The World Health Organization described health in 1948 as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'' (World Health Organization, n.d.).
The addition of mental and social well-being was idealistic and progressive at the time, however, this definition has now proven to be impractical and has many shortcomings, specifically when assessing health through the lens of chronic disease. Worldwide, the prevalence of chronic disease is increasing, and many chronic diseases are associated with increasing age (Huber et al., 2011). For the chronic population, the approach to leading a healthy life is by successfully adapting and maintaining their disease which in turn enables people to, despite limitations, participate in activities and maintain employment (Huber et al., 2011). These authors assert that health be redefined as ‘’the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of social, physical and emotional challenges’’ (Huber et al., 2011). In my practice, my COPD patients experience better health (self-reported) and better quality of life through management of their disease process, through counselling, exercise, medications, and nutrition. Recognizing that disease and wellness are no longer mutually exclusive, it becomes essential, moving forward, that health be redefined acknowledging the relevance of an increased capacity to cope with illness as being more important than focusing on a recovery that is unattainable for some (Bradley et al., 2018). This may also prove useful in removing the stigma that often accompanies a chronic disease diagnosis (Sartorius, 2006). Certainly it seems that redefining health within the world we live in, is as complex as health itself. Perhaps the most comprehensive definition of health proposed that would support patients with chronic illness is defined as '’a holistic state of physical, mental, emotional, and social wellness supported by an integrated and technologically sophisticated healthcare delivery system tailored to meet the entirety of a patient’s medical needs, including disease prevention and management of undesirable conditions, comorbidities, complications, and unique patient circumstances’’ (Badash et al., 2017). In this instance, the authors factor in technological advances, disease management as well as accounting for patient’s needs as defined by the patient (Badash et al., 2017). This more comprehensive and holistic definition will give the patient the necessary tools to cope with the circumstances of their disease and living an optimal life.
Badash, I., Kleinman, N. P., Barr, S., Jang, J., Rahman, S., & Wu, B. W. (2017). Redefining Health: The Evolution of Health Ideas from Antiquity to the Era of Value-Based Care. Cureus, 9(2), https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.1018
Bradley, K. L., Goetz, T., & Viswanathan, S. (2018). Toward a Contemporary Definition of Health. Military Medicine, 183(3), 204–207. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy213
Huber, M., Knottnerus, J. A., Green, L., Horst, H., Jadad, A. R., Kromhout, D., Leonard, B., Lorig, K., Loureiro, M. I., van der Meer, J. W., Schnabel, P., Smith, R., van Weel, C., & Smid, H. (2011). How should we define health? British Medical Journal, 343(7817), 235-237. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4163
Sartorius, N. (2006). The meanings of health and its promotion. Croatian Medical Journal, 47(4), 662-664. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080455/pdf/CroatMedJ_47_0662.pdf
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Constitution. Retrieved February 4, 2022, from https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitutionhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080455/pdf/CroatMedJ_47_0662.pdf
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