Naturally Improving U.S. Health Outcomes
“Just take two of these pills and call me tomorrow.”
This common statement may be accepted by some as a treatment plan.? But technically it’s not.? Why?
The root issue hasn’t been addressed.? A Band-Aid was simply slapped on.?
I’ll reveal why it’s a disservice to patients and how to improve outcomes.? Shall we?
What Are Health Outcomes?
Defined as “events arising out of an intervention,” health outcomes should be stellar in the U.S.? After all, we spend more on healthcare than any other nation.? Seems logical right?
As you’ll see shortly, the truth is actually quite different.
But first understand there’s 3 ways to measure them:
Some chronic (ongoing) health issues are hard to detect and may require all three be utilized.??
And in order for the providers to be equipped in determining these, patient medical records should be provided ahead of time.? This is worth noting for our discussion and something I gleaned working in medical front offices.
I include it also to support physicians who sometimes receive unfair blame from an unsatisfied patient who never provided a health history.? Remember, they are doctors not psychics.
Okay I’ll get off the soapbox.
Health Outcomes by Country
Now for the moment of truth.? Let’s look at the “report card” for our beautiful America and see how we did.??
A study by The Commonwealth Fund found:
Ouch.? In this case we should not be proud of earning the gold medal.? Home to many top research hospitals like the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic, one must scratch their head at these numbers.
Obviously these statistics expose an area of disconnect between healthcare spending and results.? But we need to look behind the curtain to discover the root cause.
Join me backstage as we do exactly that.
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Treating the Patient Not the Symptoms
Health outcomes research has been missing some key data points.? So our inability to improve the actual numbers isn’t surprising.
What has been left out?
Doctors aren’t being supported in their desire to treat the patient instead of the symptoms.? When they graduate from medical school, most providers practice in hospitals.
At this level, they don’t have enough time with each patient to offer meaningful long-term care.? Hence a prescription being placed in their hands.??
The pharmaceutical industry benefits from this while the patient suffers.
But there’s a solution that has been operating in the background for decades in the United States.? Natural medicine!
How Big Is the Industry?
Alternative healthcare providers in the US:
Only 23 states license naturopathic doctors who numbered 6,000 as of 2018.? You can infer if all 50 states participated, the number would be about double.??
One final thing to note.? Health regulatory boards don’t consider holistic certifications.? This matters and is a reason many natural providers skip the expensive piece of paper.
Typically operating using either a private practice or concierge medicine model, they have smaller patient loads.? As a result they can spend more time with each patient hearing their story.??
This allows them to:?
The U.S. healthcare industry would experience better overall outcomes if it welcomed these practitioners.? And studied their best practices.
Even though this seems unlikely in 2022, I’m always hopeful.? Because both “sides of the fence” have a heart for the sick and dying.
Final Thoughts on Health Outcomes
Since I’ve covered why patients deserve better and how holistic medicine can fulfill this need, there’s just one more thing.
You may be one of those providers who can’t seem to get your message out.? Healthcare content writing is the tool that will amplify the proven treatment methods you champion daily with your patients.??
Comment below with your thoughts!