Can Chronic Health Revolutionalize Employee Wellbeing?

As a physician, our reactive approach to chronic disease management has always been frustrating. That’s why Dr. Luis Fontana’s recent article in the European Heart Journal resonated strongly with me. The article points out that we’ve had the wrong mindset; instead of managing chronic disease, our focus should be on promoting chronic health.

Chronic health – what a concept!

This refreshing and necessary reframing integrates life-long preventive measures and holistic practices. This approach aligns with the concept of “keeping the well – well!” It’s more positive and more sustainable.

Wellbeing 3.0 is about more than just avoiding illness or incentivizing actions. It's a paradigm shift that looks holistically at the factors that cause people and organizations to thrive. It aligns well, conceptually, with a vision of chronic Health.

The US healthcare system, with its reimbursement structures, will take a long time to catch up to this vision. And though the larger societal shift may be slow, organizations have the power to make intentional changes now to support this proactive approach.

This is yet another aspect of Wellbeing 3.0 — rethinking the organizational approach to preventive care. To help an organization transition to a state of chronic health, we should focus on these key areas:

• Culture of Prevention: Make preventive care a core organizational value by promoting regular check-ups, wellness programs, and healthy habits, while reducing barriers to preventive care in health plans.
• Agency, Awareness, and Application: Provide employees with the knowledge and resources to prevent chronic health issues and build a sense of agency that behavior change is both achievable and beneficial.
• Leverage Technology: Utilize digital tools and AI-driven insights to engage employees and motivate long-term health changes.
• Holistic Support Systems: Implement policies that support overall well-being, such as stress management workshops, fitness incentives, and flexible work environments.
• Leadership Buy-In: Ensure leadership actively promotes and models healthy behaviors and preventive care.

We also must address essential needs (social determinants of health), like housing and food insecurity, caregiving demands, and the environment — which can delay or prevent the shift to chronic health. By recognizing and mitigating these barriers, we can create a more equitable health culture:

• Access to Resources: Ensure everyone has equitable access to healthcare, wellness programs, and nutritious food, using technology to bridge essential gaps.
• Workplace Environment: Foster a supportive environment that promotes mental health, flexible work, and safe conditions.
• Community Engagement: Work with local communities to address broader determinants like housing and social support, connecting individuals to resources that meet their essential needs.

Wellbeing 3.0 helps create a new framework for organizations aspiring to create chronic health.

Inspiring employees to connect with a sense of purpose, making health and wellbeing both personal, and meaningful, sets a more effective context for informed, deliberate decisions about their physical and mental health.

Organizations are in a powerful position to catalyze this transformation, through their workforce wellbeing strategy.

You can explore the full article on the concept of chronic health.

Access Kumanu’s white paper, Wellbeing 3.0: A Roadmap for Thriving People and Organizations to learn what we are doing.

Source:

Luigi Fontana, From chronic disease to chronic health: the evolving role of doctors in the 21st century, European Heart Journal, Volume 45, Issue 29, 1 August 2024, Pages 2584–2586, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae17