Discussion: Diversity and Health Assessments
Post an explanation of the specific socioeconomic, spiritual, lifestyle, and other cultural factors associated with the patient you were assigned. Explain the issues that you would need to be sensitive to when interacting with the patient, and why. Provide at least five targeted questions you would ask the patient to build his or her health history and to assess his or her health risks.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link, and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
By Day 6 of Week 2
Respond on or before Day 6 on 2 different days to at least two of your colleagues who were assigned a different patient than you. Critique your colleague’s targeted questions, and explain how the patient might interpret these questions. Explain whether any of the questions would apply to your patient, and why
Sample Discussion Paper
Main Post
COLLAPSE
The basis for this post is a case in which a 23-year-old Native American male named “MR” is seeking medical treatment for his anxiety. MR reports that he smokes pot and consumes alcohol to help cope with his challenges. He reports that he fears that he will not be allowed into heaven if he maintains this lifestyle. He has a family history of diabetes, hypertension, and alcoholism.
The patient’s health is negatively affected by lifestyle choices involving the consumption of alcohol as well as smoking pot. In addition, MR has a high level of anxiety stemming from his spiritual beliefs which may be contributing to drinking and smoking.
In building a health history, I would need to be sensitive to his cultural and spiritual values as well as his lifestyle. To help better understand the patient’s needs, asking the health customs and health practices is recommended (Ball et al., 2019): For example, the health care practitioner may want to as if the patient tends to use marijuana as an alternative to conventional medication or if it is used as a complement to conventional medication. Asking about his spiritual tradition’s approach to anxiety would also demonstrate sensitive communication principles as well.
Research suggests that both anxiety and coping behavior are related to cultural influences (Trivedi & Gupta, 2010): One’s cultural background can also affect a patient’s interpretation of a health care provider’s communication. Bearing this in mind, health care providers should be sensitive to the patient’ perception of conventional medical assessments and treatment plans. A cultural influence that may be affecting MR’s understanding of his condition is the teaching of a spiritual healer. The teachings of spiritual healers are valued by significant portion of the American Indian population (Bassett, et al., 2012): Research also suggests that American Indians suffer from anxiety to a greater extent than does the general population.
While being sensitive to the MR’s background, I would ask the following targeted questions to construct his health history and to assess his or her health risks:
1. Each day, how much pot do you usually smoke and how much alcohol do usually consume?
2. How many years have you been using pot and alcohol?
3. What can you tell me about your symptoms when you feel anxious?
4. What type of situations cause you to feel anxious?
5. How often have you experienced the fear of death in the last month?
6. What, if any, spiritual teachings related to your health do you value?
With patient such as MR who suffers from anxiety, it is helpful for health care providers to measure the severity of their fears (Sawchunck et al., 2017). Measuring the degree to which symptoms of anxiety affect the patient’s life is imperative. Instruments such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory can helpful to better understand the severeness of the patient’s condition (Rose, n.d.). With a baseline measure ascertained, the health care provider can better understand the nature of the patient’s condition throughout the period in which the patient is be treated.
References:
Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.
Bassett, D., Tsosie, U., & Nannauck, S. (2012). “Our culture is medicine”: perspectives of Native healers on posttrauma recovery among American Indian and Alaska Native patients. The Permanente Journal, 16(1), 19–27. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mnh&AN=22529755&site=eds-live&scope=site
Rose, M., & Devine, J. (n.d.). Assessment of patient-reported symptoms of anxiety. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE, 16(2), 197–211. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edswsc&AN=000209831500008&site=eds-live&scope=site
Sawchuk, C. N., Roy-Byrne, P., Noonan, C., Craner, J. R., Goldberg, J., Manson, S., & Buchwald, D. (2017). Panic attacks and panic disorder in the American Indian community. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 48, 6–12. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.10.004
Trivedi, J. K., & Gupta, P. K. (2010). An overview of Indian research in anxiety disorders. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, S210–S218. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=54570479&site=eds-live&scope=site
