We practice what is known as 'Complete Care' here at KindlyMD. Complete Care is known by several key characteristics. One of those characteristics is something known as stepped care. You may have already experienced stepped care if the KindlyMD team has helped you obtain your Utah Medical Card.
Stepped care is a big part of the greater Complete Care concept. This post will explain why. If you are new to the whole Complete Care thing, know that stepped care is an integral part of treating you as a whole person. We do not want to merely treat your symptoms.
A good way to describe stepped care is to say that it is gradual care that begins with the least invasive and intrusive form of treatment. A fair number of our patients need help managing persistent pain, so we will use them as an example.
One approach to managing persistent pain is to go right to a narcotic painkiller prescription. But from a Complete Care perspective, such a treatment is not necessarily a reasonable first-step option. There are other things we can try first. There are gentler, less intrusive treatments.
We might start by recommending OTC analgesics along with physical therapy and some lifestyle changes. If necessary, we might step up to prescription analgesics. If the patient still hasn't achieved the desired amount of relief, the next step might be to apply for a Medical Card so that we can introduce plant-based medicines.
Hopefully, this illustration makes stepped care easier for you to understand. Stepped care seeks to intervene in natural healing as little as possible. Now, let us apply that to the Medical Card concept.
The Utah Medical Card is somewhat unique in that it gives holders access to plant-based medicines that cannot be obtained in any other way. The cards represent different kinds of medicine that isn't considered conventional in most healthcare circles. Therefore, there are not a lot of generally accepted standards dictating how the medicines should be used.
A stepped care approach recommends using the smallest amount of plant-based medicine necessary to achieve the desired level of relief. As we like to say when making recommendations, start low and slow.
We recommend that new Medical Card patients begin with a minimal dose and see how it makes them feel. If they have achieved some relief but not as much as they would like, we recommend adding a bit more. The goal is to find the most appropriate amount without taking too much.
One of the reasons stepped care works better in a Complete Care setting is the fact that it requires a team approach. In most allopathic settings, the team approach is virtually nonexistent. But in Complete Care, patients are treated by a team of clinicians, allied staff, and support staff.
Getting back to the Medical Card, a patient might see a doctor or nurse practitioner for the initial assessment required under the program. That provider diagnoses the patient and recommends a card. Then the patient might consult with both his healthcare provider and pharmacy provider to figure out the best way to use plant-based medicines. The patient also consults with a therapist to address the mental and emotional aspects of his health.
As a team that includes the patient himself, all work together to achieve better wellbeing for the patient. Teamwork is part and parcel with stepped care. And from our point of view, stepped care is the way to go in so many cases.
