The Impact of an Uncertain Future on Healthcare Outcomes

Can uncertainty fuel anxiety and lead to impulsive decisions? Explore this intriguing concept in this minisode with podcast host, Bob Gold. Bob explores the impact of uncertainty bias on mental health and workplace productivity and shares his insights on how a resilient mind can navigate these turbulent waters, helping reduce anxiety and depression amidst a rapidly evolving world.

Listen and Learn:

• The physiological effects of stress and how that impacts the workplace 
• How uncertainty can impact rational decision-making 
• How a brain-first approach enhances engagement and productivity, offering a fresh perspective on managing mental health in a challenging work environment

Whether grappling with absenteeism or seeking to retain talent, this minisode offers invaluable techniques to foster a focused and resilient workforce.

Experts: Bob Gold, Chief Behavioral Technologist, GoMo Health

Thanks for tuning in. Subscribe today to receive alerts of new weekly episodes and follow @GoMoHealth on social for the latest in healthcare engagement.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There are times in the world and life when a
discovery changes how we dothings.
Hi, I'm Shelley Schoenfeld.
Join me on this journey ofdiscovery as we unfold a whole
person health delivery sciencefor people in need.
Welcome to Human ResilienceChanging the Way Healthcare is
Delivered.
In this episode, we'll hearfrom Bob Gold, Chief Behavioral

(00:20):
Technologist at GOMO Health.
Chief Behavioral Technologistat GOMO Health, Bob will share
his thoughts on the impact ofuncertainty bias and how it
impacts people's thoughts andactions and influences their
health outcomes.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
So in the world I come from, there's something
called uncertainty bias and it'sreally how your outlook views
your future, and right nowthere's a lot of uncertainty.
Will things change?
Will they get back to normal?
Housing prices went through theroof.

(00:53):
Is that how it's always goingto be?
And when these major changeshappen faster than your brain
can process, your brain goes onthe dark side, negative.
It's just a natural reactionwhich increases anxiety,
depression and uncertainty.

(01:16):
So uncertainty acts like arocket fuel for worry and people
see these perceived threats allover the place.
And what's interesting ispeople will make decisions that
they know are not necessarilygood ones for themselves, the

(01:36):
company, their family, but it'sa decision that they feel
resolves uncertainty.
So it's a in the moment.
It's like an in the moment highfor a second they resolve
something, but then it causes ahuge downside.
So so the goal so really, inessence, how people get through

(01:57):
this is fundamentally how youcan help them have a healthy,
resilient mind, if you can helpthem get through it.
But why?
This matters just as an examplewhat I think most people on
this line.
Whether you're coming, whetheryou're at an employer HR,

(02:17):
whether you're a TPA, you'reinvolved in the employee benefit
business.
So the World HealthOrganization estimates that it's
going to cost the globaleconomy $1 trillion in this
crazy period of a little bitmental pandemic.
Interesting fact about women inthe workforce many times women

(02:38):
have extra stresses because theyhave family responsibility more
so than men they have.
Typically they're managing thehealth of the family and other
things.
So it's really caused someserious work-life questions and
balance and uncertainty.
And the other interesting factfrom SHRM is a lot of people are

(03:04):
leaving their jobs, moving.
They don't know what to do,where to go, and it's a problem
for employers.
How do they attract and keepgood people?
But more importantly even thanthat is, are they focused people
?
What's the level of absenteeismand productivity and all those
things?
But just want you to understandwhen people talk about anxiety

(03:27):
or stress or it really is real.
It's real from a physiologyperspective, so it has effect on
dopamine and your hormones andthings like that.
So it's people may be at ameeting at work or in front of a
doctor shaking their head likethey're going to do it and

(03:50):
they're just not absorbing,they're not learning, they're
too stressed out and, um, undereven a medium amount of anxiety
or stress, it it actually blocksthe electrical signals and
neurotransmission from short tolong-term memory.
So people will say, uh, like adoctor will say to me, I don't

(04:10):
understand how Betty Jo forgotthat simple thing and she ended
up in the ED.
And I'll say, doc, betty Joprobably never made it to
long-term memory.
There's actually a proventechnique to get people to
recall information when theyneed it.
But one of the techniques weuse is called the aha moment.

(04:41):
Now, in cognitive neuroscience,an aha moment is exactly how
people use it today.
Use it today Like maybe someonesaid something and you had an
aha moment, or you watchedsomeone score a touchdown or
something happened, your childdid something and you had an aha
moment and you were able to actand do something.

(05:03):
Well, there's actually a way tostimulate aha moments to get
people to do, activate and dosomething.
But I could tell you it's notthe long email, it's not going
to a portal with everything youneed to know about health or
well-being, or searching through20 articles to figure it out.

(05:23):
It has to be quick when youneed it in the moment, and if
you stimulate an aha moment,you're three to five times more
likely to get people to dothings.
This way of engaging peoplefrom a brain first perspective
and body as part of it.
Brain and body perspective hasresulted in significant

(05:45):
improvement in health outcomes,reduction in costs and across
almost all chronic conditions,across cancer, behavioral health
, you know, diabetes, heartfailure, all types of things.
It's been very interesting.
When you get the brain tobelieve and do things and

(06:10):
activate, it changes youroutlook.