Therefore, lengthy treatments could be prescribed without taking the level of risk into account although it is proven that in most cases it is our lifestyle that should be modified. Physical exercise and a proper diet can, for example, considerably reduce the risk of suffering from diabetes and cardio-vascular diseases. Other studies, including one made by the World Health Organization (WHO), also show that food consumption plays an important part in the emergence of cancer.
As far as diseases are concerned, we do not all react in the same way. Genes play a part. The presence of breast cancer, prostate cancer or of a premature cardio-vascular disease in the family heightens the probability that other members of the family will also be affected by these diseases in the future.
A large part of our medical future, however, lies in our hands and depends on our treatment of tobacco, alcohol, food and physical exercise. The problem is that this attitude doesn’t apply to a diagnosed illness but only to certain levels of risk.
In fact, one should deal with one’s health as one manages one’s financial assets, with due regard to taking risks. But in order to do so, it is necessary to have a risk-evaluation tool and a strategy of support for change. It has been shown that it is not the knowledge of a fact that leads us to modify our behaviour but the realization that we must feel concerned. A patient who is just recovering from a heart attack and who has stopped smoking will tell you: “Before, I knew that smoking was not good for me but now I know it”.
This “squaring the circle”, this attempt at the near impossible, is what a young Geneva company called Health Check Monitor ( HCM ) wants to address.
How does it work ?
By requesting the internet visitor to define his/her profile (5 screens) and by giving him/her the opportunity of asking himself/herself a number of questions, such as:
If I was younger?
If I was a man ? woman?
If I was taller, smaller?
If I stopped smoking?
If I walked up stairs?
If I drank less, ate differently…?
What would happen then?
The impact of such changes is graphically revealed by the tool.
Initially, HCM was implemented as a stand-alone application tool to help healthcare professionals follow-up employees or members of the International Community (UN Family Organisations and Fortune 100 companies ) based in Geneva. From the employers' perspective, the tool allowed a coherent, statistical analysis of the healthcare status, as it relates to behavior, of a large number of employees.
This first implementation of HCM has been operational for the last six years and has benefited over 1,000 employees to date. The impact outperformed even the most optimistic predictions: over 50% of the participants had effected a beneficial behavioural change, most of the changes taking place within 6 months of the HCM assessment.
This current release of the HCM solution , powered by Oracle , is compatible with any IT environment, any server, any operating system and any database size.
As a risk assessment tool, HCM offers a set of modules with evidence-based assessment of statistical risks for a number of medical and health conditions based on individual characteristics in the following domains:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cererebrovascular accident
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Lung and throat cancers
- Skin Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Alcohol consumption
- Stress
- Depression
- Sleep disorders
- Workplace ergonomics
- Work-life balance
HCM is a tool which allows one to scientifically manage risks in a non medical environment. It puts the person at the center of the project, it follows this person throughout his or her itinerary taking advantages of the latest theories in providing aid for change.
For more information : HCM ( Health Check Monitor SaRL) [email protected]
By: N. Peter Kramer
