At the heart of all population health management initiatives is the ability to help individuals change established unhealthy behavior. The assessment phase serves as the diagnostic; the engagement phase activates individuals. The true measure of program success, however, is when individuals change their unhealthy behaviors.
Why Invest in Change? In a study published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that first-time heart attack sufferers who quit smoking were 37% less likely to die during the study period than those who continued to smoke.
WebMD Health Services has provided personal guidance to millions of people through our relationships with hundreds of large employers and national health plans. In the process, we’ve positively impacted lives by helping individuals become more educated and involved in their health, address their modifiable health risks, and change their health behavior.
Those who have struggled with change know that it does not come easily. There is no magic inflection point. Change is a process; a series of steps that individuals take. WebMD helps individuals every step of the way with our stage-based, personalized intervention programs. These include our online behavior change web portal, targeted lifestyle and condition management programs, and professionally trained and certified health coaches who are experts in motivational interviewing and who work collaboratively with participants to set and achieve specific, measurable goals. Eventually, what begins as a series of orchestrated steps develops into a new way of life for participants. WebMD manages the process, but individuals take the responsibility for making the changes. And in the process, lives are transformed.
Click on the links below to learn more about the Personal Path to Health, our comprehensive approach to health promotion and management.