Culture of Cardiovascular Health - Essay Example

Culture of Cardiovascular Health Introduction Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) have been increasing at an alarming rate in the recent years. Related issues with CVD, such as the diminished quality of life as well as direct and/or indirect costs related to the medical problem, have also gained momentum subsequently. With due consideration to this issue, several measures have been incorporated by the medical units to develop awareness and efficient care facilities to enrich cardiovascular health of the masses. Illustratively, the American Heart Association (AHA) has aimed at developing the cardiovascular health of the US population at a rate of 20% by 2020. In this regard, the AHA has adopted various strategic measures that have further influenced other international and national organisations to act upon the stated issue (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2010). Emphasising the current trends of cardiovascular health in the US healthcare sector, this research focuses on analysing the consciousness of the community regarding cardiovascular health. This research paper will also provide a reflective account of my contribution to the issue as a nurse, to build a culture in my local community of Albion as well as in the global and regional communities, where cardiovascular health will gain adequate significance and attention from the common people. Discussion Observable rates of CVD have been increasing at an alarming rate in almost every country in the world. The US has certainly been no exception to the list, with a rapidly augmenting percentage of the total population dying from CVD. However, the US healthcare sector has been successfully incorporating strategic measures to enhance the health conditions of the population suffering from CVD. The mortality rate in the US has also been detrimental in respect to the other nations as per the report presented in the year 2002, when considering only CVD as the direct or indirect cause of death (refer Figure 1 appendix). This suggests that even though the US is amid one of the wealthiest nations of the world, it has less healthy population in respect to the other richer nations (National Academy of Sciences, 2013; Hoyert & Xu, 2012). As per my understanding, the observed trend indicates that immediate attention should be provided to the issue, which has not only threatened social and demographic sustainability in the local, regional and global environments, but has also increased economic pressure on the nation owing to the rise in healthcare costs. On a positive note, in the recent years, the US has been spending more on healthcare advancement initiatives than any other nation. Governmental spending has therefore increased in the domain of chronic diseases, emergency medical facilities and health insurance, which can be of substantial aid to the needy population. Government has also been continuously monitoring their healthcare needs and developing the same to increase their life expectancy. Different healthcare programs are correspondingly hosted by the government to suffice the health needs of the nation. However, even when the country is spending almost double the amount spent by the other developed nations, the health developmental rate of the population is criticised as persisting at a rate far below the standard (National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2009). Perhaps, the limitation has been inherent to the care processes followed in the nation to deliver assistance to CVD affected populaces. It is with this understanding that I intend to actively participate in the governmental care programs, focused on developing preventive care units and thereby, enhance the healthcare facilities within the country and in Albion too. Notably, with the motive to underpin optimal disease prevention, the US has been developing various preventive care measures. The prevention of life-threatening diseases has been provided special care when developing the mentioned set of measures (Maciosek et al., 2010). The control measures adopted in the US healthcare sector have mostly been focused on generating awareness amid the community about the causes of CVD and motivating them to inculcate lifestyle changes as a mode of prevention. Special attention has also been delivered on discouraging smoking habits amid the populaces to help them cope with the risks of CVD (National Health, Lung and Blood Institute, 2011; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). However, in most cases, I could observe that these measures have been limited within the periphery of medical care institutions rather than being outbound, which could have promoted community involvement and better efficiency of these programs. Hence, I aim to deliver my contribution by encouraging community involvement in these programs initiated by the US government. While aiming at a more rigorous community involvement, considerations should also be provided on the fact that CVD commonly develops in the very early stage of life, gradually deteriorating due to the unhealthy lifestyle choices. Being a nurse, the foremost duty I will be performing is to spread the knowledge of CVD amid the local community and help them to take independent preventive measures to cope with the same. Through my nursing skills and knowledge in the domain, I believe to deliver effective interventions in accordance with the defined motives behind programmes initiated by the government. CVD has become a global burden for many nations and being a nurse it is my duty to provide the patients with best treatment facilities and assistances that can prevent such chronic diseases. From a critical point of view, it can be asserted that the culture of preventing CVD is still in its cradle that needs to be developed with rapidity (Lanuza et al., 2011). Conclusion The US government has been paying major attention in developing its overall health care system. The prime attention of the governmental measures has likewise been concentrated on providing the masses with advanced health care facilities, but at the foremost, augmenting awareness amid the population regarding the various causes of CVD. The government has also been paying commendable amount of attention to develop the overall life expectancy of the population. Irrespective of these measures, it has been observed that the US population has been imparting substantial amounts of their total income, to develop the health care facilities of the country. This in turn ignites a doubt regarding the effectiveness of these measures, which have been found limited within the periphery of medical institutions. It is in this context that I believe these measures to be applied in the wider context, with prime focus on extensive community involvement. Perhaps it is through this mechanism that greater percentage of awareness can be developed within the community to yield the desired outcome when controlling CVD. References Hoyert, D. L., & Xu, J. (2012). Deaths: Preliminary data for 2011. National Vital Statistics Reports, 61(6), 1-52. Kane, J. (2012). Health costs: How the U.S. compares with other countries. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/health-costs-how-the-us-compares-with-other-countries/ Lanuza, D. M., Davidson, P. M., Dunbar, S. B., Hughes, S., & De, G. S. (2011). Preparing nurses for leadership roles in cardiovascular disease prevention. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs., 10(2), 1474-5151. Lloyd-Jones, D. M., Hong, Y., Labarthe, D., Mozaffarian, D., Appel, L. J., Horn, L. V., Greenlund, K., … Rosamond, W. D. (2010). Defining and setting national goals for cardiovascular health promotion and disease reduction the American heart association’s strategic impact goal through 2020 and beyond. AHA Special Reports, 1-29. Maciosek, M. V., Coffield, A. B., Flottemesch, T. J., Edwards, N. M., & Solberg, L. I. (2010). Greater use of preventive services in U.S. health care could save lives at little or no cost. Health Affairs, 29(9), 1656–1660. National Academy of Sciences. (2013). U.S. Health in international perspective. Report Brief, 1-4. National Health, Lung and Blood Institute (2011). How to prevent and control coronary heart disease risk factors. Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hd/prevent.html U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011). Million hearts: Strategies to reduce the prevalence of leading cardiovascular disease risk factors — United States, 2011. Early Release: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60, 1-4. Appendices Figure 1: Average Life Expectency of the Richest Countries of the World Source: (Hoyert & Xu, 2012) Figure2: US Spendings On Healthcare Source: (NewsHour Productions LLC, 2014) Read More