Baby Boomers Feel In Charge of Their Health
UPI Poll: Most feel in control of health
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Nearly all U.S. respondents to a UPI-Zogby International poll said they feel they have control over their personal health.
At first I just thought that these people must be deluded, since from my point of view, we are losing access to our health care providers. Every phone menu option or human screening we must negotiate our way past to get in touch with the physician is a new obstacle. Every minute shaved off the ever-decreasing length of the office visit lowers how well we can be heard.
But then I realized that personal health has very little to do with the doctor, especially these days when information is available to all us baby boomers at the touch of a mouse. Two important trends in which patients are starting to take greater control of their health and well-being came immediately to mind:
Lay people are becoming more educated:
It is now possible to extract accurate information from the web and media about what tests, treatments and behaviors will truly extend life and promote well-being – and, conversely, to identify the hype and nonsense.
Consumers are willing to spend more on their health:
More and more of us baby boomers are taking advantage of new medical practice models that afford a return to the more intimate relationship between patients and physicians as well as enrolling in medical wellness programs such as HealthWise. This demonstrates a growing willingness to go beyond the restrictive menu of one’s health care benefits and invest a little cash in one’s own health.
A final thought. People “largely feel in control of their health.” But are they? In my professional experience, many such people die way before their time. They thought they were obeying “Nature’s Rules” for healthy living and so neglected to search for, or adequately deal with dangerous medical conditions they didn't know they had – conditions we now have the medical technology to find and cure.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Nearly all U.S. respondents to a UPI-Zogby International poll said they feel they have control over their personal health.
At first I just thought that these people must be deluded, since from my point of view, we are losing access to our health care providers. Every phone menu option or human screening we must negotiate our way past to get in touch with the physician is a new obstacle. Every minute shaved off the ever-decreasing length of the office visit lowers how well we can be heard.
But then I realized that personal health has very little to do with the doctor, especially these days when information is available to all us baby boomers at the touch of a mouse. Two important trends in which patients are starting to take greater control of their health and well-being came immediately to mind:
Lay people are becoming more educated:
It is now possible to extract accurate information from the web and media about what tests, treatments and behaviors will truly extend life and promote well-being – and, conversely, to identify the hype and nonsense.
Consumers are willing to spend more on their health:
More and more of us baby boomers are taking advantage of new medical practice models that afford a return to the more intimate relationship between patients and physicians as well as enrolling in medical wellness programs such as HealthWise. This demonstrates a growing willingness to go beyond the restrictive menu of one’s health care benefits and invest a little cash in one’s own health.
A final thought. People “largely feel in control of their health.” But are they? In my professional experience, many such people die way before their time. They thought they were obeying “Nature’s Rules” for healthy living and so neglected to search for, or adequately deal with dangerous medical conditions they didn't know they had – conditions we now have the medical technology to find and cure.
posted by John Corso at 3:56 PM
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