A Rose is a Rose is a Rose: Reviewing Definitions for and Reimbursement for Health Promotion, Lifestyle Medicine, Behavioral Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Population Health

Abstract

How do the definitions between health promotion professions differ? Should the shift from using the term wellness to greater use of the well-being term challenge us to explain how our profession improves how people appraise their lives as a whole? After all, achieving well-being is a challenge as relevant to clergy, politicians, artists and entertainers as to health professionals. Successful organizations are keenly attentive to how they differentiate their services so as not to get lost in a sea of like competitors. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine has recently defined lifestyle medicine as a medical specialty delivered by certified clinicians. In contrast, the Society of Behavioral Medicine suggests that virtually any degree holder may be qualified to provide disease management and prevention services. If improved health is one of the surest ways to improve well-being, do we need to more clearly define the health promotion profession’s value proposition? How should definitions about differences between professions influence reimbursement differences between professions?