At the Lerner Health Promotion Program, we embrace a whole-person health approach, recognizing that true wellness encompasses more than just physical health. Our program is designed to empower individuals to take an active role in their wellbeing while providing comprehensive and effective care.

What Is Whole-Person Health?

Whole-person health is an approach that aims to restore health, promote resilience, and prevent diseases across a person's lifespan. It encompasses multiple factors that influence health and disease, including biological makeup, behavioral choices, social circumstances, and environmental influences.

Instead of focusing solely on treating specific ailments, whole-person health emphasizes the importance of addressing all facets of an individual's wellbeing.

Benefits of Whole-Person Health

Adopting a whole-person health approach offers numerous advantages, including the following:

• improved health outcomes, as studies have shown that integrated care leads to better health outcomes and reduced hospitalizations.
• enhanced patient experience, because when patients feel understood as whole individuals, their trust in the healthcare system grows.
• cost-effective care, since by preventing chronic conditions and managing complex health issues effectively, whole-person care can lead to cost savings.
• empowered patients, as this approach encourages patient involvement in decision-making, leading to greater health literacy and self-management.
• comprehensive care, because by addressing multiple aspects of health simultaneously, whole-person care can fill gaps in treatment plans and promote better overall wellness.

Key Components of Whole-Person Health

Whole-person health encompasses several interconnected dimensions:

• physical health, including preventive care, chronic disease management, and access to quality medical services.
• mental and behavioral health addressing emotional wellbeing through therapy, counseling, and stress management, for example.
• social determinants that recognize the impact of factors like housing, education, and economic status on overall health.
• lifestyle factors that promote healthy behaviors such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep hygiene.
• environmental influences that consider how a person's surroundings affect their health and wellbeing.

By embracing a whole-person health approach, individuals can take a more active role in their wellbeing, while healthcare providers can offer more comprehensive and effective care. This holistic perspective represents a promising shift toward a more integrated, patient-centered healthcare model.

Learn More About Whole-Person Health

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) offers extensive resources on whole-person health and complementary approaches to wellness. As the federal government's lead agency for scientific research in this field, NCCIH provides valuable information and educational materials for both the public and healthcare professionals.