A blog covering the health/care ecosystem and people.

Most people face constraints in following a healthier lifestyle, according to new research from Bain & Company. Stress, time constraints, difficulty changing habits, getting enough sleep, and financial issues all militate against people project managing their health on a daily basis.

Enter The Health Axioms, 32 mantras for simplifying healthcare DIY to empower and engage people in self-health.

Conceived by health/tech designer Juhan Sonin, who teaches at MIT and is part of the team at Involution Studios, Health Axioms are 32 messages each designed on a 2×3 inch card and packaged as a deck to inspire and support health outside of the doctor’s office and health system.

With messages like “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” “Examine yourself,” “Who is your wingman?” and “Know the cost,” these positive action items together represent the many choices and behaviors people can make and take every day to bolster their health and the health of people around them.

Sonin has long been involved in health care technology design and has been active on standards committees (for CCHIT health records) and with government and private sector organizations who all play a role driving health engagement through personal and clinical embrace of data that supports healthy behaviors.

Health Populi’s Hot Points:  People see health beyond physical and health care system inputs: health is where we live, work, play and pray. It’s physical well-being, certainly, but health is also mental and emotional, physical appearance and self-confidence in one’s looks, and financial wellness.

People want to engage in more physical activity, follow healthier diets, manage stress better, get more sleep, and improve overall well-being, Bain’s consumer survey learned. People want information that is simple, scientific, integrated and personalized, Bain says.

The Health Axioms deck goes a long way to serving up a tool that’s engaging and fun, beautifully designed, and spot-on in simple, science-based health messages. I was an early supporter of Health Axioms because I believe in the power of self-determination in personal and social health. The project was launched via Indiegogo and the cards are now available on Amazon. Dr. Roni Zeiger, co-founder of Smart Patients and former chief health strategist at Google, said, “We need to prescribe these simple, beautiful recipes for health to our patients and our loved ones.” Using these cards can not only help people engage in DIY health care, but bring shared decision making into the exam room with physicians who want to promote wellness and self care in their practices.

For more on Juhan Sonin’s design sensibilities for health, see Design is Medicine.