Historically, supportive therapies were considered “feel good” activities and nice to have in your clinical setting but not necessarily needed. Well, times are a changing and we are seeing a national and even worldwide movement to bring these therapies into healthcare organizations, now! You need to know what therapies have the best supporting evidence and how they should be implemented into your practice setting.
As a general definition, supportive therapies are those services or therapies not found in our traditional medical or hospital setting. Many of these therapies are rooted in ancient traditions and practice. However, they have not been regarded as necessary for a health plan.
However, the tide is turning and we are seeing a worldwide movement to bring in supportive therapies for your patients and clients. Therapies such as relaxation techniques, aromatherapy, and gentle movement therapies. The public is asking for more – they want more than just putting the broken pieces back together. Our regulating agencies are asking for other plans besides pharmaceuticals for pain management and other concerns.
In addition, we have a healthcare staff that are dealing with stressors never imagined in our traditional care settings. They are dealing with stress in a stressed out system! We want tools that are going to heal the healer and those they serve. We also want to make sure these therapies have evidence to support their use in the practice setting.
Are you considering supportive therapies for your department or organization? Then, these are things to consider:
- Do your research on the therapy and its benefits for your clinical setting
- Check out the national organization that provides certification to the practitioner. Often these sites have documents to help you get started as well as a list of practitioners to consider.
- Review the products such as essential oils for their safety, ethics, quality indicators and so on.
- Consider having an expert provide a short educational presentation to get your staff involved. This also will help you assess their potential fit with your department/organization and mission.
These are a few ideas to consider to make a program successful in your setting. The times are a changing and you will want to be ahead of the curve. Do your research and begin your implementation small, maybe as a pilot program to help you evaluate your next steps.
For more information on supportive therapies, check out my website and look at the Supportive Therapy Engagement Program. Thank you.
