Nature Prescriptions: A Growing Movement Towards Sustainable Healthcare
A burgeoning movement in healthcare is placing nature at its core, recognizing its profound impact on both physical and mental wellbeing. This philosophy is driving innovative approaches and cost-effective solutions that have the potential to revolutionize the industry.
“By creating a healthy living environment and promoting a healthy lifestyle, the number of healthy years of life increases, ultimately leading to a decrease in healthcare use,” explains Renske Visscher of IVN Nature Educationrsa. “Investing in nature, therefore, means investing in health.”
The benefits are multifaceted. Patients who actively engage with nature recover faster, experiencing a positive effect on all aspects of their health.
“Nature has a remarkably positive effect on all aspects of our health, both physical and mental,” Visscher elaborates. “The immune system appears to improve significantly within a month. Contact with nature reduces stress, reduces feelings of depression, and improves concentration and reflection. In addition, nature has a demonstrable positive effect on diabetes, COPD, cardiovascular disease and obesity.”
This concept is resonating far beyond individual experiences.
Research in England this year among 8,000 patients revealed a compelling finding: referring patients to nature activities like walking, swimming, or even working in the garden with others, is a whopping 50 percent cheaper than conventional care treatments.
IVN Nature Education has been championing this movement for years, forging partnerships with healthcare institutions to bring nature-based therapies into the mainstream.
“Investing in nature results in millions in savings for healthcare. It’s a win-win situation,” notes Visscher. “And there’s more: one of the biggest challenges in healthcare is the shortage of personnel. Working in nature is immensely popular, and real forerunners in healthcare who work a lot with nature surprisingly have no shortage of staff.”
This trend towards “nature prescriptions” reflects a paradigm shift in healthcare, moving away from a purely clinical approach towards a holistic model that acknowledges the interconnectedness between human health and the natural world. As scientific evidence continues to mount, the integration of nature into healthcare practices is poised to become an integral part of a sustainable and effective healthcare system for the future.
How do Nature Prescriptions contribute to a more sustainable healthcare system?
## Nature Prescriptions: A Growing Movement Towards Sustainable Healthcare
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today, we’re diving into a fascinating trend revolutionizing healthcare – Nature Prescriptions. Joining us is Dr. Emily Carter, a leading expert in this field. Dr. Carter, thanks for being here.
**Dr. Carter:** It’s great to be here!
**Host:** So, tell us, what exactly are Nature Prescriptions and why is there so much buzz around them?
**Dr. Carter:** Essentially, Nature Prescribing involves encouraging patients to spend time outdoors as part of their healthcare plan. It recognizes the powerful, scientifically-proven connection between spending time in nature and improving both physical and mental health [[1](https://www.npjournal.org/article/S1555-4155(24)00237-X/fulltext)].
**Host:** This sounds intriguing. Can you elaborate on some of these benefits?
**Dr. Carter:** Absolutely! Nature Prescription programs have shown positive impacts on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. They can also improve cardiovascular health, boost the immune system, and even aid in pain management.
**Host:** That’s quite a range of benefits! How do these prescriptions actually work in practise?
**Dr. Carter:** It can vary. Some doctors simply encourage unstructured time outdoors, like taking walks in the park. Others may refer patients to organized nature programs, like gardening or forest therapy sessions.
**Host:** This resonates with the quote from Renske Visscher of IVN Nature Educationrsa, who said, “By creating a healthy living environment and promoting a healthy lifestyle, the number of healthy years of life increases, ultimately leading to a decrease in healthcare use. Investing in nature, therefore, means investing in health.”
**Dr. Carter:** Precisely! Nature Prescriptions offer a cost-effective and sustainable approach to healthcare. By promoting preventative care through nature exposure, we can potentially reduce reliance on expensive medical interventions down the line.
**Host:** This is truly groundbreaking. Thanks for shedding light on this exciting development, Dr. Carter. I’m sure our viewers will find this information both insightful and inspiring.
**Dr. Carter:** Thank you for having me!
