Informing In Addition To Empowering The Modern Consumer
My previous 3 posts discussed the daunting challenges facing today's "modern consumer." This post focuses on what is needed to inform as well as empower consumers, so they brand goodness decisions as well as human action responsibly when it comes to selecting the best treatments as well as adhering to them.
It's obvious that consumers demand valid, understandable data almost the risks, benefits as well as costs of dissimilar handling options. But oftentimes that's non enough. Consumers also demand the motivation, resources as well as science to comply amongst chosen plans of care. In other words, they must move mentally, emotionally as well as physically able as well as willing to bear out their salubrious living strategies, as well as produce it effectively as well as efficiently.
Obtaining the needed data tin move hard because data found on dissimilar spider web sites, instructional pamphlets as well as adept opinions oftentimes offering conflicting, inadequate, irrelevant, unclear, and/or invalid information. Only 16% of online consumers searching for wellness data honour what they were looking for. Although full general search engines perform satisfactorily for generic searches, they may non produce good for wellness queries. [1]
For example, much available data focuses solely on conventional handling options as well as ignores CAM (complementary as well as alternative medicine) interventions. Some data sources lack objectivity because they are influenced past times advertisers sponsoring them. Some offering full general data that is non adequately personalized for an individual's detail situation. And it's tough to honour clear-cut data that lays out all reasonable options inward price of cost; risks (e.g., adverse side-effects, mortality rates, lineament of life impairment, etc.); probable benefits; patient responsibilities; as well as so on. In addition, an individual's personal preferences tend to move overlooked.
Another occupation is that the mind-body connection is oftentimes ignored, fifty-fifty though upward to 50% of all visits to a primary tending MD are for weather amongst affected past times psychological factors, as well as the human relationship betwixt emotional stress as well as physical illness is good established.[2] So, if a somebody is diagnosed amongst a physical problem, related emotional/psychological issues are rarely addressed, as well as visa versa.
Furthermore, consumers tin move overwhelmed past times having to navigate through spider web sites amongst hundreds of links, or read search engine returns that tin easily full inward the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.
And 1 to a greater extent than thing, consumers oftentimes demand to accept conversations amongst plain of report affair experts-including knowledable peers as well as professionals-in social club to accept their questions answered as well as to have hands-on guidance as well as encouragement. Sometime reading written materials, listening to tapes, or watching videos isn't enough.
I suggest, therefore, that the best agency to give consumers what they demand is to implement a consumer-focused strategy amongst the next tactics-and produce it inward an easy, secure agency that protects personal privacy:
[1] "Health Information Search Engines Emerge; Growing Consumer Demand for Health Information Increases Need for Better Quality, More Personalized Searches, Says Expert at 11th World Congress on Internet inward Medicine." Internet Wire (Oct 18, 2006).
[2] WellnessWiki
It's obvious that consumers demand valid, understandable data almost the risks, benefits as well as costs of dissimilar handling options. But oftentimes that's non enough. Consumers also demand the motivation, resources as well as science to comply amongst chosen plans of care. In other words, they must move mentally, emotionally as well as physically able as well as willing to bear out their salubrious living strategies, as well as produce it effectively as well as efficiently.
Obtaining the needed data tin move hard because data found on dissimilar spider web sites, instructional pamphlets as well as adept opinions oftentimes offering conflicting, inadequate, irrelevant, unclear, and/or invalid information. Only 16% of online consumers searching for wellness data honour what they were looking for. Although full general search engines perform satisfactorily for generic searches, they may non produce good for wellness queries. [1]
For example, much available data focuses solely on conventional handling options as well as ignores CAM (complementary as well as alternative medicine) interventions. Some data sources lack objectivity because they are influenced past times advertisers sponsoring them. Some offering full general data that is non adequately personalized for an individual's detail situation. And it's tough to honour clear-cut data that lays out all reasonable options inward price of cost; risks (e.g., adverse side-effects, mortality rates, lineament of life impairment, etc.); probable benefits; patient responsibilities; as well as so on. In addition, an individual's personal preferences tend to move overlooked.
Another occupation is that the mind-body connection is oftentimes ignored, fifty-fifty though upward to 50% of all visits to a primary tending MD are for weather amongst affected past times psychological factors, as well as the human relationship betwixt emotional stress as well as physical illness is good established.[2] So, if a somebody is diagnosed amongst a physical problem, related emotional/psychological issues are rarely addressed, as well as visa versa.
Furthermore, consumers tin move overwhelmed past times having to navigate through spider web sites amongst hundreds of links, or read search engine returns that tin easily full inward the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.
And 1 to a greater extent than thing, consumers oftentimes demand to accept conversations amongst plain of report affair experts-including knowledable peers as well as professionals-in social club to accept their questions answered as well as to have hands-on guidance as well as encouragement. Sometime reading written materials, listening to tapes, or watching videos isn't enough.
I suggest, therefore, that the best agency to give consumers what they demand is to implement a consumer-focused strategy amongst the next tactics-and produce it inward an easy, secure agency that protects personal privacy:
- Perform comprehensive, lifetime wellness status as well as risk assessments that attempt the "whole-person," including psychological as well as biological factors, environmental influences, as well as personal preferences as well as abilities.
- Use the results of the assessment to render personalized "information therapy" that gives a clear explanation of people's existing weather as well as risks, offers a risk-benefit analysis of both conventional as well as CAM handling options, as well as gives instructions for adhering to salubrious living strategies.
- Offer targeted, interactive, decision-support as well as problem-solving tools that aid people inward making goodness choices as well as dealing amongst troubling issues probable to preclude handling compliance, inward social club to supercede stress, denial, depression, anxiety, etc. amongst effective coping skills as well as proactive behaviors.
- Focus on well-care (illness prevention, wellness optimization, recovery from wellness problems, as well as wellness self-maintenance).
- Connect people amongst vetted peers as well as professionals who part experiences as well as ideas, inquire as well as respond questions, as well as give emotional support.
- Take the fourth dimension to attempt motivational issues as well as offering meaningful back upward as well as incentives.
- Offer alerts as well as reminders to growth awareness of what to produce as well as when to produce it.
- Make certain tending is coordinated when multiple providers are involved (e.g., primary tending as well as specialists).
[1] "Health Information Search Engines Emerge; Growing Consumer Demand for Health Information Increases Need for Better Quality, More Personalized Searches, Says Expert at 11th World Congress on Internet inward Medicine." Internet Wire (Oct 18, 2006).
[2] WellnessWiki