The modern US health care system is tailored to treat sick patients and chronic disease while putting little emphasis on prevention. This is a complex problem that stems from many facets including the current profit-driven model, insurer’s short-term perspective, misaligned incentives, and a complex regulatory environment. As it stands it is unlikely that the current health care system will drive individuals to wellness but rather just keep treating chronic illnesses.
Fortunately there is a shift occurring in the health-and-wellness space. It is primarily being driven by a growing number of cases of chronic illnesses, entrepreneurs, and technology and we are seeing an increased emphasis on health and wellness programs with people taking proactive measures to maintain health and prevent chronic disease. The market senses this shift too. Curently wellness is a $4.2 trillion industry and is forecasted to grow to $7 trillion globally by 2025.
There are many companies across various fields that are helping to move toward a healthy system. Centiblick, Inc. was recently named by Forbes to be one such company pushing an entrepreneurial reboot of a $7 trillion dollar economy in this space. Specifically it stated that Centiblick is a “data enablement solution.”
In more detail CentiBlick is a telehealth platform that enables patients to take full control of their personal health information (PHI). The virtual care technology is capable of connecting to any electronic health record (EHR) that is FHIR API ready. The patient can see their fully consolidated health record including trending and tracking of labs, health history, medications, and more. They can also share their health record with the health care practitioner of their choice at the push of a button.
The expectation is that once a patient has visibility of their entire health record they will be empowered to make healthy choices before they are sick. Hopefully, this will help the population to avoid some of the chronic disease that is so prevalent today.
Ultimately, the pursuit of informed healthy patients is a multi-faceted journey that requires personal responsibility, informed decision-making, societal support, and a healthcare system that emphasizes prevention and early intervention. As the health industry continues to evolve, its success in contributing to overall well-being will depend on its ability to address these challenges effectively. Companies like CentiBlick are leading the way from a sick system to a healthy system.
This Forbes' article written by Dean Debiase is a testament to how CentiBlick is working to create a reformed conversation between the provider and the patient. CentiBlick's overall approach is that healthcare needs and should be in the hands of the patient while helping inform patients and providers how to communicate their health history. The approach transforms the ideals of preventative care into reality.