Implementing OHEs.

i t t i w d a ow that we have reviewed the seven domains of an optimal healing environment (OHE), how do we begin to implement and integrate hese principles into the hospital setting? e have seen many examples of forwardhinking hospital leaders and clinicians who ave taken bold steps to incorporate various omponents of a healing environment beause they believe it is both the right thing to o and that it makes good business sense. It sn’t easy, they will all agree, but can be one. The challenges to the development of HEs are many. First, our current healthare system is set up to deliver a curative odel that focuses on the management of hysical disease. These interventions are ade relatively late in the progression of he disease and primarily call for drugs, urgery, and expensive technologies. Our urrent system was developed at a time hen acute illness and infectious disease ominated the healthcare field. Despite its igh price tag, the curative model remains ighly effective and universally favored. owever, when the current system is aplied to the complex worlds of wellness nd chronic illness, it proves variably efective and inefficient. A system designed rimarily to deal with episodic care is not onducive to supporting lifestyle modifiation and chronic disease management. Secondly, there are major economic orces and incentives that keep the system orking as it is. Healthcare is a massive ndustry, and the curative model offers obs and profit to many. Any changes in his model of healthcare delivery will invitably impact the business practices and he bottom lines of companies and indiiduals who deliver cure technologies and ractices. There is little or no reimburseent for prevention programs or for keepng patients healthy, and low-tech chronic are is simply not profitable. A major shift s needed in incentivizing providers, hositals, employers, and other payers to inest in preventionand wellness-based inerventions. i