We deliver the right message to the right people, when and where
it’s needed most… using sources the people trust!
Serving our Communities
PHIERS (pronounced “fires”, as in transformation) connects community and public health service providers in meaningful ways. It improves health, saves time and cuts costs associated with healthcare delivery for the masses, which includes the elderly, children and uninsured. It accomplishes these desirable outcomes without requiring new taxes or requiring huge up-front investments because it pays for itself via the savings it provides in a timely fashion. What’s more, it delivers measurable, positive and sustainable results in a quickly. Please visit the Health Reform Coalition website to learn more about our applications.
PHIERS provides the technical means through which community-based organizations can assist residents seeking to improve their quality of life as it relates to self-reliance and health status. This is achieved by overcoming the barriers of age, race, culture, language, literacy level and the Digital Divide. Simultaneously, PHIERS closes the information gap between what knowledge sources know, and what workers and consumers can understand, identify with and act on.
What can healthcare consumers do about it?
Educate ourselves and take responsibility for managing our own health!
In theory, a more informed and involved healthcare consumer would be more cost-conscious, ask better questions and feel empowered to prevent medical errors before they occur. In this setting, consumers would act as guardians of quality and affordable care in a way that state governments, insurance companies and other payers never could. –Council of State Governments
Helping patients understand health information is vital to health care and health promotion because it provides both direction and rationale for guiding strategic health behaviors, treatments, and decisions. This understanding is critical if we are to improve the quality, impact and reach of healthcare resources in a timely and sustainable manner.
Low Health Literacy
According to the Partnership for Clear Health Communication, a coalition of the nation’s top health and civic associations, “low health literacy is the first public health crisis of the 21st century.” The term “literacy” refers to an individual’s ability to read, write, speak in English and solve problems with proficiency. Health literacy, therefore, describes an individual’s ability to understand prescriptions, discharge instructions, consent forms, health education materials and their ability to make informed decisions when negotiating complex health care systems.
Low health literacy is one of the most pervasive public health issues in the United States. Patients with low health literacy typically have poorer health, have more frequent doctor visits and longer hospital stays, and are responsible for an estimated $73 billion in unnecessary medical expenditures, annually. This is despite the best efforts of health professionals, policy makers, public/private purchasers of care, etc. who continue to invest millions pursuing “maintenance” goals that seldom keep pace with the demand and appear to be getting worse.
To overcome these challenges and promote lasting positive change, the following objectives must be accomplished:
- Integrate the concepts of self-care and self-management, shared decision making and evidence-based medicine into a robust platform for patient empowerment and change;
- Promote credible, accurate and timely access to patient-centric health information; and
- Overcome issues associated with accessibility, culture, income and technology.
Community-Enabling Solutions, Inc. understands these challenges, and presents PHIERS, the “Personalized Healthcare Information, Education and Retention Solution” as a viable and cost-effective catalyst for positive change. Together with the Health Reform Coalition, we will make a positive difference in society, in service of the greater good.
