Moving from a disease management based model of care and toward a patient-centred model of care Functional Medicine is able to treat disease at its root cause, rather than merely managing symptoms. Integrative Medicine is practiced by many practitioners around the world who hold a core understanding of treating the whole person, not just their diagnosis. Lets take a peek at these models and our existing model of healthcare, both globally and here in Australia.

Produced and Presented by Annalee Atia 2017
Copyright PBB Media Annalee Atia 2017

Welcome to this Special Feature episode of pregnancy birth and beyond; The Changing landscape of Medicine around the world and how Australian physicians and consumers are inspired to ask better questions about our healthcare system. I have been facinated by and folowing Funcitonal Medicine for the past four years since i first heard about it and recently had the opportunity to meet with one of its biggest internatioanl advocates, James Maskell. This fascination has opened the door to a wider discussion about healthcare. Medicine and science are evolving at a breakneck speed and yet chronic disease is on the rise, global antimicrobial resistance threatens to destroy some of scinece’s most notable achievements and the cost of healthcare in an ailing and aging society may very well be digging us all into a early grave.

The two part article features several passionate trailblazing figures in the move towards changing the way healthcare is delivered, both globally and locally. The first part looks at some of the overarching issues within the current medical system and the new emerging model of care seeking to correct and create significant primary healthcare reform around the world. In the second part we take a cloer look at Functional Medicine and what we can all do to create better outcomes for ourselves as cnsumers and practitioners. We hear from James, an international speaker, founder of Functional Forum and The Evolution of Medicine and author of a compelling book with the same title. We also tap into the wisdom of Dr Penny Caldicott, President of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association and founder and director of Invitation to Health. Championing Integrative Medicine, Penny walks among those leading a new era in Australian healthcare. Reine duBois, Clinical Director of the Health Lodge in Byron Bay also features discussing her passion, experience and how she makes it work in her practice. I also speak to Sally Cusack who is NSW Branch President of Maternity Choices Australia and has significant experience navigating the Australian healthcare system and understanding the unique needs of healthcare consumers. There will be a few sound bites form the AIMA conference in Sydney; Functional Medicine and the Micropractice.

Interviewees in this article:

Dr Penny Caldicott, BMed, FRACGP
-Director of AIMA & founding member of Invitation to Health

​Reine duBois
-Clinical Director at the Health Lodge

James Maskell
-Founder of Functional Forum
-Evolution of Medicine
-Author of the Evolution of Medicine

​Sally Cusack
-NSW President Maternity Choices Australia, Australia’s peak maternity consumer representing body

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