Facilitators and Barriers to the Integration of Mind-Body Medicine into Primary Care

Purpose: To improve understanding of the facilitators and barriers affecting the integration of mind-body medicine (MBM) into primary care and describe the experiences of mind-body primary care providers. Methods: The authors conducted a qualitative analysis of semi-structured telephone interviews with mind-body primary care providers selected via a maximum variation sampling strategy. Results: Four main themes emerged: (1) MBM is an approach to patient care as well as a set of modalities, (2) time and reimbursement pose significant challenges to MBM, (3) support for MBM in one's practice setting is a key facilitator, and (4) commitment to MBM comes from personal experience. "Insufficient time'' was the most highly ranked barrier among survey respondents. Interviewees described innovative strategies to overcome barriers, including customized intake forms, MBM training for staff, MBM group visits, and discounted referrals for low-income patients. Conclusions: While increased MBM and self-care training for providers may facilitate the integration of MBM into primary care, systematic changes are needed to decrease time pressures on providers and incentivize patient wellness. Despite barriers, providers are using innovative strategies to provide mind-body primary care in diverse practice settings.