Cultivating Wellness and Curbing Costs: A Systematic Paradigm for
Enhancing The U
Abstract
Each year, Americans spend increasingly significant amounts of money on
healthcare costs. The American Medical Association estimates that U.S.
healthcare spending grew 2.7 percent in 2021, reaching $4.3 trillion or
18.3% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. Despite these statistics,
healthcare quality and accessibility remain problematic. Many approaches
have been suggested and implemented in response to these major
shortcomings. Some of these remedies have included the proliferation of
mid-tier healthcare providers such as nurse practitioners and
physician’s assistants to alleviate the strain on doctors. However,
there is sufficient evidence that patient education can critically
impact the efficacy of the healthcare system and merits serious
consideration for better patient outcomes and potentially reducing
healthcare costs. This paper describes challenges and opportunities to
patient education based on extensive research and practical insights
from various disciplines. Furthermore, this paper sets forth
recommendations for promoting a comprehensive, cohesive, and evolving
patient education framework.