Category Archives: Integrative Medicine

LAKE NONA, Fla., July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Deepak Chopra, M.D., Pioneer of Integrative Medicine, and Founder ofThe Chopra Foundationand Chopra Global, today announced the Chopra Integrative Medicine Center Telehealth platform, a curated network of leading integrative medicine healthcare professionals. The platform will provide access to leading treatment protocols to address the whole body, with the goal to enable everyone to achieve their health goals and enable peak living.

The goal of the telehealth platform is to enable a nationwide network of approved integrative medicine practitioners and hybrid local clinics for high touch patient services. The platform will enable industry leading continuous lifestyle monitoring and care services to ensure contextual interventions and care services can be provided in near real-time.

Deepak Chopra, MD, founder of the Chopra Integrative Medicine Center, said, "With the Integrative Telemedicine Network and practice, we aim to provide the highest-level credentialed doctors globally for Integrative mind body practices and a platform of medical advice that is personalized, predictable, precise, participatory and process oriented. Consultations will be in all areas for both prevention and treatment and in all medical specialties."

Integrated with CareSpan's Digital Care platform for patient care, the Chopra Integrative Medicine Center Telehealth platform will leverage Verizon's BlueJeans Telehealth solution to initiate patient visits and help ensure seamless data-driven virtual care conversations.

Announced this spring, BlueJeans Telehealth is a HIPAA-ready, purpose-built video conferencing solution for healthcare providers that streamlines the telemedicine experience to help improve patient care. By simplifying the virtual join and visit procedures, BlueJeans Telehealth is able to help facilitate greater access to care, provide more flexibility for providers and patients, improve safety and extend the reach of services available.

"With BlueJeans Telehealth, our goal is to change the conversation around what patient care should look like," said Eric Spadafora, VP and GM, BlueJeans by Verizon. "By tapping into our strength in video interoperability and meeting simplicity, the Chopra Integrative Medicine Center will be able to facilitate a new era of patient-centric care. We're proud to be a part of this initiative and provide a platform for the best minds in integrative medicine to come together and determine the best treatment options for patients moving forward."

CareSpan, provides theintegrated digital careplatform with a HIPAA- and ONC-compliant solution designed to meet the rapidly evolving needs of independent practices by combiningin-person and virtualcare delivery, electronic medical records (EMR), remote patient monitoring (RPM),patient engagement, andpractice management capabilities. Rembert de Villa, Vice-Chairman and CEO of CareSpan Health says,"We are honored to be part of this important initiative of The Chopra Integrative Medicine Center.CareSpan's digital care platform was designed and developed with the integration of physical and mental health in mind, and we are excited to play a role in support of the Center's vision."

Ara Suppiah, MD, leading the peak living program on the platform said, "The Chopra Integrative Medicine Telehealth Platform lives in the intersection of Allopathic, Alternative and Lifestyle medicine. World-renowned experts across various specializations will collaborate to provide personalized care. Leveraging state of the art technology we provide real-time interventions, contextual service and high touch care. This is peak living. This sets us apart."

Poonacha Machaiah, CEO of The Chopra Foundation, said, "The Chopra foundation will bring best in class evidence-based approaches to the care team. Chopra Foundation researchers and integrative medicine professionals will study and improve practices through comprehensive lifestyle analytics and provides insights to personalize and optimize wellbeing."

The Chopra Integrative Medicine Center Telehealth platform is currently being trialed and officially available for public release in November 2021. The first Chopra Integrative Medicine Center will be launched at Lake Nona (Orlando, Florida).

About Chopra Integrative Medicine CenterThe Chopra Integrative Medicine Center of Excellence founded by Deepak Chopra, MD leverages the best in evidence-based practices to enhance conventional, alternative, and lifestyle medicine patient care. The center is designed to treat patients with all types of health conditions with a special focus on preventive health and peak living. For further information please visit: https://www.chopra.health

AboutBlueJeans by VerizonBlueJeans by Verizon offers a HIPAA-ready, mobile-friendly telehealth platform that is secure and easy to use for clinicians and patients. Thousands of telehealth encounters are conducted by providers every day on BlueJeans, extending the reach of care and helping to drive better patient outcomes. For more information, visit https://www.bluejeans.com/products/telehealth.

About CareSpanCareSpan via its integrated digitalClinic in the Cloudoffering has dedicated to the future of integrated digital care, using sophisticated digital diagnostic and clinical decision support tools in collaboration with primary, specialty and mental health providers to drive better outcomes with a patient-centered approach. For further information please visit:www.carespanhealth.com

For Media Enquiries:Kristen Marion623-308-2638 [emailprotected]

SOURCE The Chopra Foundation

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Deepak Chopra Announces Chopra Integrative Medicine Center Telehealth Platform in Collaboration with BlueJeans by Verizon and CareSpan Digital...

This article was originally published here

BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2021 Jul 15:bmjspcare-2020-002713. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002713. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We examine the impact of a 5-day online elective course in integrative medicine (IM) taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, attended by 18 medical students from two faculties of medicine in Israel.

METHODS: The course curriculum addressed effectiveness and safety of IM practices highlighting supportive and palliative care, demonstrated the work of integrative physicians (IPs) in designing patient-tailored treatments and taught practical skills in communication regarding IM. Group discussions were conducted via Zoom with 32 physicians, healthcare practitioners and IM practitioners working in integrative academic, community and hospital-based settings, in Israel, Italy, UK and Germany. An 18-item questionnaire examined student attitudes and perceived acquisition of skills for implementing what was learned in clinical practice. Student narratives were analysed using ATLAS.Ti software for systematic coding, identifying barriers and advantages of the online learning methodology.

RESULTS: Students reported a better understanding of the benefits of IM for specific outcomes (p=0.012) and of potential risks associated with these therapies (p=0.048). They also perceived the acquisition of skills related to the IM-focused history (p=0.006), learnt to identify effectiveness and safety of IM treatments (p=0.001), and internalised the referral to IPs for consultation (p=0.001). Student narratives included reflections on the tools provided during the course for assessing effectiveness and safety, enhancing communication with patients, enriching their patient-centred perspective, raising awareness of available therapeutic options, and personal and professional growth.

CONCLUSIONS: Online clinical electives in IM are feasible and can significantly increase students awareness and modify attitudes towards acquirement of patient-centred perspectives.

PMID:34266910 | DOI:10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002713

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From COVID-19 adversity comes opportunity: teaching an online integrative medicine course - DocWire News

Six weeks after Dr. Lauren Grossman and Glenn Kramon were introduced by mutual friends via email in November 2015, they had not yet spoken to each other, though they were undeniably smitten with one another.

She had a big mind, said Mr. Kramon, 68, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a former assistant managing editor of The New York Times.

She was also extremely bright, he said, and very, very curious.

Neither, though, seemed curious enough that first month and a half to want to hear the sound of each others voice.

Dr. Grossman, 65, who lives in Denver, and Mr. Kramon of Palo Alto, Calif., emailed each other day after day, night after night for six weeks. They never strayed from the comfort of their respective inboxes, ultimately sending a message to family and friends that the doctor and the lecturer whom she lovingly refers to as my mad professor were more a quirky couple than a conventional one.

We were introduced by email, so we just continued emailing, said Dr. Grossman, who specializes in emergency medicine. She is currently the medical director of the UCHealth Integrative Medicine Center, and a faculty member of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, both in Denver.

The following month they finally met in person, at an inn in Evergreen, Colo.

It was a cold and rainy day, according to Mr. Kramon, with a good chance for quirkiness, as Dr. Grossman would soon find out.

Less than an hour into their initial face-to-face conversation in late December 2015, Mr. Kramon produced a notepad filled with dozens of prepared questions, and began interviewing Dr. Grossman for the role of girlfriend.

There were many doctor-related questions, I had never dated a doctor, said Mr. Kramon, whose previous marriage ended in divorce. He had already printed 200 pages of their emails and committed them to a leather journal.

Dr. Grossman, whose first marriage also ended in divorce, was delighted. Call it an old-fashioned courtship, using a new medium, she said, laughing. I dont know anyone who is as passionate as Glenn about anything he does.

Mr. Kramon, ready and willing to embark on a long-distance relationship, agreed with the doctors analysis. She should know, he said, since she happens to be my greatest passion.

Lauren loves life and she loves people, he added. If she gets down, she never stays down for long.

They were married June 26 at the Bodega Bay Lodge in Bodega Bay, Calif., before Rabbi Oren Postrel and 110 guests, including the couples five combined children.

Also in attendance were the married couple who introduced them, Diane and David Schonberger. Glenn disliked the idea of a long-distance relationship, Ms. Schonberger said. My husband and I agreed that Glenns and Laurens quirkiness made them perfect for each other.

The bride is the daughter of the late Leo Goldberg, a produce grower and distributor, and the late Geri Goldberg, a homemaker, both of Las Vegas; the groom is a son of the late Roy A. Kramon, the founder of a mens clothing business, the Majer Company, in Manhattan, and the late Hermine M. Kramon, a homemaker, both of Scarsdale, N.Y.

Each reduced the other to tears with very-personal, heartfelt vows.

I profess my love, hopes and promises for us with our magnificent village as witnesses, the bride said to the groom. We were upfront right from the start me writing that it was intimidating to meet a very fine journalist via the written word. You replied that it was a little frightening to write to someone who manipulates blood for a living and not pixels.

Then it was the grooms turn.

He promised to remain as quirky as Diane and David said we both were when they introduced us, he said, going on to make several other promises, such as to be your editor, your healer, and to be happier together than apart.

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Promising to Love, Honor and Remain Quirky - The New York Times

TEMPE, Ariz., July 19, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --H. Garrett Thompson DC, PhD, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences, was named a "Top 100 Leaders in Education" by the Global Forum for Education and Learning (GFEL).

The leaders are selected through a nomination-based award process in which GFEL judged nominees based on five broad areas: overall reach; industry impact; spirit of innovation; future readiness; and market demand. At the Forum, Dr. Thompson received this acknowledgement and participated in the panel discussion "Revolutionizing Education from the Ground Up."

"This recognition means so much to me, particularly in a time when the status quo of higher education is being challenged," said Thompson. "Higher education institutions must shift from being 'Centers of Knowledge' to becoming 'Centers of Application' to best meet the needs of the learner, their eventual employer and the populations they serve. I am proud to be championing this at SCNM."

Dr. Thompson serves the community and healthcare professions by having volunteered as treasurer of the board of directors of the American Holistic Health Association and secretary of the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education. He is also a workgroup member for the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health. Dr. Thompson has researched several human pathologies including breast cancer, asthma, and bone diseases. His research interests have since expanded into the field of education with recent publications on interprofessional education and educational competencies for NDs.

Dr. Thompson's multi-disciplinary approach has resulted in being published in journals in the fields of bioinformatics, cell biology, tissue engineering and interprofessional education. Additionally, he has authored a textbook on biochemistry, as well as a chapter on alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse in the textbook Introduction to Public Health for Chiropractors and a chapter on endocrinology in the textbook Naturopathic and Integrative Family Medicine. He has been recognized with numerous accolades for his teaching and leadership including "Excellence in Teaching," "Excellence in Scholarship," and "Excellence in Service" at SCNM.

For more information, visit scnm.edu.

About Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences (SCNM) is a school of medicine and health sciences grounded in naturopathic principles. Dedicated to the ideal that everyone deserves high-quality healthcare, we engage students in rigorous, innovative academic programs, discover and expand knowledge, and empower individuals and communities to achieve optimal health. Our vision is a world that embraces the healing power of nature. For more information on Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences, visit scnm.edu.

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Amanda Moore, Evolve PR & Marketing, +1 8163948886, aem39120@gmail.com

SOURCE Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences (SCNM)

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Garrett Thompson Receives "Top 100 Leaders in Education" Award from GFEL - WFMZ Allentown

Whether they're called fraudulent, unproven or expensive urine, dietary supplements frequently fall prey to negative press. Although the full story is usually more complex than "X supplement doesn't work," media outlets make oversimplified conclusions and craft misleading clickbait headlines, generating bad buzz. This leaves natural products retailers to address shoppers' skepticism and set the record straight.

"On social media, negative press travels six times further than positive press does," says Abraham Nabors, second-generation owner and director of education and standards of Mustard Seed Market and Caf in Akron, Ohio. "In this day and age, you can be certain people will read negative headlines about supplements and come in to talk to you about them."

To help retailers answer shoppers' efficacy questions and explain supplements' roleaccurately, effectively and legallywe asked Nabors plus an integrative physician and a supplements educator to share their best advice.

Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education,EuroPharma Inc. in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Distinguish vitamins and supplements.Mainstream medical research often says "you're wasting your money on vitamins." Here's the problem: Vitamins are single compoundsA, B, C, D, E and Kbut in many consumers' minds, everything sold in a health food store is a vitamin. So, when consumers see negative headlines, they get the message that nothing sold in a health food store works. To combat this, explain to shoppers that most supplements are not vitamins.

Identify appropriate endpoints. Consumers constantly hear that vitamins don't work or herbs have been disprovenbut it's for things they were never intended to do in the first place. To prevent nutrient deficiency syndrome, it has been proven that that supplemental nutrients work. For optimal immune function, it has been proven that without optimal levels of vitamin C on board, the immune system isn't as vigorous. Ask shoppers what they're aiming to achieve and outline realistic expectations.

Highlight flaws in meta-analyses. Many negative studies on supplements are meta-analyses, where researchers combine the results of several studies to look for trends or efficacy. I don't think these should be used as a research tool for herbsever. Unlike, say, ibuprofen, which is a single chemical entity, herbs contain multiple compounds. To accurately compare multiple studies of an herb, researchers would need to control for standardization, absorption, dosage size, study duration and other factors, but they often don't. They'll just pool the results of several studies and conclude that an herb doesn't work, when in reality, one good study may have shown efficacy, but it was diluted by all the low-dose and weird studies.

Abraham Nabors, owner and director of education and standards, Mustard Seed Market and Caf in Akron, Ohio

Identify experiential vs. nonexperiential."Will I feel it working?" That's the number-one thing people want to know when determining supplement efficacy, even though it can only be applied to some supplements. With CBD or turmeric, you may notice pain reduction or inflammation support, whereas you're probably not going to feel the effects of vitamin A. It's important to communicate clearly which supplements are in the "feel it" category and which aren't. For those that aren't, to help shoppers understand whether or not they're working, I'm a huge fan of diagnostics. We sell omega-3 fatty acid blood spot tests and vitamin D blood tests. It's powerful when people can see data showing their levels.

Arm staff with facts.We have to respond to supplement criticism all the time, which is why we need to be more informed than our customers, who trust us to pour over the details and be transparent and factual about what we've learned. The science is complicated, and you have to look at the nuances. Whenever a new hit piece comes out, I research it and develop our official talking points in anticipation of people asking about it. Along with helping individual customers in the aisles, this helps us maintain our brand proposition in the community. If you don't prepare your staff, who knows what their individual perceptions might be, and if they're speaking on behalf of your brand, that can be risky.

Give credence to correlation data.Regarding the studies suggesting vitamin D is not effective for COVID-19, I tell people we don't have conclusive scientific word yetbut the correlation data blows my mind. When 90% of people dying of COVID-19 are deficient in vitamin D, what's the risk of taking it? As long as you measure and don't go into toxicity, I say there is nothing but benefit to taking vitamin D and getting your levels to the optimal range.

Gina Serraiocco, M.D., internist and integrative medicine practitioner,Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Institute for Health and Healing in San Carlos, California

Explain nutrient optimization.When explaining what nutrients can do for the body, I use the analogy of an old, abandoned tree that's not doing well. When you give it proper sun, water and compost, the tree inherently knows how to fix itself. You're not telling it how to grow leaves; rather, you're supporting its environment and innate wisdom. It's the same with humans. You are trying to optimize the terrain, and with right supportive terrainincluding the proper intake of nutrients. The problem is our soil is now so depleted that it's hard to get enough nutrients from food, so there are many supplements we absolutely need in order to stay healthy in today's world.

Point out study limitations.When research is done on a single supplement, I tell people it's like fertilizing a tree but giving it only nitratesof course that won't work! Similarly, when we study the standard Americanwho is sedentary, eats Big Macs and takes medications that strip them of nutrientsand give them only vitamin D, well, no wonder vitamin D doesn't help. Vitamin D works in concert with other nutrients. It helps the body absorb calcium for bones, but it needs magnesium and vitamin K2 to direct the calcium. So, if vitamin D doesn't have its team, like it doesn't in many studies, then we can't expect much.

Dispel the silver-bullet myth.In our Western world, we have this notion that every single problem has "one pill to fix the ill." But the body is so much more complex than that. And with so much disease in our bodies in our unhealthy environments, there is rarely a simple fix. Now, that doesn't mean negative studies about supplements should be ignored. Retailers should be upfront about what supplements can and can't do.

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Weigh in: 9 ways to reassure shoppers that supplements are a healthful choice - New Hope Network

Buyer bewarepet products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are freely available and sold as supplements, but research shows labels arent always accurate and those products often get mixed with reputably-sourced brands.

Like clockwork, in early July, The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine tweeted its yearly warning to pet owners about unregulated CBD products, ahead of the seasonal spike of CBD sales due to firework-induced dog anxiety. Distrust of the FDA abounds, but the organization may have a solid point when it comes to the sketchier side of CBD products marketed for pets.

Brett Hartmann gives his dogs Cayley, a six-year-old-Labrador Retriever drops of a cannabis based ... [+] medicinal tincture to treat hip pain and anxiety, June 8, 2017 at his home in Los Angeles, California. It's early morning, just after breakfast, and six-year-old Cayley is wide awake, eagerly anticipating her daily dose of cannabis. The black labrador, tail wagging, laps up the liquid tincture owner Brett Hartmann squirts into her mouth, a remedy he uses morning and evening to help alleviate Cayley's anxiety. As the multi-billion dollar medical and recreational marijuana industry for humans blossoms in the United States, so is a new customer base -- animals. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

Recent findings from Leafreport found that 56% of pet CBD products that were sampled were mislabeled with inaccurate claims. Leafreport collected a sampling of 55 pet CBD products, and found over half had inaccurate labeling, most often, incorrect levels of CBD. Out of 55 pet products that were independently tested at Las Vegas-based Canalysis Laboratories, 31 contained the wrong amounts of CBD, and many also contained no THC despite being labeled as full-spectrum CBD.

Beyond pet products, the teams continued research also found an alarming amount of mislabeled delta-8-THC products (often converted from CBD-rich biomass or isolate in a lab) and on July 13, the team published findings detailing wildly different pricing standards between CBD products, meaning some companies scoop up newbieshook, line, and sinker.

One pet product was particularly deceptivecontaining only about 1.5% of the CBD the label claimed it contained, meaning that your pet might not even be getting amounts of the healing compound significant enough to do anything.

Instead, go with a brand that provides certificates of analysis and that is sold in a reputable store, such as a state-regulated dispensary or a CBD store that vets its vendors to ensure their products are safe.

What if we regulated pet CBD products better, consistently providing analytical data, or at the very leastallow veterinarians to properly guide pet owners?

Leafreportoriginally founded in 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israelis an online resource on CBD with discussions from medical doctors, clinical consultants, chemists, nutritional and natural health experts from around the world.

Dr. Zora DeGrandpre practices naturopathic medicine and is a medical and scientific writer and editor, specializing in naturopathic, functional, botanical, and integrative medicine. DeGrandpre writes online courses for medical students around the world including courses for continuing medical education and on the use of medical marijuana and CBD.

DeGrandpre explained that the same product caution that anyone uses for themselves should ideally be applied to their petsadding that consumers need to look into the companys history and reputation.

While different animals may respond differently to CBD, contaminants such as microbial products, heavy metals, toxins, and pesticides are often more toxic to pets than to humans, DeGrandpre says in an email. In addition, dogs appear to be particularly sensitive to THCso you should only use zero-THC products with dogs, and to be safer, with any animals. Also, there isnt a lot of research around CBD and animalsmany vets (for many reasons including legal and professional ones) urge caution when using CBD with your pet.

The effects of CBD on a 200-pound person is not going to work the same way on a 10-pound toy dog, which is why titration is a bit more imperative when dealing with pets, even though they are fully equipped with an endocannabinoid system. Source CBD, for instance, provides a dosing calculator for humans and pets, and relies an anecdotal reports from people who claim a variety of beneficial effects on both mammals and reptiles.

Luna, a pug with acne and seizures, takes her daily dose of CBD oil.

Finally, you should always use the same principle with pets that we recommend for humans! DeGrandpre adds. Start low and go slow, always monitoring the effects on your pet carefully. You want to ensure your pets health, after all! We also recommend checking with your vet to ensure that CBD products will not interfere with any medication that your pet may be on already.

The global pet CBD market is projected to witness considerable growth over the coming years of the forecast period 2018-2028, according to data compiled by San Francisco-based TMR Research. In Europe, researchers came to nearly the same conclusion: Data released on July 12 from Dublin, Ireland-based Research and Markets reported similar findings. The global CBD pet products market to rise with a CAGR of 41.3% during the forecast period (2021-2026). Research and Markets analysts attributed the rise in part to the 2018 Farm Bill, which set things off in the United States.

Some states in the U.S. are starting to allow specific provisions for veterinarians and medical cannabis, such as Nevadas forward-thinking Assembly Bill 101, allowing recommendations, sponsored by Assemblymember Steve Yeager. Then theres Californias Assembly Bill No. 2215, approved in 2018, which basically only allows veterinarians to discuss medical cannabis treatment without fears of repercussions. Californias Assembly Bill 384 would take it a step further, allowing them to give recommendations. Oregon and Washington State Veterinary Medical Associationspostedtheir owncautionary fact sheetsfor medical cannabis advice online. New Yorks Assembly Bill A5172 would offer similar provisions.

Eloise Theisen is a board certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in cannabis therapy. For over 20 years, Theisen has worked primarily with cancer, dementia, and chronic pain patientsfocusing her efforts on cannabinoid therapies for the past five years. Theisen is the president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association.CBD products for pets and humans are still not regulated and testing is not required, Theisen says. It is important to look for companies that do independent 3rd party testing to ensure that the product label. matches the certificate of analysis. Some products may have THC levels that are above the legal limit and that could be unhealthy for pets. Additionally, some companies may have more or less CBD than listed on a label and you may not be giving your pet exactly what you expected.

Furthermore, some companies can be misleading about ingredients such as hempseed oil, which contains antioxidants and fatty acids, butno CBD.

I recommend only buying from a company that provides an independent 3rd party certificate of analysis, Theisen adds. It is important to know exactly what you are giving your pet. A comprehensive certificate of analysis from a reputable 3rd party testing lab will ensure that the product is free of contaminants and that the potency is accurate. If the company cannot provide a certificate of analysis, look for another company that does. There are enough companies out there providing transparency with their products.

In general, its on the consumer to vet the safety and ingredients in pet CBD productsfor the health of their pets, if for no other reason.

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Pet CBD Products Need Better Regulation, Researchers Say - Forbes