The Case Review process includes two steps, which are described in more detail below.
CASE REVIEW, STEP ONE: INITIAL CONSULT
During this 120-minute in-person appointment, Laurie Wallis RN will meet with you personally to determine which lab tests to order as part of your Case Review, based on your chief complaints and your history.
This appointment has two purposes: to make sure that we have all of the information needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of many of the factors affecting your health, and to give you a head start on your treatment before you meet with us.
The exact lab testing ordered depends on your individual circumstances, but may include:
- A comprehensive blood chemistry panel. This is the single most efficient, effective and affordable tool for quickly evaluating your health. It screens for a wide range of conditions, including several types of anemia; gut, viral and bacterial infections; insulin resistance and hypoglycemia; liver and kidney issues; and thyroid and adrenal problems. It offers important clues for how to structure and focus your treatment to get the best results. And it provides a baseline of biomarkers that can be used to objectively track the progress of your treatment over time.
- Additional blood tests for specific conditions, such as high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, and gluten sensitivity.
- Advanced stool testing to screen for parasites, fungal overgrowth, bacterial infections, intestinal inflammation, dysbiosis and a deficiency of beneficial gut bacteria.
- Urine organic acids testing to screen for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, fungal overgrowth, problems metabolizing fat or carbohydrate, B-vitamin status, methylation issues, detoxification capacity, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter metabolism.
- Urine hormone testing for adrenal and sex hormone status.
Laurie will provide you with the Case Review health history paperwork to complete or you can download them on our website. It is important that you spend time and energy completing these intake forms, as they are vital in helping us understand your case. This paperwork includes:
- A detailed health and medical history questionnaire
- A survey of your chief complaints and most important health goals
- An assessment of your most troubling and frequently experienced symptoms
- A diet survey and questionnaire
- A survey of your current supplements and medications
Once we’ve received your lab results and completed Case Review paperwork, you will move on to Step 2: the Case Review Consultation. This typically occurs between 45 and 60 days after the Initial Consultation, because some of the labs we use take up to 4 weeks to deliver the results to us after receiving your sample.
CASE REVIEW, STEP TWO: FOLLOW-UP CONSULTATION
The Case Review Consultation is a 60-minute (with Laurie), in-person appointment (though it can be completed over the phone, by request).
Prior to the consultation, Laurie Wallis RN will review the results from the labs that were ordered along with your Case Review paperwork, medical history, diet and supplement survey, assessment forms and relevant prior lab work. She will create a Report of Findings, which is broken into three parts:
- A summary of the underlying patterns that are contributing to your symptoms.
- An outline of the suggested treatment plan, including dietary, supplement and lifestyle recommendations.
- Recommendations for further testing (this will typically be minimal, if necessary at all, because of the completeness of the Case Review process)
During your consultation, Laurie will present the Report of Findings as well as your treatment plan. She will also review all of your test results with you and answer any questions you have about the findings or the treatment plan.