Proactive healthcare is defined as an ongoing patient-provider conversation and active monitoring of conditions to help prevent life-threatening emergencies.
For all its misery and devastation, the pandemic is responsible for ushering in one of the most significant positive changes in the healthcare industry over the last century; proactive, patient-centered care. South Carolina and Georgia House Calls, in 2020, was providing primary care services in the home. A small percentage of their visits at the time were through telemedicine. The pandemic caused a rapid expansion of their virtual offerings to meet the needs of vulnerable, high-risk patients who couldn't afford to be exposed to the virus.
Consumers became the ultimate beneficiaries of a perfect storm of change created by the pandemic, medical advances in remote patient monitoring, and the insurance industry recognizing virtual medicine's value.
Today, the trend in healthcare is to give patients more choices and ways to manage and direct their care actively. A patient who sees their provider relationship as a partnership has trust and is more likely to share in managing their care; with this added trust, patients are more receptive to suggestions of lifestyle changes to improve overall health rather than drastic intervention.
Proactive, patient-centered care is based on an ongoing relationship with a provider who meets with the patient regularly. The encouragement and continuous interaction keep the patient motivated to meet their healthcare goals. These medical teams are agile problem prevention experts focused on the complete well-being of each patient. Think of an athlete who uses a personal trainer to achieve a higher level of skill or fitness. The trainer, like a provider, is a source of both encouragement and knowledge, allowing for a higher level of achievement.
Healthcare is moving in a good direction, with reactive medicine in decline. Patients have grown accustomed to the convenience and flexibility proactive care offers. Successful healthcare companies will continue designing models that utilize technological advances while creating a patient-centered environment.
