Wellness is the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal. It is a dynamic process of change and growth. It is the action an individual takes to achieve a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Although the doctor is trained to counsel and promote wellness during the traditional consultation by offering preventive and supportive services (e.g., smoking cessation and, dietary information, cancer screening tests, diabetes self-management training, CVD screening, cholesterol, and scoliosis screening), it is up to the individual to make lifestyle changes and personal behavior choices.
In spite of the evidence that individuals make healthy choices on a daily basis, the incidence of lifestyle diseases indicates they are not successful. Furthermore, medical and governmental policy makers, as well as, environmental influences have made it more difficult for the patient then it needs to be. That said, the question remains, do doctors have the tools necessary to facilitate the patient’s journey toward health and wellness, and how can they be integrated into the doctor-patient encounter?