Benefits..
Benefits of MediClim ™
Given that it is estimated that 1/3 of the population is weather-sensitive to a degree that it noticeably interferes with their quality of life, and that a further 1/3 is afflicted by weather-sensitivities that can impede their enjoyment of life1, it is only sensible to expect that being forewarned could provide options to help individuals and organizations better manage through the difficult periods. Here are some benefits:
• For the individual
- many individuals have been suffering for years from conditions which are weather-sensitive, with their ailments and pains recurring almost randomly. Yet, because they have not realized the link to weather, their ailment accompanied by
levels of anxiety, stress and foreboding have hindered their quality of life.
Properly understanding their weather-sensitivity combined with the advance warning provided by MediClim™ provides them with a practical way to better plan their personal life around these weather situations (e.g., shop on a different
day), may reduce the pain and suffering during and following these weather situations (e.g., suffering brought on by inability to plan) , and may indeed reduce the real risks to themselves (e.g., understanding their body’s true reaction to the
weather).
There is also the likelihood of reduced personal medical costs, whether prescription or over-the-counter purchases.
• For health system resource administrators
-health system resources respond to the demands of the community they serve.
Having knowledge of the potential exacerbation of certain ailments on any given day can help plan the effective use of these resources, whether ambulance services, police demands, emergency ward and clinic expectations, etc.
• For health system financial administrators
-there is always a real cost to every activity. The transactions within the health system are no different. It is therefore easy to understand that there are likely many uses of the health system which could be avoided if one incorporated the knowledge provided by MediClim™ as a tool to manage through difficult periods rather than directly taping the already overburdened health system, by visiting publicly-funded doctors’ offices or hospitals, by pursuing laboratory tests that
may not be necessary, and by purchasing prescription that may not be needed.
Financially, the savings are astounding. Using published 1996 figures:
-@$20/doctor visit, having 1 less visit per year per Canadian ---- $0.5B
-@$15/lab test, having 1 less test per year per Canadian ---------- $0.4B
-@$20/prescription, having 1 less per year per Canadian --------- $0.5B
This $1.4B equalled the expense for health research in Canada that year2.
1 Fast, Julius (1979) Weather Language, Wyden Books, New York, NY 242 pages reporting on discussions with Dr. Otmar Harlfinger, Director Deutscher Wetterdienst in mid 1970s
2 Applying the Canadian inflation rate over the intervening years, the $1.4B (1996) converts to $1.8B (2009) all other costs remaining equal.
