Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND): Leading • Advancing • Promoting
Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND)
Leading • Advancing • Promoting
By: Alison Dantes, OAND President
Issue: October 2010
The health care system in Ontario is stressed out. Long emergency room waits, packed walk-in clinics, a shortage of family doctors and horrendous waiting lists for treatment all point to a need for change. Patients are becoming more empowered. They seek more information about their conditions and treatment options, and they expect their preferences to be respected by their primary health care providers. And what patient wouldn’t be happy to know that their health team is cooperating, communicating and collaborating in order to provide the most comprehensive care possible?
Ontario’s health care system is evolving, thanks to recent amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act to include naturopathic doctors under the Naturopathy Act. For the increasing number of Ontarians who are choosing complementary/alternative healthcare, moving NDs from the Drugless Practitioners Act into the Regulated Health Professions Act and giving them prescribing authority facilitates collaboration with other health professions. This change underlines the movement toward a truly integrated, patient-centred health care system, and better use of health human resources.
Naturopathic medicine is a dynamic profession in the midst of a significant period of change. The number of naturopathic doctors, as well as the demand for their services, continues to grow and evolve. According to a recent public opinion poll, an estimated 4 million Ontarians have seen an ND at least once in their lifetime. For patients used to long waits and brief visits, the results and the support NDs offer to those looking to take charge of their health are very attractive. ND visits last approximately 30 to 45 minutes with initial assessments that are usually double that amount of time.
With over 850 highly trained NDs, Ontario is already a leading jurisdiction in North America for regulated naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic medicine is a unique, comprehensive and evidence-based approach to improving health and treating illness. NDs support and stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself, focusing on prevention, and using natural substances and treatments. The primary goal of naturopathic treatment is to address the cause of illness, rather than simply treating or suppressing symptoms. This is done by integrating standard medical diagnostics with a broad range of therapies.
Naturopathic training closely parallels medical training, including three years of undergraduate pre-med education, and a four-year full-time program at an approved college of naturopathic medicine. The program focuses on preparing clinicians for the challenges of primary care practice.
As part of their training, NDs understand both natural and conventional therapies, and moving NDs into the same framework as every other regulated health care professional opens the door for the profession to become fully integrated into the health care system – and become a much more vital force in the health of Ontarians.
There is substantial integration already. Examples of the kinds of referrals NDs commonly receive from MDs include acupuncture to treat infertility or migraines, nutritional therapy for high cholesterol or irritable bowel syndrome, and herbal and lifestyle therapies for allergies and asthma. NDs also receive many referrals for patients with unresponsive chronic conditions. NDs are trained to report back to referring physicians on the progress of care.
Naturopathic doctors could be a very important safety valve for Ontario’s overburdened health care system. With their training and broad scope of practice using scientifically-based natural therapies, they are often the most appropriate care providers for patients seeking complementary or alternative care. With clear standards of practice that include mandatory consultation and referral for health issues that are beyond their scope of practice, they can take some of the pressure off family doctors and emergency wards by offering alternative avenues for primary health care and by promoting healthy lifestyles. Being experts in disease prevention and natural medicine NDs can make a significant contribution to improving the health of Ontarians. Becoming regulated under the RHPA also provides the public with more assurance that they are receiving care from a highly educated and regulated health care provider.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2010, the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors is the voice and resource for the profession. The OAND supports naturopathic doctors as integral partners in the health care system by leading and representing the profession’s interests, advancing naturopathic medicine by fostering clinical excellence in patient centered care, and promoting the success of naturopathic doctors through public awareness and education.
There have been challenges along the way as the profession has evolved. However, with adversity comes self-reflection and the need to seek out opportunity: in 1974, the association established the Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine, playing an active role in the educational college until 1986. When the Regulated Health Professions Act was first enacted in 1989, naturopaths had to advocate to remain regulated under the Drugless Practitioners Act. The association along with the other naturopathic stakeholders in the province, were integral in the successful strategy to ensure that the profession retained their regulation under the Drugless Practitioners Act.
One of the cornerstones of the OAND’s strategic plan is to raise public awareness about the advantages of seeking primary health care from a naturopathic doctor. In May, 2010, the OAND launched Naturopathic Medicine Week. Through partnerships with a local newspaper and NDs across the province there were over 100 events held in communities to raise awareness about the importance of disease prevention and a healthy lifestyle.
NDs have unique expertise in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases, which are long-term diseases that affect physical and mental capacity and therefore have an impact on productivity, lifestyle, mobility and mental function. The costs associated with a growing number of people being affected by chronic disease is significant, with Statistics Canada reporting that over 33% of direct health care costs can be attributed to chronic disease in Canada and over 55% of direct health and indirect care costs in Ontario.
The good news for health care providers is that there are important opportunities to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases. Naturopathic doctors are specialists in preventing the onset of chronic disease and have access to cutting-edge practices, therapies and treatments used to offset and address the global chronic disease epidemic. It’s a world-wide problem: more people are dying from chronic disease than from infectious disease and Ontario is no different.
Cracking the Chronic Disease Epidemic is this theme for the OAND Convention 2010, Canada’s largest annual naturopathic convention. On November 13 and 14 World-class MDs like Dr. Gabor Maté and Dr. James Biddle will deliver their cutting-edge research, knowledge and skills to address the issues of depression, mind/body connection and cardiovascular disease and cure. Published and well-respected NDs Natasha Turner and John Millar will also discuss the chronic conditions and risks associated with obesity and the use of epigenetics to diagnose and treat chronic disease. Dr. Aristo Vojdani, PhD will also deliver a very in-depth look at the immune system and the onset of auto-immune diseases.
To ensure that there is an opportunity to explore a myriad of clinical issues related to chronic disease, 11 highly regarded speakers will deliver break-out sessions. The topics cover a full range of conditions and diseases including cancer, heart disease, addictions, infertility, fibromyalgia and metabolic syndrome.
The convention provides NDs with the opportunity to network, fulfill continuing education requirements and learn about the newest available products on the trade show floor. The convention has grown exponentially in its fifteen years and now boasts over 90 trade show booths and world-renowned keynote speakers. In 2009, Dr. David Suzuki spoke at the association’s annual convention with a keynote presentation that was open to the public, bringing naturopathy and the environmental movement into the same sphere. With over 1000 people present this event was a historical success for the profession.
The naturopathic profession and the association have a lot to be proud of over the past 60 years. As the new regulation for the profession evolves, the focus for the association shifts to creating opportunities for NDs to participate in collaborative models of care in the community. Partnering with other healthcare professions that focus on patient centred care will improve the health of Ontarians and increase access for the public to effective primary care. The future is bright for naturopathic medicine and the association is preparing to ready the profession for the opportunities that lie ahead.
To register for the convention or find out more about naturopathic medicine you can use the OAND website at www.oand.org. Naturopathic medicine is catching on and we are poised to be a part of the health care system that focuses an increasing the amount of resource and time to preventing the onset of disease.