NCIPH

1. Practice patient-centered and relationship-based care.
• Establish therapeutic relationships with patients.
• Actively collaborate with patients in shared decision making.
• Foster patient adherence through consideration of the patient's circumstances, resources and ability to implement the plan.
• Facilitate informed patient decisions by presenting evidence-informed therapeutic and wellness options including risks, benefits and alternatives to therapies.
• Address physical, spiritual, mental and emotional aspects of the patient.
2. Obtain a comprehensive health history which includes mind-body-spirit, nutrition, and the use of conventional, complementary and integrative therapies and disciplines.
• Elicit a complete and accurate medical and biopsychosocial history.
• Perform a complete and accurate health examination, including pathological and functional assessment.
• Assess the determinants of health, as defined by the World Health Organization.
3. Collaborate with individuals and families to develop a personalized plan of care to promote health and well-being which incorporates integrative approaches including lifestyle counseling and the use of mind-body strategies.
• Formulate an accurate medical diagnosis.
• Develop an individual treatment plan based on diagnosis and consistent with naturopathic principles.
• Recommend and/or administer therapies used in the individualized care of patients.
• Communicate effectively with patients, and when appropriate their families and significant others.
• Educate patients regarding their diagnosis and prognosis.
• Demonstrate empathy, compassion, and objectivity in patient interactions.
• Facilitate informed patient decisions by presenting evidence-informed therapeutic and wellness options including risks, benefits and alternatives to therapies.
4. Demonstrate skills in utilizing the evidence as it pertains to integrative healthcare.
• Apply the skills of evidence-informed practice to patient care.
• Practice cost-effective health care through evidence-informed management, preventive strategies and lifestyle management with an aim at alleviating the overall health care burden.
5. Demonstrate knowledge about the major conventional, complementary and integrative health professions.
• Demonstrate a working understanding of available health care resources, both conventional and complementary, in order to address patient and community needs.
• Recognize personal limitations, adheres to scope of practice and makes referrals when appropriate.
6. Facilitate behavior change in individuals, families and communities.
• Demonstrate empathy, compassion, and objectivity in patient interactions.
• Engage patients in establishing a long-term focus for their personal health management with an emphasis on prevention and wellness.
• Facilitate informed patient decisions by presenting evidence-informed therapeutic and wellness options including risks, benefits and alternatives to therapies.
• Actively collaborate with patients in shared decision making.
• Foster patient adherence through consideration of the patient's circumstances, resources, and ability to implement the plan.
• Provide counseling and support for patients, their families, and significant others related to chronic illness, acute illness and end of life issues.
• Influence community or population health through education, community initiatives and other efforts to shape public and professional health care policy.
7. Work effectively as a member of an interprofessional team.
• Consult with and/or refers to other health care professionals when care is outside of scope of practice or personal competence.
• Educate members of the patient's health care team regarding the role of naturopathic medicine and the naturopathic physician in patient care.
• Demonstrate respect and integrity in professional interactions.
• Demonstrate an ability to participate effectively within a health care team with respect to referral skills, collaboration and co-management of care.
• Demonstrate reflective practice in a commitment to lifelong learning.
• Recognize and respects the roles and responsibilities of other professionals within the health care team.
• Collaborate as a member of the health care community to address public health issues such as access to care.
• Provide leadership in the incorporation of the naturopathic physician as an integral member of the health care community.
8. Engage in personal behaviors and self-care practices that promote optimal health and wellbeing.
• Demonstrate reflective practice in a commitment to lifelong learning.
• Demonstrate a commitment to balancing patient care, self-care, and responsibilities to colleagues, community, family and friends.
• Provide and receive constructive feedback as a part of peer and self-evaluation of professional competence.
• Establish a long-term focus for their personal health management with an emphasis on prevention and wellness.
9. Demonstrate skills to incorporate integrative healthcare into community settings and into the healthcare system at large.
• Demonstrate a working understanding of available health care resources, both conventional and complementary, in order to address patient and community needs.
• Influence community or population health through education, community initiative and other efforts to shape public and professional health are policy.
• Practice cost-effective health care through evidence-informed management, preventive strategies and lifestyle management with an aim at alleviating the overall health care burden.
10. Incorporate ethical standards of practice into all interactions with individuals, organizations and communities.
• Demonstrate professional behavior, personal integrity, and altruism.
• Demonstrate awareness of limitations in expertise, operate within the jurisdictional scope of practice, and refer care when appropriate.
• Maintain legal and ethical standards in all aspects of practice.
• Demonstrate respect and integrity in professional interactions.

Competency Development

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