HEALTH & WELLNESS
Over the past six months, we have been affected by the unprecedented COVID-19 world pandemic. Millions of confirmed cases, hundreds of thousands lost lives. We are examining every aspect of daily life and altering to adapt to the current state of society. We are adjusting to how we meet others, the number in closed spaces (restaurants, restrooms, educational facilities, etc.), what we put on our face to protect ourselves, and how close we stand to others.
With so much change in
such a short amount of time, well-being is becoming even more mainstream. While
mental health and well-being can be interchangeable, mental health focuses more
on clinical/disease care, such as Alzheimer's disease and strokes, and
emphasizes stress, anxiety, depression management. This post isn't to argue the difference
between the two, only to point out that well-being or "whole health"
has been at the forefront of the news in recent months. So much so, Alice Walton
has announced a new Whole Health Institute, Chopra Medical Library, in
Bentonville, Arkansas.
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"Whole Health
empowers and equips people to take charge of their physical and mental
well-being, and live their lives to the fullest," says Walton. She states,
"the future will be one of more health and well-being, less pain, and
fewer chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity. It will involve more self -care creating less
need for clinical and pharmaceutical treatments." https://talkbusiness.net/2020/01/alice-walton-announces-new-whole-health-institute-chopra-library/
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Powerful words. Yet, empowering people to take charge of
their lives comes with a cost.
According to the report,
the US is 37th globally for life expectancy, yet the US spends more than other
countries with much better outcomes. 75%
of healthcare costs result from chronic conditions, which more than not are
from patient behaviors and choices, says Walton. Dr. Tracy Gaudet, executive director of the
Institute, claims 1.3 million preventative angioplasty procedures done annually
do not prevent future heart attacks. That
is quite a bold statement. I agree with
Gaudet that "behavior is the best predictor," However, it is not
always preventative.
Nearly everything has a
price tag at the end of the day, whether you go to a clinical doctor for
treatment or a yoga studio to reduce stress in the body. While intentions are admirable, and the
overall cost of whole health care might be less costly than clinical care, the
dollars and cents will pile up if we do not pay attention. Is it not just
a trade of dollar bills from one institution to another?
I am not an expert in
clinical vs. whole health research, so I will not question the data. However, the data is incomplete. I would like to see the costs associated with
the whole health approach. Only then can
we say we are comparing apples to apples (if that is even possible). To do so would be an enormous task. Whole health has a broad scope, covering
anything and everything from yoga, massage, supplements, meditation, prayer,
counseling, essential oils, exercising and stretching, etc.
In the world of
Covid-19, we cannot deny the importance of well-being. Businesses are re-examining their employees'
well-being, restaurants/retailers are focusing on the customer experience;
educators are doing their best to keep their students safe by educating and
protecting them. We are in stressful and
overwhelming times.
We must be willing to do
our part to put our well-being first and foremost, regardless of whether it is
in a clinical or whole health system in a judgment-free zone.
My final question is
this: What is our normal? Moving forward, will this be our "new
normal," knowing some of the recent changes are here to stay? Cheryl Durst, CEO of IIDA, is not a fan of
the phrase "new normal" but "what is next." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEEyJ1ipKi0) I would argue the root of these two phrases is
the same. What is next is change, both
short and long term. What is next will
have to leave a lasting impression on how we protect ourselves, interact with
others, etc. will eventually become routine.
Erin, this is an interesting and pragmatic set of observations. I wonder if a measurement other than dollars would be helpful? Yes, we might shift dollars from one pile to the next, but what happens if we change quality of life? Do preventative, behavioral mechanisms result in increased mobility, improved social interactions, and the like? Same cost, better life?
ReplyDeleteAnd, along with quality of life, do we see a long term reduction in healthcare costs? Must we consider a longer time frame in measuring the outcomes?
I think this is one part of the lived experience that can be influenced by design. Our environment becomes part of the holisic health plan! These will be great discussions.