Calling it a public health imperative, a group of clinical and healthcare policy experts is recommending the development of a comprehensive national health system devoted to preventing the onset of disease. Their newly published report, Embracing Health: Tools and Systems for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, was prepared jointly by Johns Hopkins and Healthways as a result of the 6th annual Disease Management Outcomes Summit, a meeting of more than 200 physicians, healthcare thought leaders, policymakers, and subject matter experts. The report challenges the status quo of the existing healthcare system by calling for the alignment of incentives to help prevent the onset of chronic disease.
Citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, the report gives examples of the health and financial benefits of prevention, such as $3.42 saved in physician hospital costs for every dollar spent on arthritis self-help programs.
“We’ve known for years that prevention works, and this report lays the groundwork for a national system that delivers on the promise of preventive care,” said Fred Brancati, MD, director of general internal medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “This year’s consensus report outlines the beginnings of a delivery model for preventive and wellness services that will improve lives and lower healthcare costs.”
