Bill Davenhall: Your health depends on where you live

Summary

The speaker discusses how geographic information, such as environmental factors in the places we live and work, impacts health. After a heart attack, he questioned why his doctors never considered his 'place history' alongside lifestyle and genetics. Using personal experiences from living in high-risk areas, he emphasizes the need to include geographical data in medical records. This approach, termed 'geomedicine,' could help doctors better understand patient risks and make more informed health recommendations. The speaker advocates integrating location history into electronic health records for improved healthcare outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🚂 The speaker likens a heart attack to being hit by a train, emphasizing how unexpected and life-changing the event was.
• ❓ After the heart attack, the speaker began questioning why it happened and whether it could have been prevented by a doctor.
• 🧬 The formula for good health includes genetics, lifestyle, and environment, which together manage health risks.
• 📝 Doctors often focus on genetics and lifestyle but rarely ask about environmental factors, which the speaker believes are crucial.
• 🌍 Environmental factors such as air quality, water quality, and place history significantly affect long-term health, but they are not typically considered in medical evaluations.
• 🏠 The speaker reflects on living in various locations with poor air quality, which may have contributed to his health issues.
• 📍 Place history, or where a person has lived and worked, can offer insights into their health risks, but it is often overlooked by healthcare professionals.
• 📱 Technology, like tracking cell phone data, can provide a detailed map of a person's exposure to environmental risks, offering valuable information for health assessments.
• 🩺 The speaker advocates for including place history in electronic health records to better inform doctors and researchers about environmental impacts on health.
• 💡 The concept of 'geomedicine' emphasizes the importance of geographic data in healthcare, and the speaker calls for more programs to support this approach.

Q & A

What event led the speaker to reflect on their health and environment?

The speaker had a heart attack in 2001, which led them to reflect on their health and the factors that contributed to it, such as their environment.

What three main factors does the speaker say affect health?

The speaker identifies genetics, lifestyle, and environment as the three main factors that influence health.

What aspect of health does the speaker believe is often overlooked by physicians?

The speaker believes physicians often overlook the environmental aspect of health, such as the places where a person has lived and the environmental risks they've been exposed to.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of 'place history' in medical records?

The speaker emphasizes that 'place history'—the places a person has lived and their environmental exposures—can provide critical insights into health risks that are currently missing from medical records.

How does the speaker illustrate the impact of their environment on their health?

The speaker shares their personal experience of living in areas with high pollution, such as Scranton, Louisville, and Redlands, and how these environments may have contributed to their health issues, including their heart attack.

What example does the speaker give to demonstrate how technology could track environmental exposure?

The speaker gives the example of their colleague Paul, who allowed his cell phone to track his location every two hours for two years. This data was used to map his environmental exposure to toxins.

What does the speaker suggest could be included in future electronic health records?

The speaker suggests that future electronic health records should include a person's 'place history' to better understand their environmental exposures and associated health risks.

What is 'geomedicine,' according to the speaker?

Geomedicine is the study of how geography and environmental factors influence health, and the speaker argues that physicians should be educated on its importance.

How does the speaker propose that people could use geographic information to make healthier choices?

The speaker proposes that with access to geographic information, people could make more informed decisions about where to live or work to reduce their exposure to environmental health risks.

What are the two main actions the speaker recommends to improve health outcomes?

The speaker recommends two actions: 1) teaching physicians the value of geographical information and 2) ensuring that place history is included in electronic health records to aid both physicians and researchers.