Chronic Wellness Article Published

Though the U.S. health care system is among the best in the developed world, access to chronic care remains a problem for many, in part, because the system is not ideally suited to treat long-term conditions. Consequently, economic and societal costs associated with chronic disease are rising rapidly. To complement traditional pathogenic chronic disease management strategies, Health Education specialists should consider incorporating salutogenic methods that promote chronic wellness. We define chronic wellness as persistent, positive conditions enabled through engagement in health-causing actions. This commentary proposes a public health tree model that seeks to nurture inclusive interactions in a health-promoting ecosystem that fosters chronic wellness: Assessment (ie, “roots” of public health interventions that appraise idealized health outcomes), policy development (ie, “trunk” of public health that helps support positive health outcomes), research and evaluation (ie, “branches” of evidence-based public health that apply scientific methods to engage and learn about health in community, school, health care, and organizational settings), and assurance (ie, “leaves” that reinforce policies to nurture continually improving environmental determinants of health). Adopting a public health tree model could lead to more efficient and effective services for many, including those at risk of devloping or living with chronic disease.