Introducing Clinicians to the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine (SPoLM) for Managing Chronic Disease
Date of this Version
11-21-2023
Document Type
DNP Project
Abstract
Chronic disease (CD) is a major cause of disability and death globally and current practice methods are insufficient to address the needs of affected individuals. Clinicians are well equipped to improve CD management and outcomes by integrating the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine (SPoLM) in practice. This quality improvement (QI) initiative serves to address the chiasm in lifestyle behavior education that currently exists in the prevention and management of CD among adult patients. The SPoLM are an evidence-based practice guideline that supports behavior change through person-centered techniques and is considered an effective addition to chronic disease health care delivery. This deficiency in quantitative data supporting the application of the SPoLM in clinical practice can be attributed to lack of short-term financial incentive for counseling on lifestyle behaviors. The lack of peer-reviewed sources which expand on counseling methods for lifestyle medicine (LM) patient education also reflects those barriers which hinder successful counseling in practice, including but not limited to reimbursement, medical education, and systemic barriers. Lifestyle factors are associated with the progression of CD includes cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and cancer among others. By incorporating LM counseling, HCPs can address the root cause of disease and provide patients with evidence-based methods to combat illness and improve health.
Recommended Citation
Alvarez, Lisabeth Maria and Goldin, Deana, "Introducing Clinicians to the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine (SPoLM) for Managing Chronic Disease" (2023). Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects. 209.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cnhs-studentprojects/209