Expert consensus statement outlines shared medical appointments to improve chronic disease care

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has published an expert consensus statement identifying best practices for delivering lifestyle interventions through shared medical appointments (SMAs), a care model that combines individualized medical care with group support. The statement reflects consensus from a multidisciplinary panel of experts representing lifestyle medicine, primary care, public health, health coaching, and other healthcare disciplines.

An SMA is a group-based medical visit where more than one patient receives medical care at the same time provided by one or more clinicians. The model has been used across a range of clinical settings and conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, chronic pain, behavioral health conditions, well child and prenatal care.

Traditional primary care visits often provide limited time for clinicians to address the complex needs of patients with chronic disease, including the behavioral and social factors that influence health. Shared medical appointments offer an alternative approach by creating more time and structure for individualized care, lifestyle medicine interventions, education and peer support.

Shared medical appointments have the power to redesign how care is delivered in this country. Chronic disease continues to place a tremendous burden on patients, clinicians, and health systems. This consensus statement provides clinicians with a clinical framework for putting whole-person care into practice by expanding access, supporting sustainable behavior change, and fostering meaningful connection among patients and their care teams."

Padmaja Patel, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, CPE, FACP, ACLM President and co-author 

Using a validated Delphi consensus process, the panel evaluated 106 candidate statements and reached consensus on 56 recommendations. Key areas of agreement included:

• Expanding access to care. Experts agreed that shared medical appointments can improve access to healthcare, increase patient satisfaction, and provide an effective model for treating chronic disease.
• Strengthening social connection and support. The panel found strong consensus that shared medical appointments foster community, peer support, and social connectedness among participants, helping address isolation and loneliness while supporting health behavior change.
• Supporting sustainable lifestyle change. Experts agreed that lifestyle medicine-focused shared medical appointments can help patients set goals, build self-efficacy, and adopt healthier behaviors across the pillars of lifestyle medicine.
• Reducing strain on patients and health systems. The panel also found consensus that shared medical appointments can reduce healthcare utilization and costs while supporting provider well-being and broader healthcare quality goals.

Panelists represented a range of leading healthcare and academic institutions, including Cleveland Clinic, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, UConn Health, and Harvard Medical School.

"This expert consensus statement is strengthened by the participation of panelists from a diverse range of professional medical organizations, which are actively supporting clinicians nationwide in championing shared medical appointments as a vehicle for high-quality and accessible care," said first author Paula Gardiner, MD, MPH.