Will the Meikirch Model, a New Framework for Health, Induce a Paradigm Shift in Healthcare?

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Systems
• Health Theory
• Public Health

Background:

• Despite advances in scientific medicine, quality, cost, and equity in healthcare have stagnated or worsened.
• Value-based healthcare, defined as health outcomes relative to cost, aims to reduce expenses but overlooks ethical and philosophical aspects of health.
• A new understanding of health is needed to address these shortcomings.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the Meikirch model, a conceptual framework for health and disease.
• Analyze the implications of the Meikirch model for healthcare practice and policy.
• Advocate for a paradigm shift in healthcare towards a more holistic and person-centered approach.

Main Methods:

• The Meikirch model is presented as a conceptual framework viewing health as a complex adaptive system.
• The model distinguishes between biologically given potential (BGP) and personally acquired potential (PAP).
• Analysis of the model's application to healthcare, including its impact on health literacy and behavior.

Main Results:

• The Meikirch model emphasizes the importance of personal growth (PAP) alongside biological potential (BGP) for meeting life's demands.
• The model facilitates a unified understanding of healthcare, promoting interprofessional and intersectoral cooperation.
• It enhances health literacy and health-supporting behaviors, improving adherence to treatments and preventive measures.

Conclusions:

• The Meikirch model provides a theoretical framework and practical scaffold for medicine and public health.
• It challenges the adequacy of pay-for-performance and value-based payment models for person-centered care.
• The model has the potential to induce a paradigm shift in healthcare by promoting self-motivation and effective preventive strategies.