What the Recovery Outcomes Are of Stroke Victims - Essay Example

Running head: DISCUSSION Discussion Section of Dissertation You're Discussion Section of Dissertation The topic of this dissertation has been centered on trying to determine what the recovery outcomes are of stroke victims. The participants were found to be of a diverse group, ranging in ages and genders. Also they were all picked from various medical institutions based on what criteria that they met. The research finds that all of the participants had to be in the recovery period from having a stroke in the time range of 4-24 weeks, no more or no less either way. This was so that timely quantifiable data could be gathered about the group and correlated with other assessment studies accurately. Furthermore, there were different tests done to analyze the data, the MRMI, FES(S), and the SSEQ. Also all the participants were given questionnaires as well to judge their own interpretation of the treatment they were receiving during their post recovery period following their strokes. This was also done to gauge their personal feelings and how they felt their recovery was progressing on a more individual basis as well. Many issues were brought up in this investigation some being relative to how well the patients dealt with the issue of having a stroke and what their self-efficacy levels were following it. In order to try and determine the self-efficacy levels of each patient there were two separate assessment tests carried out which was done in a random selection type of fashion. Through these various tests there were great positive marks found in areas of physical dexterity among a number of the patients. Although some had suffered serious strokes they were doing well with gaining back some of their physical abilities that were previous to having a stroke. This was found to be a very positive sign in the investigative study. The main reason that this study on strokes was carried out was due to the fact that the statistics of strokes in the elderly population is quite high and those resulting in the death of the victim is statistically high as well, seeming to increase year after year. Also, though it is perceived that strokes area only focused on the elderly, the truth that this dissertation found was that the disease that causes strokes is non-discriminatory; it can therefore strike anyone and take life at anytime. Because of these various reasons medical professionals have been striving to find a way to minimize the causation factors that promote strokes and raise the positive patient outcomes for those who survive a stroke. Rehabilitation is imperative to stroke victims because strokes destroy brain cells every time they strike. Not only this but they have the ability to cause permanent paralysis in an individual if rehabilitative therapy is not used to correct the adversity caused by a stroke. However, the study found that depending on what part of the brain a stroke affects will determine where in the body the patient will experience physical problems such as movement, numbness, or possible paralysis as well. Not only does this dissertation find that there are negativities that the patients have to deal with following a stroke but they have to worry of how their mental health will be able to manage the stress of their illness. Some patients suffer from severe depression, dementia, epilepsy, and fall frequently which are all adverse elements in the recovery period for stroke patients. Therefore the research found that elderly patients recovering from a stroke need to have close supervision regardless of their age or gender because the physical limitations can affect everyone who suffers from a stroke, only in different ways and possible different stages as well. Though rehabilitation is an essential key in a proper recovery, not all of the patients needed it as it was found that patients who did not suffer from any deficiencies following a stroke recovered fine without physical therapy because they had no noticeable physical limitations. Therefore, those that did suffer with physical deficiencies required physical therapy to try and bring back a certain degree of independence that they once had if not all of it. Rehabilitation strives to incorporate a sense of normalcy for the individual as much as possible as it is imperative that they don't feel they have lost control over their own bodies or their lives. Therefore there are a number of other factors that are incorporated into the physical therapy as well, one being from a psychosocial idea. Patients have to want to get better and they have to believe that they will get better. Gaining a better understanding about their bodies, how to eat right, what vitamins that they should have, and many other social factors help them to have that leverage over their own bodily functions and how well they perform physically. However some of the patients become so depressed that they almost give up in rehabilitation, which is something that the research pointed out medical staff wants to avoid at all costs. Once a patient feels that they can't do it, it becomes very difficult to convince them otherwise. More than anything else these patients in this study had to show self-motivation in order to bring a positive outlook on their recovery period. A patient that falls into a depression is not going to have the outcome that the medical staff hopes for, and some patients do suffer in this category. The research also found that out of many other diseases where patients have gone through extensive rehabilitative therapeutic services, stroke victims showed the more positive signs of physical and mental improvement. Also, the self-efficacy was higher than other groups as well which is also a good plus for these patients. Patients are considered to be making marked improvements when they can avidly participate in their own treatment progress. Therefore, it is good to know how the individual patient feels about the progress that they are making and that they do communicate this with their health care providers. Communication shows good signs of recovery in a patient from a post stroke period. This is because strokes are extremely dehabilitating at times, depending on what part of the brain they affect, which has been stated. So a patient that is still able to write and talk shows good signs that their cognitive ability was not the main area of the brain affected by the stroke. The author finds that this is a very good point of the study to identify with because the research has found that strokes can have very adverse outcomes for many patients. This is because strokes have a very powerful control over brain functioning and they can cripple the mind of those who suffer from them, bringing on early stages of dementia or other competency problems such as dizziness and forgetfulness as well. The patients in this study however show remarkable improvements with the therapy and treatments that they were receiving to help them in their recovery period. So although strokes can be severe and result in death the finding through the research is that the medical world is making great progress in their attempt to try and educate people about them and how to minimize them as well. However, the self evaluation tests, and questionnaires that post-stroke patients participate in are considered to be limiting and not viable as a resource for information all of the time from this author's point of view. A lot of this has to do with a bias in the answers that they give and how they approach them as well. There is a question of how accurate they are really being when they do assessments such as these, so again the validity is under question. The main reason for some of the tests being invalid or promoting limitations in the study of strokes is basically because of what was already stated. The answers aren't always viable because they are based on the patients own perspectives about their limitations and improvements. Of course the medical profession is going to judge these areas in different ways from the patient so it would be hard to provide any validity in the case study where the patient is in charge of recording their own progress and improvement areas because their view is different from a nurses or a physical therapists view. Also, another adverse element is in the fact of medical professionals trying to find ways to properly combat this form of disease. This is due to the fact that there is no sure fire way to be certain who will have a stroke and who won't because it can only be professionally assumed who strokes will affect based on medical data gathered. This isn't always fool proof though and therefore this does provide for a lack of certainty. The research showed that the disease promoting strokes needs more intensive study to try and change the impact that it has on society as a whole. The medical world wants to try and gain an upper hand in this terrible disease because as was stated and as the research points out in 2001 20.5 million people suffered from strikes and right at 5.5 million people died due to them. That is a lot of people to die from one illness which could be controlled if the medical world can find a definite way of doing so. Read More