American College of Lifestyle Medicine Expert Consensus Statement: Lifestyle Medicine for Optimal Outcomes in Primary Care

• Published in: American journal of lifestyle medicine Vol. 18; no. 2; p. 269
• Main Authors: Grega, Meagan L, Shalz, Jennifer T, Rosenfeld, Richard M, Bidwell, Josie H, Bonnet, Jonathan P, Bowman, David, Brown, Melanie L, Dwivedi, Mollie E, Ezinwa, Ngozi M, Kelly, John H, Mechley, Amy R, Miller, Lawrence A, Misquitta, Rajiv K, Parkinson, Michael D, Patel, Dipak, Patel, Padmaja M, Studer, Karen R, Karlsen, Micaela C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.2024
• Subjects: primary care integration; social determinants of health; expert consensus; lifestyle medicine; Delphi method; delivery models
• ISSN: 1559-8284
• DOI: 10.1177/15598276231202970

Identify areas of consensus on integrating lifestyle medicine (LM) into primary care to achieve optimal outcomes. Experts in both LM and primary care followed an protocol for developing consensus statements. Using an iterative, online process, panel members expressed levels of agreement with statements, resulting in classification as consensus, near consensus, or no consensus. The panel identified 124 candidate statements addressing: (1) Integration into Primary Care, (2) Delivery Models, (3) Provider Education, (4) Evidence-base for LM, (5) Vital Signs, (6) Treatment, (7) Resource Referral and Reimbursement, (8) Patient, Family, and Community Involvement; Shared Decision-Making, (9) Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity, and (10) Barriers to LM. After three iterations of an online Delphi survey, statement revisions, and removal of duplicative statements, 65 statements met criteria for consensus, 24 for near consensus, and 35 for no consensus. Consensus was reached on key topics that included LM being recognized as an essential component of primary care in patients of all ages, including LM as a foundational element of health professional education. The practice of LM in primary care can be strengthened by applying these statements to improve quality of care, inform policy, and identify areas for future research.