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The Healthful Life Project® has two components: The Healthful Life Newsletter (e-valuator) The Health-Full-Life Program The Healthful Life Newsletter (e-valuator) gives you the information you need to know to lead a longer, healthier life. We focus solely on health promotion and disease prevention. We tell you what we know for sure, what we do not know for sure, what you need to be doing, and what you do not need to be doing at present. It includes articles on important topics (reviewed by a national advisory board), editorials, and hot topics. Articles are given one of five ratings from unproved to fully documented. The Health-Full-Life Program consists of the following components: - Recommended Tests and Actions (see The Human Tune-Up) - A recommended comprehensive prevention examination with risk factor intervention and counseling - Healthy lifestyle changes particularly focused on weight control, nutrition, physical activity (exercise), and not smoking The following is the comprehensive prevention examination we recommend for health care providers and individuals to follow: - A brief history and physical focused on the tests and actions of the Heath-Full-Life Program. The physical examination includes blood pressure, height and weight (body mass index), skin and mouth examination, female breast examination for those over age 30, and palpation for thyroid nodules. - Self-administered questionnaires to assess: (a) compliance with the tests and actions of the Health-Full-Life Program; (b) nutritional status, focused on calcium and folate intake; dietary soluble and insoluble fiber; fruit, vegetable, and oily fish intake; (c) physical activity, including at work, at home, and in leisure time; (d) for those over age 40, the presence of clinical depression; (e) perceived stress. The questionnaires will take a total of 20 to 25 minutes to complete. All will be scored immediately and be available to the health care providers during the prevention examination. - Blood will be drawn for glucose, cholesterol, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol - good cholesterol). - A consultation period that will include attention to self-administered components of the Health-Full-Life Program, results of the questionnaires, and any health promotion_disease prevention concerns of the participant; the latter can be indicated on a standardized one_page form. - Women will be taught proper techniques for breast self examination. Each participant will be given results of the tests and questionnaires, a personalized health calendar, individually tailored printed information, and, where appropriate, access to behavioral modification modules relating to smoking, alcohol abuse, weight control, nutrition, and stress. The above is a recommended general outline; there will, of course, be variations from health care provider to health care provider. The Health-Full-Life Program has been translated into New Jersey’s Health Wellness Promotion Act (HWPA), which became law in November 2000. It requires that every HMO and other managed care organization pay for the components of the Health-Full-Life Program (see Human Tune-Up). Private health insurers are also required to include the Health-Full-Life Program as part of their basic policies. The HWPA is included under Medicaid contracts and applies to the Medicare recipients who are enrolled in HMOs. The Act provides for a comprehensive prevention examination every two years with risk factor intervention and counseling (as well as blood pressure, female breast examination, and weight determination) in the alternate years. |
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