or accident. However, there are several additional responsibilities that they can contribute toward holistic patient care. These might include but are not exclusive to:

• - Educating their patients about the importance of lifestyle factors, such as changes in dietary regimes, exercise programs and stress management.
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• - Providing referrals to specialised treatment and other healthcare professionals that might better suit the patients’ diagnoses, like dietitians, social workers and mental health professionals.
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• - Being the mediator, coordinating care between the patient, doctor and other healthcare professionals to ensure that patients receive a seamless and comprehensive approach to treatment.
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Knowing a general practitioner who is well-versed in theoretical medicine is always a positive beginning. However, a medical doctor who embraces holistic approaches to medicine and practices these procedures for the betterment of their patients may be someone to investigate. Let’s explore a few examples of how the caring medical staff at Intercare Medical and Dental Centres incorporate holistic approaches into their practices:

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