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Lifestyle medicine is a developing specialty of medicine where certified healthcare providers, primarily primary care physicians, focus on health promotions, disease prevention, and management of chronic diseases that emerge mainly from unhealthy lifestyle choices and behaviors. This activity covers the 15 core components of lifestyle medicine, successful primary care, and office-based models for lifestyle modification, such as Prescription for Health, the Primary care first model, and the Direct Contracting model, issues of concern related to lifestyle medicine, clinical significance, how to conduct personal readiness assessment and develop a personal action plan, and strategies for incorporating wellness into the clinic, medical office or other health care settings. Objectives: Describe successful primary care and office-based models for lifestyle modification, such as the prescription for health. Outline strategies for incorporating wellness into clinics, medical offices, or other healthcare settings (wellness programs for health providers). Summarize how to conduct a personal readiness assessment and develop a personal action plan. Review successful interprofessional strategies to benefit patients in lifestyle prevention measures for clinic visits. Access free multiple choice questions on this topic.

Lifestyle medicine is a developing specialty of medicine where certified healthcare providers, primarily primary care physicians, focus on health promotions, disease prevention, and management of chronic diseases that emerge mainly from unhealthy lifestyle choices and behaviors.[1] Lifestyle preventative measures for the clinic visit focus on improving an individual's health through nutrition, physical activity, sleep health and hygiene, emotional wellness, mindfulness, discontinuing tobacco, and alcohol use, weight management, and health and wellness coaching.[1] Non-communicable diseases (NCD) brought on by unhealthy lifestyle choices are the most prevalent root cause of morbidity and mortality globally and the ultimate grounds of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).[2] Health and wellness coaching promotes healthy behaviors and helps prevent and treat NCDs through the evidence-based lifestyle medicine approach.[2] Solid primary care services are associated with increased access to healthcare services, improved patient outcomes, and reduced inpatient hospital stays and emergency department visits.[3]

Collaborative efforts by the interdisciplinary team comprised of primary care physicians, nurses, health coaches, and nutritionists can prevent the onset and progression of chronic diseases, limit secondary and tertiary care visits, and further improve and enhance the quality of life. Individuals who are at risk for lifestyle choices associated with ailments such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obesity, sexually transmitted infections (STI), stroke, cancer, liver disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should be continually encouraged and counseled during routine visits on preventative self-care practices. Counseling should focus on dietary improvements catered to each individual and their predispositions to disease and underlying comorbidities.[25] Screening for lifestyle-related diseases is highly recommended during the clinic visit. Routine blood pressure checks and screening for hypertension should be done in all patients aged 18 years and above. A lipid screening for cholesterol should be conducted in men aged 35 and older and females 45 and above. Earlier checks can be conducted in patients at greater risk or with a significant family history. Patients taking medications routinely for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes should be instructed on routine home monitoring of blood pressure and blood glucose. Smoking cessation and screening for lung cancer via low-dose CT scan (LDCT) in smokers with a history of 20 or more pack years, ages 50 and 80 years old, and are currently smoking or have stopped within the past 15 years is recommended. Smokers should also be educated on the development of COPD and cancer and provided information and support for cessation. An increased focus should also be given to individuals of low socioeconomic status in low-income neighborhoods who suffer from health disparities as they are affected by preventable diseases disproportionately.

Smoking cessation and screening for lung cancer via low-dose CT scan (LDCT) in smokers with a history of 20 or more pack years, ages 50 and 80 years old, and are currently smoking or have stopped within the past 15 years is recommended. Smokers should also be educated on the development of COPD and cancer and provided information and support for cessation. An increased focus should also be given to individuals of low socioeconomic status in low-income neighborhoods who suffer from health disparities as they are affected by preventable diseases disproportionately. The healthcare team should also counsel patients thoroughly on dietary habits and exercise as it strongly influences CVS disease, obesity, and DM. Information and guidance on a health coach and nutritionist should also be provided to patients as it will increase patient readiness and willingness to incorporate healthy lifestyle behaviors. The healthcare provider should provide lifestyle prescriptions as an evidence-based action plan with clear instructions for the patients to follow. Prescriptions should be implemented on a case-by-case basis tailored to each individual's healthcare needs and achievements. Each person's feasibility of following the plan should also be assessed.