Advocating for Integration: Telling the Story

Paul T. Korte, PhD - Integrated Primary Care SIG Chair

Imagine your favorite documentary, podcast, or nonfiction book, particularly one that changed your perception. What do you recall? Were you convinced by the numbers, the quality of the methodology, or generalizability? I suspect it was the power of the storytelling that drew you in and helped shape your perception.

I was first introduced to integrated care and behavioral medicine in graduate school nearly 20 years ago. The story drew me in and how I, as a future psychologist, could help the growing epidemic of chronic disease while serving as a member of a healthcare team. The story of others who brought their behavioral medicine expertise to combine it with other health professions’ expertise excited me and helped me envision myself in a similar role. 

During that period and early in my career, it felt like there was still so much to do in advocating for integrated care. It felt like I was telling the story of integrated care and behavioral medicine to anyone who would listen. I was advocating for integrated care in my workplace, amongst the public, and even within my own profession.

As scientists, we prioritize data and methodology. The bewildered reaction from family and friends when discussing my research illustrated the need to convey information in a way that was accessible to everyone. I learned to use the story of the patient whose anxiety interfered with his ability to give himself insulin injections, the undiagnosed TIA others mistakenly labeled as a psychiatric condition, and the individual who swore off sleep medications for good after behavioral treatment. I used these stories to convey the importance of integrated care and how valuable behavioral medicine is to the well-being of individual patients. I believe the science and healthcare communities are learning this as we face attacks on the work to which we have committed our careers. The stories make the science come alive.

My children are at that age where they are trying to make sense of what I do for a career. As children do, they ask lots of questions and are not shy about pointing out when I don’t make sense to them. These simple conversations have helped me shape my arguments and refine my own approach to discussing integrated care and behavioral medicine. If I can help my 8-year-old understand what I do, I hope I can help policy makers, hospital leadership, and the public see the value of integrated care and behavioral medicine.

Every time I think the advocacy work is done, the field is presented with a new challenge or barrier, which lends itself to the opportunity for additional research and advocacy. We are all aware of the current policy proposals that will harm science and healthcare. Advocacy for behavioral medicine continues. Won’t you share your story?