ACLM’s New Online Directory Helps Connect Patients to Certified Lifestyle Medicine Clinicians

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine has launched a new searchable online directory to help patients identify and connect with clinicians in their communities who are certified in the growing field of lifestyle medicine. The clinician directory can be found at www.lifestylemedpros.org.

Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. There are six pillars of lifestyle medicine: a plant-based diet, regular physical activity, restful sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection. According to the World Health Organization, 80% of heart disease, strokes and type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancers could be prevented, mainly by improving diet and lifestyle.

Since the first Lifestyle Medicine certification exam was held in 2017, the number of certified graduates has grown to 2,004 physicians and 778 non-physician health professionals. Certification means that clinicians have completed a minimum of 30 hours of Continuing Education in Lifestyle Medicine (CE/CME), collected at least 10 hours of CE/CME in person at a Lifestyle Medicine Conference life and passed rigorous certification exams.

However, it is often difficult for patients to easily determine which clinicians in their area are certified to practice lifestyle medicine. ACLM’s new “Find a Lifestyle Medicine Clinician” directory allows patients to filter their searches by distance radius from an address or zip code and by type of clinician, such as physicians in Lifestyle Medicine or other Lifestyle Medicine Health Professionals, Lifestyle Medicine Coaches, International Lifestyle Medicine Clinicians or Lifestyle Medicine Intensivists.

Clinicians are increasingly embracing lifestyle medicine as the foundation of all health care, and patients are growing weary of treating only the symptoms of chronic conditions with ever-increasing and expensive drugs and procedures. instead of addressing the root causes of their illnesses. The ACLM’s new Directory of Certified Lifestyle Medicine Health Professionals is a helpful resource to help connect patients with clinicians recognized for their high competence in prescribing and supporting interventions focused on evidence-based lifestyle. Everyone deserves access to the therapeutic benefits of lifestyle medicine and this directory is another important step in expanding that access to people whose health can greatly benefit. »

Cate Collings, MD, FACC, MS, DipABLM, ACLM President