Dr. Vinita Mathew
A holistic approach to healthcare is to consider all aspects of a person’s well-being.
This is known as total person care or whole person care, which involves looking at the physical, emotional, mental, social, and even spiritual needs of each patient to provide truly comprehensive care.
Our health and well-being are interconnected
Too often, healthcare focuses narrowly on treating specific symptoms or conditions. But as a family doctor, I know that our health and well-being are interconnected. Our physical health impacts our mental health, our relationships impact our stress levels, and our social circumstances can be a major determinant of our overall health outcomes.
I strive to get to know each patient as a whole person. I am interested in knowing about their home life, their work, their hobbies, their relationships, and their overall happiness and life satisfaction. Understanding the context of their lives can help me provide care that is tailored to their unique needs and goals.
A traditional approach vs a whole person approach
For example, let’s say a patient comes to me with high blood pressure. A traditional approach might be to simply prescribe blood pressure medication. But in a total person care consultation, I would dig deeper. I would ask about the patient’s diet, exercise routine, stress levels, sleep habits, and any other factors that could be impacting their blood pressure.
I might discover that the patient is working long hours at a stressful job, has little time for healthy meals, and is not sleeping well due to family obligations. In that case, my treatment plan would go beyond just medication. I would work with the patient to identify ways to reduce stress, improve sleep, and incorporate more healthy habits into their daily life. This could involve counseling, referrals to mental health resources, or connecting the patient with community support services.
The key is looking at the whole person and addressing the root causes of health issues, not just the symptoms. This approach has been shown to lead to better health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and lower healthcare costs in the long run.
Team work
Of course, whole person care doesn’t mean that family doctors are trying to be all things to all people. We work closely with other healthcare providers, social workers, counselors, Psychotherapist, fitness experts and financial coaches to ensure that patients have access to the full range of services they need. Our role is to coordinate this care and be a consistent, trusted partner in each patient’s health journey.
If you’re looking for a family doctor, I encourage you to seek out one who practices total person care. It may take a bit more time and effort, but having a physician who truly knows and cares about you as a whole person can make a big difference in your health and well-being. Don’t settle for anything less than comprehensive, compassionate care..
