This is in follow up to the last post i wrote about the US falling apart financially, check it out here
There is a good article i saw over at CTV on a way to ease the strain on health care systems around the world, and thus potentially avoiding a huge problem.
The report goes into why we need to work together in teams to diagnose and manage diseases.
The report titled, “Why Health Care Renewal Matters: Lessons from Diabetes,” used type 2 diabetes as a case study to look at whether the country’s health system is effectively helping Canadians manage chronic conditions.
It suggests that what is needed is a shift from a focus on finding disease and fixing it, to preventing chronic conditions, then ensuring that those diagnosed with the diseases know how to manage them.
The report says such a shift in focus would have a “profound, positive impact on the lives of Canadians,” while also helping ensure the sustainability of our health care.
While i feel this report is a good first step, there is a long way to go for where we need to end up. Eventually i think all governments will realize that it is cheaper to prevent diseases like diabetes and heart disease by using preventive measures i.e. offering incentives like paying for gym memberships or subsidizing them to a certain point, and maybe a similar program for vitamins and sports or naturopaths.
Something like this is needed, but it has to be done by a major G8 nation to show that it works, but like many things in life as with this one as well, it’s going to take a leap of faith. Even if the government took a step like this tomorrow there wouldn’t be any conclusive results for years if not decades, what politician is going to run on that ticket?
The hope is though with a nation facing a massive slow down due to a crippled health care system i think the government will start having to look into alternatives.