Health Assessment
Handling a 76-year-old African-American male with disabilities living in an urban setting requires that any clinician understands their age setting, race, physical condition, and environmental setting. The focus will be to ensure that the patient is comfortable by being attentive to what the patient has to say. In my introduction, I will ensure that the patient understands my name, skill set, and role (The American Congress of Obsterics and Gynecologists, 2014). Additionally, I will ensure the patient has enough time to raise issues he may have and provide him all the information on his medication and condition (Frampton et al., 2008). I will also focus on ensuring the patient feels appreciated. As such, these techniques will ensure that although the patient is from a minority community, he feels that the care is patient-centered. Additionally, the patient will be able to highlight all his issues affecting him.
I will use the patient-centered risk assessment tool (Dwamena, Frankel, & Smith, 2012). In this case, the focus is to handle all risks that the patient faces as an individual and not a group. I will first enquire whether the patient received sufficient home-based care and whether he faces any racial discrimination. The focus will be to let the patient speak and avoid any stereotypes when making enquiries. As an elderly patient with disability, the patient needs care from either his family or a nursing home. Therefore, it is critical to know whether such care is readily available and challenges the patient might be facing. To achieve these objectives, I will as the following questions.
- Are you currently working, receiving any pensions or have someone to look after you?
- Do you have an active health insurance cover?
- Is your family available to help in cases where you need direct assistance?
- Have you been diagnosed or tested for any chronic conditions?
- What relationship do you have with your neighbors? Are there any social events you attend?
References
Dwamena, F. C., Frankel, R. M., & Smith, R. C. (2012). Smith’s patient-centered interviewing: an evidence-based method (3rd ed.). New York (NY): McGraw Hill Medical.
Frampton, S., Guastello, S., Brady, C., Hale, M., Horowitz, S., & Bennett, S. S., (2008). Patient-centered care improvement guide. Retrieved from http://planetree.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Patient-Centered-Care-Improvement-Guide-10-28-09-Final.pdf.
The American Congress of Obsterics and Gynecologists. (2014, Feb). Committee on patient safety and quality improvement. Retrieved from http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Health-Care-for-Underserved-Women/Effective-Patient-Physician-Communication
