The Health Ecosystem: From Vision to Reality

Two years ago, I began writing about “Creating a True Health Ecosystem for Human Flourishing.” Since that time, I have continued to explore the concept of an ecosystem built solely for the Care of Health —a comprehensive approach to human flourishing that extends far beyond traditional medical care. Today, global health systems face unprecedented challenges. These challenges invite us to a bold vision: one moving us beyond mere resilience and toward flourishing.

Progress Amidst Adversity 

Medical care systems worldwide grapple with the continued aftermath of a global pandemic, staffing shortages, and the increasing burden of chronic disease. For example, the UK’s National Health Service has long been considered a model for universal healthcare, but that reality is changing.

The UK’s National Health Service is now experiencing widespread calls for an overhaul. Data from September 2024 shows that only 72% of patients needing emergency care received admission, transfer, or discharge within four hours (far below the target of 95%). At the end of August 2024, the referral to treatment (RTT) waiting list for patients included an estimated 6.3 million unique people. The median waiting time was 14.6 weeks, with 58.3% of patients waiting for up to 18 weeks.

Our medical care systems were built precisely in response to injury, illness, and disease. Though necessary for a just and equitable society, they are not sufficient. The increasing burden placed upon these systems demands change.

A Posture of Gratitude 

We work to move beyond better and envision an extraordinarily different future. At the same time, we also acknowledge the immense value of services provided by current medical care systems. We are profoundly grateful for modern medical care’s expertise, technology, and compassion (especially when faced with our personal needs). These systems play a vital role. However, the rising tide of chronic diseases has stretched these systems beyond their capacity and original design.

The responsibility for keeping people healthy does not rest solely on these systems. They simply don’t have the tools, resources, or capacity to treat and prevent illness. This realization calls for a broader societal approach. All industries have a role to play in the production of affordable health. No industry or sector is exempt. Food, agriculture, retail, education, technology, and entertainment all impact the health of our populations.

Pioneering Proactive Health 

Amidst these challenges, innovative models are emerging that align with the vision of an ecosystem built primarily for the Care of Health. Singapore’s “Healthier SG” provides a current example. I’ve had the opportunity to interact firsthand with leaders of the Singapore Ministry of Health, and they are laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and effective system for the proactive care of health. One built upon the premise that the way we ensure our medical care systems remain sustainable is to make them increasingly unnecessary.

“Healthier SG” is rooted in the belief that long-term sustainability in healthcare results from keeping people healthy rather than merely treating illness. In its first year, over 960,000 people enrolled in Healthier SG, with about 580,000 aged 60 and above. The initiative encourages residents to take personal and collective responsibility for their Care of Health journey.

The Power of Technology and Gamification 

Technology has a central role in realizing the Care of Health ecosystem vision. One example is the Digital Vaccine Project at Carnegie Mellon University. In collaboration with my colleague Bhargav Sri Prakash (CEO & Founder of FriendsLearn, translational research partner for the project), the Digital Vaccine Project has demonstrated the immense potential of gamification in promoting health literacy and behavior change. Fooya! (their App) has won the Transformative Business Award from the Financial Times and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation for their pioneering work in deep tech breakthroughs with digital vaccines. The digital vaccines use neurocognitive training to encourage better health choices among children (specifically, nutrition and movement).

Early research shows these behavior changes are sustainable. For the health of future generations, FriendsLearn is leveraging technology to make health promotion fun and accessible. Their progress gives us a glimpse into the future. A future where we will experience the Care of Health not solely as a response to injury, illness, and disease but as a seamless practice integrated within daily environments.

Beyond Legacy Medical Care 

As my colleague Ramin Rafiei, founder of Unleash Health, aptly says, “Digital health at its fundamental core effectively puts the consumer at the center, and delivering healthcare should never be confined to the medical economy.” Ramin reflects a growing recognition that the most critical aspects in the Care of Health occur outside traditional medical care models. Rafiei’s Prevention-as-a-Service™ concept presents a compelling model for realigning our view of what we mean by proactive health. This model creates new pathways for delivering health information and encouraging healthy behaviors by aligning the interests of consumers, brands, and health promoters.

Unleash Health’s approach is beginning to show the potential of aligning consumer brands with health promotion and healthy choices. They’ve built a model that benefits individuals and businesses by providing people with free, hyper-personalized, and proactive health information. The model showcases how a Care of Health ecosystem must extend beyond traditional medical care settings. Their platform is rooted in the three critical pillars of evidence-based science, accessibility, and simplicity. Unleash Health is on a mission to democratize information related to the Care of Health. Quite simply, they are making it accessible and actionable for everyone. The organization is expanding with the commitment that the journey toward flourishing is for all people – not just those with high disposable incomes or the ability to pursue the latest in longevity science.

Building for Future Generations 

While progress is evident through early promising examples, significant challenges remain. We have yet to realize the full potential of the Care of Health ecosystem. An ecosystem rooted in the daily places we eat, sleep, learn, work, worship, play, and live. Global headlines and our own experiences still point to the need for radical systemic change.

As we move forward with future generations in mind, several vital areas demand our attention:

• Health Literacy: Democratize access to health knowledge, making it accessible and actionable for all segments of society. Defining and developing health literacy at scale is foundational to any sustainable change.
• Incentive Alignment: Create systems where all stakeholders (from individuals to countries) benefit from improved population health. A nation’s wealth and security depend on the health of its people.
• Technology Integration: Ensure technology enhances rather than replaces human connections. Flourishing is a human’s most authentic identity, not a luxury. This identity comes to life in meaningful relationships. When technology disconnects us from others, it moves us in the wrong direction.
• Global Collaboration: Foster cross-border cooperation by sharing best practices and resources. Our medical care system challenges and the rising burden of chronic diseases transcend ethnicity and geography.
• Personal Health Agency: Empower individuals to take personal control of their well-being. Each person is the most important influence and actor in their own Care of Health journey.
• Healthy Choices: Leverage all available tools and technology to encourage healthy choices. We have all we need to resource and incentivize daily healthy micro-choices (in each one’s unique environment) in a way that leads to sustainable behavior change.
• Trusted Community: By creating a sustainable ecosystem for the Care of Health, we can facilitate connections, support, and knowledge sharing. Progress will be found by building trusted and supportive local, national, and global community networks.

The vision of a true health ecosystem that proactively promotes human flourishing in all aspects of life is more relevant than ever. We must remember that the most critical outcome in healthcare is to prevent people from becoming patients. Deep tech models like FriendsLearn and initiatives like Singapore’s Healthier SG bring us closer to this reality.

Looking toward the future, it’s crucial to simplify healthcare and weave its practice into life’s daily rhythms and details. Unleash Health’s progress (with Prevention-as-a-Service™) leads the way in redefining healthcare as a simple, integrated practice in our daily lives. A practice we can prove – at scale.

Conclusion And Call to Action 

The journey towards a true health ecosystem is not just about transforming our models of medical care; it’s about reimagining how we approach proactive health in every aspect of our lives. It’s a call to action for all sectors of society: policymakers, educators, healthcare professionals, businesses in all industries, and individuals. Together, we can build a future where healthcare is increasingly defined not solely as a reaction to disease but as a realization of our most authentic identity: human flourishing.

Getting Started  

• Individuals: Make one healthy micro-change in your daily routine. Take a short walk, choose a nutritious snack, or practice five minutes of mindfulness.
• Businesses: Evaluate how your products or services impact consumer health. Consider partnering with health promotion initiatives or incorporating health-promoting features into your offerings.
• Policymakers: Seek out and highlight businesses that innovate toward human flourishing and explore incentives that make healthy choices easier for citizens.
• Educators: Integrate health literacy into curricula at all levels, emphasizing the connection between daily choices and long-term health outcomes.
• Healthcare professionals: Advocate for moving beyond treatment. Learn from systems that reward prevention and health promotion. Explore partnerships with non-medical entities to extend impact beyond clinical settings.

In the words of Buckminster Fuller, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

There is a better way – future generations are waiting.

Written by Robert Sundelius.
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