Is holistic care possible in the "real life" clinical setting?

Abstract

It is difficult to integrate a holistic perspective into the care which women receive in agencies such as prenatal clinics and family planning centers. Factors which mitigate against holism in these settings, the only source of health care for many women, include the separation of reproductive from comprehensive care, the categorical funding of services and the time pressure which rewards caring for more patients more quickly. At the same time there is growing evidence of the value of a holistic perspective to care. Using lifestyle assessments and developing an intervention strategy which includes the use of patient contracts can serve to integrate factors such as nutrition, stress management and exercise to form a broader perspective to care.