Building a picture of health
The only way Wales can design and improve its health services is by collating information from the public. Here, Mark Smith unveils the details of an ambitious new project aiming to build a better picture of the nation’s health
The Chief Medical Officer for Wales is urging the public to play its part in shaping the future health of the nation by participating in the largest Welsh-population health study ever undertaken.
Backed by the Welsh Government and led by Cardiff and Swansea universities, HealthWise Wales was launched in 2016 to study the health and wellbeing of people in Wales and help the NHS and social services plan for the future.
Participants are asked to answer a 10-minute online survey about their health, lifestyle and wellbeing every six months.
After reaching a milestone of 10,000 sign-ups across Wales, the Chief Medical Officer – Dr Frank Atherton – is urging everyone over 16 living in Wales to spare 10 minutes of their time to help boost the number of participants.
HealthWise Wales researchers will study the information provided to accurately identify the relationship between health and life habits, which could help identify new ways to prevent illnesses and develop new ways of helping people who have health problems manage their conditions.
Previous population health studies – such as the 30-year Wales’ Caerphilly Cohort study – have provided major health insights, such as that leading a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce a person’s chances of chronic illness.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Frank Atherton said: “The more informed we are about the illnesses facing the nation today, the better equipped we’ll be to deal with the health challenges of tomorrow.
“HealthWise Wales is an ambitious project aiming to build a picture of the nation’s health, but we need as many people as possible to get involved to make it a success. Reaching 10,000 is a positive milestone, but the more people we have on board the greater the scope to unearth transformative insights from the data provided.
“From the first link between smoking and lung cancer in the 1950s, to a recent study showing the intrinsic relationship between cancer and environmental factors, research is absolutely critical for the advancement of treatment and services. Our message today is that giving just ten minutes of your time to provide basic health information could help generate important insights and treatments for future generations.”
Since its launch a year ago, several important areas have already been covered and new surveys on dental health, mental health and skin conditions are set to be launched in the near future.
To find out more and to complete the survey, visit www. healthwisewales.gov.wales, or call the HealthWise Wales team on 0800 9 172 172/029 2076 8090 between 8am and 7pm, Monday to Friday.
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