Smart health communities and the future of health by Asif Dhar

The authors introduce and define a concept of Smart Health Communities (SHC). The five core features of SHCs are discussed in great detail. A recommended read.

“Historically, health care was delivered in the community. Physicians made house calls; birth and death happened inside the home. As the modern hospital developed, health care migrated inside its walls. Meanwhile, the concept of health became increasingly medicalized, and separated from people’s daily lives. A significant body of research shows that about 80 percent of health outcomes are caused by factors unrelated to the medical system. Our eating and exercise habits, socioeconomic status, and where we live have a greater impact on health outcomes than health care.”