The notion of compression of morbidity was the guiding principle of public health a generation ago. If one could postpone the onset of chronic disease and disability to a later age, the total lifetime burden of illness could be reduced, compressing it into a shorter period at the end of life. The goal was to increase not only lifespans, but also healthspans. Public health systems are designed to enable individuals to live long, healthy lives, before experiencing a brief, sudden decline in their final months.
Radically different