Shared vision for health

Health systems should be recording and sharing successful health outcomes - because success breeds success - and because when the path to success is shortened, people suffer less, and productivity from the same limited health resources is enhanced.

Premise

When you want to achieve success in any field the first thing you do is research how others have achieved success.

In the standard western medical system, successes and failures should be recorded and shared within a framework - alternately referred to as Evidence-based or Outcome-based Medicine - with the primary goal being the application of best long-term practice in diagnosis, patient care, and treatment outcomes.

Such a framework has obvious merits but historically, the patient's perspective hasn't been sought and included as corroborating evidence. Typically, the health system;

1. doesn't place sufficient value on confirming success or failure via the patient perspective, and;
2. doesn't record or recognize success or failure when or if it occurs outside the standard medical system.

Who is in the best position to provide evidence of health success or failure? Arguably, it's the patient.
 
Advocacy

The Case Health online database was created to fill this gap in the health system, and advocate the value of patient testimony. I encourage individuals to freely share information on health success in the hope of making the path to health success shorter and less stressful for others.

The website collects and shares health success stories (personal or research) through an online database. Keywords are attributed to each story and this framework serves a dual purpose:

The database can be searched by symptom, condition, or treatment so patients can discuss what they've found with their doctor. The database also collects significant research findings, so analysts can gain 'insights' into cause and effect and develop theories for curiosity-driven research, or gain insight into public health statistics, benefits, or risks.

There are many ways people can contribute to their communities but most haven't considered information as one of those ways. They can help improve another person's health by sharing detailed information on how they achieved their own health success - and if they do that they contribute something more valuable than cash to their community.

Optimum health is a universal goal.  Challenges and resources differ between countries - but we are all human and we all share the same desire - to acquire and employ knowledge that results in the least invasive and least expensive path to optimum health.

My Case Health website recorded its first controversial Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) treatment health success story in November 2003. A significant increase in LDN linked success stories prompted me to write the article: "Drug Stops Multiple Sclerosis - But Sufferer's Can't Get it" (published here in an alternate version: "Anecdotal evidence points to relief for MS sufferers"). The article highlights the growing number of LDN health success stories linked to many auto-immune based diseases, the absence of mainstream recognition of patient testimony, and; advocates for health framework reform.

The Case Health website remains at concept stage, however; the article "Drug Stops Multiple Sclerosis – But Sufferer's Can't Get it" represents an inaugural proof-of-concept document.

Case Health - Health Success Stories is a free worldwide community health service website that collects and shares patient anecdotal evidence of success and news of significant research results. The site was created in 2001 and is located online at casehealth.com.au and casehealth.com.

Proposal - Vision for Health Reform

With governments around the world presently considering or developing new health frameworks, I hope you'll agree the timing is right for visionary reform:

Our health systems should be recording and sharing health successes and failures (learnings), including patient perspectives because;

a) success breeds success and when the path to success is shortened, people suffer less, and;
b) because 'learnings' can alert us to risks associated with failure, consequently reducing risks.

What would a 'Shared Health Accomplishments and Research Environment' look like?

1. A robust, secure health IT infrastructure sharing successes so they can become repeatable and sustainable, and; sharing failures so they can be avoided.

1a. A new Medicare rebate would be paid to all Health Professionals who are prepared to spend time documenting and sharing detailed patient histories of successes and failures (learnings) through a central database. Implementing this type of framework not only acknowledges quality patient care and treatment but ensures success is repeatable and sustainable, and guards against treatment failure.

To substantiate the integrity of submissions, the patient would confirm or counter-sign. The database would build slowly, with integrity, and therefore grow more valuable with time, delivering ever-increasing dividends for the future.

A "weighting" would be applied to each submission, depending on the qualification of the Health Professional. Submissions by less qualified allied health professionals would initially be assigned a lower 'weighting' but would attract a higher 'weighting' as the volume of corroborating testimonies increases.

1b. In acknowledgement that any person who's achieved success or experienced failure has information of value to share, the database would accommodate all health successes and failures; including those that occur outside the standard health system. Any individual could opt to submit their health story details, that is; how they achieved success or how they failed (what they learned) - so they may contribute to the volume of knowledge. Submissions would be 'weighted' accordingly but would attract higher 'weighting' with regard to public health benefits or risks, or when the volume of corroborating testimonies increased.

1c. The framework would be governed by systems and processes that promote equity and quality, and guard against infiltration of conflict of interest, commercialisation, or bias to maintain database integrity and protect this valuable investment in the future health of all. 

1e. Database searches (non-personalized details only) would be freely accessible to all, including health researchers, analysts, and the general public. Names and addresses would be protected by law, secured, and shielded in a separate database - and would therefore not be accessible via search, however; special dispensation could be given for a rare event - such as research or analysis that indicates a major public health benefit or risk necessitating deeper analysis, evaluation or validation.

When Health Systems are documenting and freely sharing all successes and failures, including patient contributions, quality and productivity from the same limited health resources will be dramatically enhanced and people will suffer less.