A different type of healthcare could soon be catching on in Alabama. “Osteopathic Medicine” seeks to improve a person’s entire wellbeing. Practitioners in the field say patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that fight illnesses and prevent them. They say this practice could also help ease the shortage of primary care physicians in the Alabama. Dr. Robert Cain is the founder and C-E-O of the American Association of Colleges and Osteopathic Medicine. He says the medical viewpoint takes into account mental and social factors when examining the illness of a person.
“What we teach our students from the first day of medical school is a unique philosophy that blends science and beliefs,” said Cain. “Science has to drive the best care for our patients and to help determine the specific treatments. But beliefs have to be in place that help us understand and focus on how people want to be treated… really as partners in the approach to care.”
Dr. Cain also says “Osteopathic Medicine” is growing because it’s becoming more popular among medical students. Experts are training students from local and regional areas to better serve those places statewide. Cain says that doctors should treat patients with respect and compassion in order to meet the needs of those in Alabama.
“When you have underserved areas, either lack of primary care physicians or lack of medical care in general, chronic diseases can go unrecognized or undertreated. So, there are poor health outcomes. But if you can get primary care physician into those underserved communities, you can begin to see a shift in those health outcomes.”
There are currently two schools for Osteopathic medicine in the state of Alabama.