When you think of a person’s health, you may think of physical health markers like heart health, lung health, and immune health. While each of these specific health markers is important, they’re not the end-all-be-all of a person’s well-being.
It’s important to consider every aspect of a person’s overall wellness instead of focusing on only one or two factors. Let’s take a look at what health outcomes are, the shift to whole-person wellness, and some of the key differences between behavioral and mental health.
What are health outcomes?
Health outcomes help providers and organizations measure the overall impact and consequences of a healthcare service, treatment, or intervention. They offer a multi-dimensional method for tracking how effective or successful healthcare services are.
Health outcomes can be observed in a variety of ways. They may be measured clinically through physical examination, laboratory testing, or imaging. They can also be self-reported or observed personally in the time following a healthcare treatment. Here at Community Access Network, we measure patient-reported outcomes and population health outcomes from the Virginia Department of Health.
Examples of Health Outcomes
Health outcomes are important, as they give providers the ability to to collect evidence for future healthcare treatments, to research certain conditions, or to tweak care models for a more positive patient experience. Here are two simple examples of health outcomes.
Lowering Blood Pressure: Keeping your blood pressure in check means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood. If you have a history of high blood pressure, doctors may track what your blood pressure is before, during, and after assigning you a treatment plan. That way, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t, and you can make data-informed decisions about your health.
Improved Mental Well-being: Taking care of your mental health helps you handle stress, think clearly, and feel more positive. To track a mental health outcome, your care team may have you fill out a brief questionnaire at each visit so you can describe how you’re feeling. This allows providers to track how you’re doing over time and provide recommendations along the way.
Shifting to a whole-person wellness model of care
Your physical wellness isn’t the only marker of your health. It’s important for providers to look at several wellness indicators to understand someone’s overall health.
Focusing on whole-person wellness involves taking a comprehensive look at the entire person, not just pinpointing certain body systems, organs, or test results. At the end of the day, each of our different body systems works together to support our health.
Social determinants of health also play a role in our overall well-being and quality of life. These include economic stability, healthcare access and quality, social and community context, education access and quality, and our home and work environment.
For example, if we live or work in a stressful environment, we may be more prone to anxiety, which may raise blood pressure. If we live in an area with environmental pollutants, we may be prone to health problems like respiratory issues or heart disease. If we don’t have access to grocery stores that offer healthy food, we may be at a higher risk of developing certain conditions like heart disease or diabetes.
Taking each of these factors into account when considering whole-person wellness allows for providers to offer patients more nuanced, tailored care. When healthcare providers understand whole-person wellness, patients are more likely to feel respected, understood, and cared about. The more positive healthcare interactions a person has, the more likely they’ll continue to seek healthcare when needed and experience good patient outcomes.
Using a whole-person wellness approach also includes caring for someone’s behavioral health and mental health. While behavioral health and mental health may sound similar, they’re not exactly the same. Let’s take some time to look at the core differences between the two.
Behavioral Health vs. Mental Health
Behavioral health is a broad umbrella term that includes mental, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It focuses on the specific actions that a person takes based on their environment, social history, mental health, and more. Behavioral health care is crucial for maintaining whole-person wellness.
Some common behavioral health conditions include substance abuse disorders, gambling addictions, self-injury compulsions, and eating disorders.
Mental health isn’t completely disconnected from behavioral health. Instead, it fits under the umbrella of behavioral health. Mental health focuses more inwardly on a person’s mental state, thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Some common mental health illnesses include depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar anxiety, and schizophrenia.
While there are differences between the two, both behavioral and mental health tie into whole-person wellness. Paying attention and getting help when needed for behavioral and mental health positively impacts health outcomes—and that’s why we’re passionate about both.
The Community Access Network team offers various telehealth services for behavioral and mental health, including psychiatric consultations, trauma therapy, care management, and more. For more information, browse our telehealth quick start guide.
What’s the bottom line?
When someone can receive personalized, continuous care, they’re more likely to have positive healthcare outcomes and have better whole-person wellness. Both behavioral and mental health play into a person’s whole-person wellness and Community Access Network is equipped and ready to help.
Regardless of age, income, or insurance status, Community Access Network is here to serve you. We understand that no two people are the same, and our team of qualified providers will work with you to develop a comprehensive, compassionate care plan for anything you may need.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our providers, call us at 434-818-7880. We also offer convenient walk-in services at our 5th Street and Park View locations.