How you can make the most of the changing health care landscape

Entering into the new year brings excitement, reflection, and hope that are often embodied by our New Year's Resolutions. For many of us, better health is at the top of that list whether it is losing weight, eating healthier, being more active, decreasing stress, or giving up smoking. And these resolutions reflect how our choices matter and how they will be the life we lead tomorrow.

Dr. Nina's What You Need To Know: Our Mission to Live Long Healthy Lives

Health Care is Changing
We are living in the most transformational times in health care the world has seen in over hundreds of years. It is transitioning from one which "fixes people after they're sick" to one of preventive, diagnostic medicine. The decisions we make today with our health – what we consume, our sleep, managing stress, physical and mental activity, timely examinations along with other key factors --will impact the quality of the healthy life we lead tomorrow. Wise, informative understandings are important and I am committed to be an agent of timely and relevant knowledge to help people live longer, healthier lives.

Knowledge is Power
We become empowered when we have the knowledge to identify and make healthy choices. Experts agree that there are three things that determine how we age: genetics, environment and our lifestyle. While we can't choose our parents who give us our genes, we can control our environment and lifestyle. Taking care of ourselves is paramount but for whatever the reasons we can fall short.

Add to that, the vast amount of information reported can become challenging (and at times, confusing) to navigate through, even for medical professionals with the training to interpret and discern. And, in some instances, new findings and studies will contradict long-held beliefs or dogma leaving many of us scratching our heads, wondering what we should do. Living long and living well is a choice — and it's yours.

Being our Best Friend
When it comes to our health, there is no one else better than ourselves to take care of ourselves. As adults, we are responsible for the choices we make when it comes to things we consume, staying physically active, managing stress, getting quality sleep, and undergoing physical exams and health screenings. Often, we find that we put these needs on the back burner. Living a balanced and healthy life requires that we take care of our needs first. To be able to care for the people you love, you must first take care of yourself.

Holistic View of Health
Overall balanced good health requires attention to mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. All aspects are intimately interrelated and intertwined, meaning if one aspect or area falls ill, it will affect the others.

A "whole person" person approach in medical practice (which may parallel some thought and actions, but also differs from alternative medicine) maintains that all aspects of people's health should be taken into account. For instance, when visiting your physician about migraine headaches, the medical doctor will review factors of what may be the cause of them (added stress, a recent injury, lack of sleep or a healthy diet, as well as examining a whole host of other health problems). Treatment may include prescription medications but also lifestyle modifications to help prevent future reoccurrence.

Coordinated Care
While I believe that the number one priority today of health care professionals remains ensuring that patients receive top-notch, first-rate health care as soon as they need it – teamwork is central. I have shared this before and it bears repeating that we are increasingly seeing the benefits of coordinated care—as the patient and their doctor work together to achieve best health. As patients that means we must listen to our bodies when something is awry, immediately recognize warning signs, and be able to describe a proper history, including a family history, so our doctors have as much information as possible when asked to diagnose a medical problem. While key at every turn, this is particularly vital when it comes to difficult to diagnose illnesses.

Shared Decision-Making
Our best care comes from taking action by combining medical expertise and scientific evidence with our values and preferences. Shared decision-making (SDM) is a concept that allows patients and their health care providers to make decisions together. Many illnesses and conditions have more than one clinically appropriate treatment option. And those options come with benefits and drawbacks. I encourage patients to research their condition or illness, write down questions to ask of their health care provider, and feel empowered to express their values and preferences. There must be input from both sides of the stethoscope.

The rewards of being healthy are vast. And we must all move forward with managing our "whole person" health as a top priority, and remembering that the decisions we make today will impact the life we lead tomorrow. As we begin 2016, I look forward to the future days – it is my driving passion and great honor to be a wellness agent in providing balanced, healthy understandings ...for you and your loved ones. Let's make a toast -- to choose wisely! Here's to a long, healthy life!!

This article is for general information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions and cannot substitute for the advice from your medical professional. Dr. Nina has used all reasonable care in compiling the current information but it may not apply to you and your symptoms. Always consult your doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions or questions.