Set the Bar Correctly
A real integrative medicine intake is not 20 minutes. It's not three vitals, a quick history, and a supplement list. If that's what you got, you got conventional care with a green sticker on it.
Here's what an actual integrative medicine first visit looks like — and how to know if yours measured up.
Before The Visit (1-2 hours of your time)
A proper practice sends intake forms covering:
- Full medical history, including childhood illnesses and dental history (amalgams, root canals)
- Family medical history (3 generations)
- Detailed symptom timeline (when did each thing start, what was happening in your life)
- Environmental exposures (homes you've lived in, water damage, occupational, hobbies)
- Dietary history and current pattern
- Sleep, bowel function, energy curve, libido, mood
- Trauma screen (ACE score and beyond)
- Current medications + supplements with dosing
- Prior labs uploaded for review
If your practice didn't send 10+ pages of intake, lower your expectations.
The Visit (90-120 minutes)
The first 30-45 minutes
Practitioner reviews your history and timeline with you. Not reading notes — engaging. They should be drawing connections you've never had pointed out before. ("Your fatigue started 6 months after you moved into the house with the basement bedroom. Has anyone asked about mold?")
The next 30-45 minutes
Physical exam (when appropriate), nervous-system assessment, possibly Autonomic Response Testing (ART/IRT) if the practitioner is trained, posture and breath assessment.
The final 15-30 minutes
- Working hypothesis discussed with you, not handed down
- Recommended testing — and the rationale for each
- Initial lifestyle interventions you can start today
- Clear next-visit timeline
What Should Be On The Lab List
Depending on case, expect some combination of:
- Comprehensive metabolic panel + CBC with differential
- Full thyroid (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TPO, Tg antibodies)
- Iron panel + ferritin
- Vitamin D, B12, folate, magnesium RBC
- hs-CRP, homocysteine, fasting insulin, HbA1c
- Comprehensive hormone panel (DUTCH preferred)
- Comprehensive stool analysis
- Sometimes: organic acids, mycotoxins, heavy metals
Red Flags On The First Visit
- Under 60 minutes total
- No timeline-building, just symptom-listing
- Supplement script before any testing
- Same protocol everyone leaves with
- No environmental or emotional history taken
- No clear next-visit plan
What Comes Next
A good practitioner sequences the work: results visit → personalized protocol → 4-6 week follow-ups → reassessment at 90 days. Not "buy these supplements and come back in a year."
This is exactly the cadence built into our Foundation Program — 90 days of structured root-cause work with proper sequencing.
The Next Step
- Find Your Root Cause → — free, 5 minutes
- Foundation Program → — what a real first visit becomes
Don't accept 20-minute "integrative" care. Ask for the real thing.
Your Next Step
Explore Our Foundation Program
Begin your integrative medicine journey with comprehensive assessments and personalized health plans.
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Four ways in. Start at whichever rung is honest for you.
You don't have to commit to a full workup to make progress. Every rung below feeds the next one — nothing you do at the free end gets thrown away when you move up.
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Your Integrative Life Compass
10 questions, report emailed to you. Shows which systems are driving the rest, so you stop guessing which protocol to try next.
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Root Cause Snapshot
A written read on your pattern from the intake you already filled out — what to investigate first, and what to stop paying for.
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200+ biomarkers plus your DNA, translated into a 90-day protocol with named brands and doses. Includes the INNSPO practice app.
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Private Concierge
A standing clinical team on your case — reachable, proactive, and coordinating the whole family. For complex or multi-system cases.
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Still unsure which rung? Book a call to get started with the doctors — they'll tell you if none of them fit.
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