What may Positive Health deliver?
Positive Health has been embraced by many, in recent years. What have been the reasons for applying this broad concept of health?
More focus on health and well-being
Positive Health addresses people’s resilience rather than their illness. Focusing on a meaningful life rather than on health is the goal. This philosophy is more in line with people’s personal needs, and it provides care professionals with leverage for letting their patients take reins themselves and for helping them make their own decisions.
Managing health care costs
Many calls for help end up in the medical world, while the problems in fact are not always health-related. This is when health care solutions can have a medicalising effect. Looking at people through the lens of Positive Health, will show more clearly what is really needed. That is the strength of the concept. It is based on what people themselves consider health to be and what they think they need. This approach helps us all to preserve health care.
Better cooperation and consultation
Because Positive Health is about what we all recognise, this makes it easier to work together towards formulating the same ambition. Whether you are from a municipality, a general practitioner’s practice or a community centre, it encourages you to think outside your own domain about what is needed. It helps you to find a common language that facilitates cooperation and increases the accessibility of services.
Greater work enjoyment
When care professionals do not feel good about themselves, this can get in the way of their enjoyment and performance. For example, because the pressure is mounting or they are no longer able to do their job the way they would like to, due to some of their tasks having been eroded. Positive Health helps professionals regain job satisfaction by focusing on what is really important in health care. It also helps care professionals to reflect on their own health. Therefore, fill out the questionnaire yourself on Mijnpositievegezondheid.nl.
Involving citizens in decesion-making
Positive Health is pre-eminently about what is meaningful to people themselves — in all areas of life that affect their happiness and health. The conversation model makes it easy to ask citizens about this, and to look together at what is already there, as well as at what is still lacking; for example, in the neighborhood, the hospital or the municipality.