The introduction of standardized measures for assessing lifestyle change opportunities in Epic, a national leader in electronic health records software, is a critical step toward the full integration of lifestyle medicine into clinical operations.
ST. LOUIS, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and Epic, the market share leader for electronic health records (EHR) in acute and ambulatory care settings, have announced the integration of the first set of lifestyle medicine assessment tools into Epic EHR software. The lifestyle-related resources will become accessible in May to anyone using the most updated version of the Epic software.
The new tools include ACLM’s lifestyle medicine short form assessment tool, a clinical survey to capture patient lifestyle behaviors and readiness for change; ACLM’s Diet Screener, which helps clinicians quickly capture a picture of a patient’s diet during routine medical appointments; the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) tool recommended by the Physical Activity Alliance for assessing physical activity in adults; as well as additional tools to capture lifestyle behaviors and opportunities for change.
“As a leader in lifestyle medicine and clinical informatics, I am thrilled to see the integration of lifestyle surveys into our EHR system,” said Medical Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at ECU Health David Michael, MD, DipABLM. “This advancement will empower us to shift from reactive ‘sick’ care to proactive ‘health’ care, leveraging new data at the point of care. The combination of available data on lifestyle opportunities, the ability to measure them over time, and the emerging power of artificial intelligence will revolutionize team-based primary care. This focus will enable patients to recognize and make healthier choices, significantly reducing the burden of chronic diseases.”
Lifestyle behaviors are the leading drivers of chronic disease nationally. An estimated 80% of chronic conditions are attributed to lifestyle factors along with 90% of healthcare spending. Chronic disease clinical practice guidelines for cardiovascular conditions, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, cancer, cognitive decline, polycystic ovarian syndrome and others cite lifestyle change as first-line treatment and effective preventive measures, as well as necessary adjunct to other forms of treatment. However, therapeutic and intensive therapeutic lifestyle interventions remain under-utilized due to factors such as educational gaps, misaligned payment and incentives, systemic barriers and time constraints.