Articles
Below is a listing of pertinent articles from our Whole Health website to assist you with a deeper understanding of the current state of healthcare in the United States:
Earl Vickers was accustomed to taking Molly, his shepherd-boxer-something-else mix, for strolls on the beach or around his neighborhood in Seaside, Calif. A few years ago, though, he started to experience problems staying upright.
While each country’s health system is unique — evolving over decades, sometimes centuries, in tandem with shifts in political culture, history, and resources — comparisons can offer rich insights to inform policy thinking. Perhaps above all, they can demonstrate the profound impact of national policy choices on a country’s health and well-being.
Professional patient health advocates are trained in many aspects of facilitation for your health and wellness. Advocates also specialize in various skills and services. [Read Article]
George Curlee is one of 52 million people or 1/3 of Americans in the workforce who earn $15/hour or less. I had the opportunity to interview George recently about his experience with medical debt and how it has impacted his life. Having suffered an industrial accident, and even though his employer was responsible for his injuries and he carried health insurance, he still accumulated $20,000 in medical debt. [Read Article]
Medical errors have more recently been recognized as a serious public health problem, reported as the third leading cause of death in the US. One study reported that approximately 400,000 hospitalized patients experience some preventable harm each year, while another estimated that >200,000 patient deaths annually were due to preventable medical errors. [Read Article]
During my 44 years of active surgical practice, I have witnessed numerous significant and onerous progressive changes that threaten the quality, safety, accessibility, and affordability of medical care in this country. Sadly, it has evolved into a highly corporatized system controlled by a decreasing number of increasingly powerful conglomerates where profit is often the main metric of performance and success. The stark realities of this dark devolution create daily difficulties for patients trapped in this harsh and inequitable system. [Read Article]
The World Health Organization defines health as the “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” However, this definition has been expanded to include the multifacets of health. Recently, the Whole Health model has gained renewed attention due to the recognition that most of activities promoting health among individuals occur outside of medical care. Nearly 80% of health issues arise from factors rarely addressed within the healthcare system. [Read Article]
NIWH has collaborated with leading hospitals and healthcare centers to advance the science of Whole Health Education®. Explore our comprehensive White Paper to learn more about the research and strategies for sustainable behavior change. [View White Paper]
How common is cancer in young adults? About 80,000 young adults aged 20 to 39 are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. About 4% of all cancers are diagnosed in people in this age range. About 9,000 young adults die from cancer each year. Cancer is the 5th leading cause of death in this age group, behind only accidents, suicide, homicide, and heart disease. It’s the leading cause of death from disease among females in this age group, and is second only to heart disease among males. [Read Article]
The United States spends more on health care than any similarly large and wealthy country. However, in 2023, Americans had a life expectancy of 78.4 years, compared to an average of 82.5 among peer countries. This chart collection examines deaths in the U.S. and comparable countries through 2021, by age group and cause, to highlight factors that contribute to this life expectancy gap. [Read Article]
The universal call for patient-centered care challenges healthcare practitioners to develop communication skills that empower patients by seeing health from the patient’s perspective and motivate and educate patients in health-related self-management. We address this call by exploring the effects of Behavioral Engagement with Pure PresenceTM (BEPP) in the patient-provider relationship. [Read Article]
Background: Health systems, globally, are attempting to strengthen primary care to promote a population-health management approach to care provision, incentivising prevention and self-management. This paper evaluates the "Enhanced Primary Care" model implemented in a geographical region in England. Enhanced Primary Care introduces a new non-medical role, health coaches, to the traditional primary care team to provide additional support for patients with chronic conditions. We evaluate effects of health coaching on patient outcomes using a quasiexperiment. [Read Article]
Patient advocacy in healthcare drives positive change through empowerment, education, and collaboration. Advocates prioritize patient-centered care, empower individuals to make informed decisions and advocate for equitable access. Challenges like resource constraints are countered with technology and data-driven insights, shaping a future focused on personalized care and health equity. [Read Article]