Integrative medicine primary care: assessing the practice model through patients’ experiences

BACKGROUND: The University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (UAIHC) was an innovative integrative medicine (IM) adult primary care clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. UAIHC used a hybrid payment model to deliver comprehensive healthcare that includes conventional and complementary medical treatments. METHODS: Fidelity measures were collected to evaluate how well the IM care delivery process matched ideals for IM. Patient experiences are presented here. Patients visiting UAIHC on 1 of 10 randomly selected days between September 2013 and February 2015 were surveyed. Patients were asked about their experience with: holistic care; promotion of health, self-care, and well-being; relationship and communication with practitioners; and overall satisfaction. RESULTS: Eighty-three patients completed surveys. Based on patient-reported experiences, UAIHC delivered IM care as defined by the practice model. CONCLUSIONS: Patients received holistic care, established positive caring relationships with providers who promoted their self-care and well-being, and reported high overall satisfaction with UAIHC.