The Case For Salutogenic Health: A 360-Degree Solution With Pro ...

A salutogenic perspective to humans and society is needed to create a health system that promotes ... [+] health rather than curing disease. Pro-social AI can be a catalyst to make that happen

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The societal fractures in the U.S. healthcare systems are clear, and it’s time to radically rethink how we approach health and wellbeing.

Beyond treating disease or managing symptoms — it’s a systemic and multidimensional shift toward holistic health that’s needed. To address human existence's intertwined physical, mental, and social dimensions, we must expand our vision of health care, incorporating universal access and a 360-degree understanding of humanity’s complexities. That same multidimensional, holistic logic must be applied to the system itself.

The potential of pro-social AI — artificial intelligence designed for human and planetary well-being — offers an innovative, and pragmatic pathway. Walking that path is not only ethical but essential for creating systems that are efficient, sustainable, and aligned with the real needs of individuals and society. Moreover, it is a business-savvy approach that addresses the inefficiencies in the U.S. healthcare system. Lets see why:

The Multidimensional Nature Of Human Health

Health is far more than the absence of disease. It encompasses the interplay of aspirations, emotions, thoughts, and sensations at the individual level while also reflecting the dynamics of our communities, cultures, economies, and the environment. Current healthcare systems often operate in silos, addressing only isolated aspects of this spectrum. This narrow focus fails to address the root causes of crises like mental health struggles, systemic inequities, or the societal alienation that can contribute to acts of violence.

Pro-social AI addresses these challenges by considering four key dimensions at the individual level:

Aspirations: Recognizing and supporting individuals' goals and desires for health and well-being. Emotions: Acknowledging patients' feelings, anxieties, and psychological states. Thoughts: Understanding patients' beliefs, perceptions, and cognitive responses to treatment options and health information. Sensations: Attending to patients' physical experiences, comfort, and pain management.

At the collective level, pro-social AI integrates:

Communities: Exploring how social groups and dynamics influence and are influenced by health. Countries: Recognizing the role of national policies, cultural norms, and economic factors in shaping access to care. Planet: Addressing environmental sustainability and the ecological footprint of health care practices.

This multidimensional perspective ensures that health interventions are technologically advanced and attuned to the human experience and societal context. By aligning with these dimensions, pro-social AI becomes a pragmatic tool to create impactful and equitable solutions.

Universal Health Care: A Foundational Step

Universal health care must become the cornerstone of this new approach. Access to affordable, high-quality care should not be a privilege but a fundamental right. Yet universal health care alone is insufficient; it must be designed to recognize and respond to human needs and societal influences. This requires:

Integration: Seamlessly incorporating mental, physical, and social health into care delivery. Prevention: Prioritizing early detection and proactive interventions over reactive, curative approaches. Community Focus: Recognizing that individual health is deeply embedded in collective well-being.

The inefficiencies of the U.S. healthcare system highlight this transformation's financial and societal urgency. U.S. healthcare expenditures total over $4 trillion. Differently said, 1 out of 5 dollars of the nation’s GDP goes to health care. This starkly contrasts with countries like Germany and Japan, which achieve better health outcomes while spending significantly less as a percentage of GDP. This disparity underscores, on the one hand, the need for more effective, integrated systems that prioritize prevention and holistic care and, on the other hand, the possibility of making that happen.

The Potential Of Pro-Social AI

Pro-social AI — AI systems that are tailored, trained, tested and targeted to bring out the best in and for people and planet — offers a unique opportunity to achieve this transformation. Unlike traditional AI systems focused on efficiency or profitability, pro-social AI prioritizes ethical, equitable, and sustainable outcomes. Here’s how it can reshape health care:

Personalized, Holistic Care: By leveraging multidimensional data, pro-social AI can develop individualized care plans that address a person’s physical, mental, and social health needs. For instance, AI can identify patterns linking stress and physical health issues, offering preventive strategies tailored to the individual.

Mental Health Support: Pro-social AI can provide scalable mental health resources, from chatbots offering empathetic listening to systems that alert caregivers to early warning signs of crises.

Community Engagement: AI-driven tools can help communities identify and address systemic health disparities, creating targeted programs for underserved populations and fostering stronger social cohesion.

Policy Insights: Pro-social AI can analyze societal trends to inform policies that address health inequities and social determinants, ensuring that resources are allocated where they are most needed.

Designing Health Systems With Humanity in Mind

To move from vision to reality, we must embrace a paradigm shift that integrates universal health care with the principles of holistic health and pro-social AI. Policymakers, health care providers, and technologists must collaborate to:

Embed Holistic Principles: Design health care systems that address physical, mental, and social dimensions, recognizing the interconnected nature of human experience. That same holistic philosophy must becomes part of the training of health care professionals at all levels.

Leverage Pro-Social AI: Develop and deploy AI systems that align with ethical principles and prioritize equity, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Educate and Empower: Equip individuals and communities with the knowledge and tools to participate actively in their health and wellbeing.

Foster Collaboration: Build partnerships across sectors to integrate health, technology, and social systems for collective impact.

A healthcare system anchored in holistic principles and powered by pro-social AI offers a radical solution that could become part of 2025.

By embracing a multidimensional understanding of health and leveraging technology for social good, we can move beyond treating symptoms to fostering true human flourishing — for individuals, communities, and the planet. It might sound naive, yet taking this approach to scale is not only ethically sound but also a pragmatic necessity for a more sustainable and equitable future. Furthermore, it is a financially prudent strategy, reducing inefficiencies in healthcare spending and aligning resources with outcomes that truly matter.