Broad, systemic changes and adjustments in health care underlie the successes in curing infectious diseases and treating chronic diseases. Yet we also know that the improvements in health care, and their broad adoption by many different types of health care professionals, are not the sole – or even primary – determinant of longer and healthier life spans. Indeed, the major contributors to over 40% of death and disease are behaviors including tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, alcohol and illicit substance abuse, use of firearms, sexual behaviors and motor vehicle injuries. A recent report by the Trust for America's Health notes that an investment of $10 per person per year in community-based programs to increase physical activity, improve
nutrition, and prevent smoking and other tobacco use would save the
country more than $16 billion annually within five years, or an ROI of $5.60 for every $1. Yet, 95% of the money spent of health goes directly to medical care services, while just 5 percent is allocated to population-wide approaches to health improvement. It was only in the aftermath of the anthrax attacks in 2001 (finally seeming to come to some closure - or not) that policy makers gave any attention and funding to what had become a crumbling public health infrastructure.
Healthy People presents a once in a decade opportunity to set public health priorities for the nation. In both setting, and then achieving, Health People 2020 goals and objectives, we must consider that many of the determinants of health, and the levers for improving it, depend on the availability of evidence-based information and the opportunity to access it by people how, when and where they want it – whether it is for personal health decision-making, caring for loved ones, or fashioning health promoting policies.
How, when and where people have the opportunity to access information for making health promotion and disease prevention choices is a critical element for nationwide attainment of health and to assure health for all Americans. Scientific study and verification must support our efforts. However, the capability to collect, synthesize, package and disseminate this knowledge through information technologies, media channels, social networks and individuals is essential for turning scientific discovery and consensus into people’s everyday practices.
Putting what we know now, and can anticipate, about health information technologies, marketing practices and health communication principles will be a common feature of success for achieving Healthy People 2020 objectives. Incorporating the following principles can start integrating these three elements into the framework and purpose of Healthy People 2020:
1. Adoption of a consumer-focused (or agent-based, customer-centric, end user driven) approach to the development and achievement of each objective.
2. Focus on citizen engagement throughout the development, implementation and evaluation of Healthy People 2020.
3. Design of objectives and processes that strive for ubiquity, or pervasiveness, and are relevant to people’s lives – i.e., helps them achieve their personal aspirations and be productive members of society.
4. Recognition that health information, in all its forms and manifestations, is only as useful as it is relevant and accessible when people need and want it.
As health information and communication technologies continue to expand into people’s lives, and our understanding increases of how marketing and communication can be applied to improve health, Healthy People 2020 must set a vision for how to use them throughout the spectrum of activities it will present.
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