HealthRock to promote health education

University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolSep 23 2009

The $1 trillion cost and massive government role envisioned by the Obama Administration’s health care reform plan (The Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009) continue to create controversy in Congress and throughout the nation. Lost in the noisy debate is the quiet role that far less costly and more personalized private sector efforts can play in lowering medical expenses by preventing health problems. An innovative example, developed by Dr. Mache Seibel, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, uses music to promote health education.

“I have labeled my educational approach ‘HealthRock®,’” Dr. Seibel states. “It uses contemporary songs that I have written to convey lessons on how people can live healthier lives by making common sense lifestyle changes. In order to reach the widest possible range of demographic groups, the songs use a variety of musical genres, from gospel to pop.” This musical technique for health education, available in recordings and live performances at venues as varied as the Centers for Disease Control and elementary schools, has won wide recognition for its effectiveness, earning for Dr. Seibel the iParenting Media Award, the eHealthcare Leadership Award, and the Creative Child Magazine 2009 CD of the Year Award.

The problem that Dr. Seibel addresses is a serious one, and goes to the heart of the health care debate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such chronic health problems as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes are among the most prevalent, costly, and preventable of all health problems. Seven of every 10 Americans who die each year, or more than 1.7 million people, die of a chronic disease. The medical care costs of treating people with chronic diseases account for more than 75% of the nation’s $2 trillion medical care bill. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm)

“The fundamental problem,” says Dr. Seibel, “is that 90 million American adults, and most American children, are health illiterate. In other words, they don’t know how to keep themselves and their family members well. I focus my songs on disease prevention because it’s better to stay well than to get well. And staying well can help Americans increase their life spans at the same time it reduces the nation’s total healthcare spending.”

“For example, obesity is an avoidable condition,” Dr. Seibel continues. “Yet a study released this summer showed that obesity alone is responsible for over 9% of all U.S. health care spending. That’s why I have written songs like the ‘Phat Fat Rap,’ ‘Exercise,’ and ‘Don’t Be Afraid of a Squash’ to encourage exercise and eating habits that fight obesity. Another illustration is simple songs that I’ve written about hand washing and nose- and mouth-covering techniques, to educate grade school and college students alike about the best ways to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.”

Dr. Seibel has for more than 25 years been a respected physician, educator, speaker and author, establishing himself as a national authority in health education. He spent nearly two decades on the Harvard Medical School faculty before assuming his current position as a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Seibel has won national awards for research, writing, and patient education, and has the unique ability to translate his sophisticated medical knowledge into understandable songs that make a difference in people’s lives.

“If you can sing about it, you can talk about it. If you can talk about it, you can act on it,” Dr. Seibel concludes. “By making preventive health care simple and enjoyable, my songs have a clear and rational message about practical steps everyone can take to play a positive role in America’s health care crisis.”