“Take two of these and call me in the morning.”

This statement is so common that most people accept it 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:

1. Clinically
2. Observed
3. Self-reported 

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:

• We ranked 1st in chronic disease burden (28%) and obesity rate (40%) among ten other high-income nations
• We have the highest rate of avoidable deaths (112 per 111,000 population) and 2nd highest number of hospitalizations from preventable causes (363 discharges per 100,000 population)

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.

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:

• Market size = $21 billion
• Number of businesses = 255,385
• Industry employment = 319,493

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: 

1. Educate and self empower the patient to own their health
2. Make more informed decisions about a long-term treatment plan

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.

Health Outcomes and Elijah Wordsmith

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.  

This may look like having a monthly blog with patient education.  Or perhaps a website that doubles as a valuable resource for current and prospective patients.

Consider Elijah Wordsmith content writing as your partner in getting your practice in front of the right audience.  

Every time.

Take the first step towards standing out online and schedule a discovery call today!