Chronic Diseases and Their Management in Australia from a Macro Perspective - Assignment Example

hrоniс Diseases and their Mаnаgеmеnt in Аustrаliа from А Mасrо Реrsресtivе By Student’s Name Code +course name Professor’s name University name City, State Date How is chronicity defined? Why is an illness rather than a disease approach to chronic and complex illness important from a nursing perspective? Discuss in regard to depression as co-morbidity. Chronicity is a terminology which many authors have struggled to explain over the last decades. The Commission on Chronic Illness is believed to be the first to address the definition of chronicity by identifying the characteristics of chronic illness. According to the Commission on Chronic Illness, the following are some of characteristics of chronic diseases, namely: everlasting, disability, requires careful assessment, planning and management among others. Lubkin and Larsen (2013) argued that chronic diseases are complex and alters lifestyle, and therefore, they require individualized management. Other authors among them (Phillips 2012) and (Alder et. al, 2005) argues that people with chronic pain experience pain throughout their live. Thus, effective chronic pain management is dependent on partnership between various stakeholders, including the patient, family members and the nursing staff. Combining the views of the above cited authors; chronicity can be defined as long term a condition that requires daily management responsibilities from the patients, nurses and the family members. According to Phillips (2012), people of all ages in Australia are prone to life threatening ailments like diabetes and cancer. However, older adults are more susceptible to life threatening illness. Recent studies show that older adults are often faced with the problem of loneliness and sometimes feel that they are isolated from family members and friends. The healthcare givers play a crucial role in educating patients about their conditions and the treatment. When the patients have the knowledge on the disease, they are able to work through the dilemmas that come about due to the disease and its treatment. They are less distressed about the circumstances surrounding the illness. An illness rather than a disease approach to chronic and complex illness, therefore, helps to determine specific concerns and needs of the patient. This helps to understand a respondent better and to provide a solution that is more specific to his or her problems (Johnson et, al. 2008). Is self-management beneficial to positive health outcome in chronic illness? During the past few decades, acute disease was the major cause of sickness, and patients did not have adequate knowledge on how to manage their health. In other words, they were passive recipients of healthcare (Freeman 2005). Today, chronic illness has become a major health problem, and this has called for patients’ involvement in chronic pain planning and management. Chronic pain is pain that persists for a long period of time, and therefore, requires active personal commitment to decrease the pain and eventually increase physical activity. The process of managing chronic pain involves the psychological techniques as well as medical treatment. Managing chronic pain is a long-term plan that requires learning to do things differently within the scope of a chronic condition (Freeman 2005). Chronic pain has the effect of undermining a patient’s dignity. According to the principles of patient centred care, management of chronic pain requires a multidimensional approach. According to researchers, the use of multidimensional approaches plays a critical role of enabling patients to restore their independence. Among the approaches that are recommended includes: developing effective partnerships with nursing professionals and addressing patient’s immediate needs. The patients should also be trained on how to self manage their pain. Lifestyle modification, as well as neuroplasticity (changes in neural processes), should also be taught (Jansen 2008). The use of an interdisciplinary approach plays a crucial role of managing pain that is persistent. The complexity of and nature of pain more often demands the involvement of many disciplines. These disciplines include pharmacy services, psychology, spiritual care, occupational therapy and other multiple medical specialties. When one way of managing pain has failed to yield the desired results, then another strategy should be incorporated to reduce the chronic pain. Therefore, the patient should not approach pain with a fixed mentality of healing the pain without considering other methods which could be faster and more effective in reducing the pain (Haskins & Sawhill 2009). Self management is useful to positive health outcome in chronic illness. For instance, it enables individuals to cope with stress and depression by implementing self-management skills (Clipper 2004). Performing exercises such as walking, stretching and strengthening the body, or aerobic exercises are essential in helping the body relieve chronic pain. Physical activities also help individuals to stay active and improve his or her moods. A person should consult with the doctor the program specifically designed for his or her chronic condition. It is paramount for the patient to consult the physiotherapist who really knows about the pain (Shiel 2012). Physiotherapists will guide the patient on how to begin the training, and the duration of the exercise every day. Self management approach to chronic illness put into consideration the patient’s physiology, expectations as well as values. Patients are, therefore, allowed to have the final word concerning their care plan, as opposed to having the doctor decide what is best for the patient. Many are, therefore, of the opinion that self management can help solve the multiple issues that contribute to a poor health care system in health facilities. With this kind of health care practice, patients can directly contribute to their treatment procedures by making known what is best for their situation in terms of their future health, financial ability as well as what they feel comfortable with (Shiel 2012). Thus, self management enables the assessment of the cause of the patient’s pain together with but not restricted to: intensity, location, period of illness, irritating and relieving factors, sleep patterns and psychosocial aspects of the patient’s life, and efficiency of present strategies (Woodhead & Fudge 2012). Management of chronic pain is simple or complex depending on how it effectively the pain is assessed, planned and dealt with. In order for a composition to cause pain it must have a direct link with a nerve, therefore, procedure for treating such pain is through the nerve (Teumissen et al. 2007). Self pain management thus plays a greater role of finding the correct source of the problem and isolating the most favourable treatment. According to the principles of patient centred care, effective self management requires the nursing staff to inform patients about their conditions. In addition, the patients must have adequate information on where they can access the health care. Lastly, the patients must be in charge of their treatment (Shiel 2012). What change does the healthcare system need to embrace to better care for those with chronic illness? Critically discuss a government policy or government initiative and its relationship to chronic illness care. In the Australian health care sector today, diagnosis and treatment of chronic illness has shifted from being a practitioner’s affair to one that involves the patient. Patient-centred care helps the patient to contribute directly to their treatment procedure through giving the relevant information that a practitioner may require in order to figure out the right course of action. Practitioners must provide care that is sensitive to a patient’s personal needs since it’s impossible to have all patients having similar preferences on the mode of provision of medical care. It is necessary for them to consider one’s spirituality since different cultures or religions will hold varying opinions on medical care. It is also important to consider one’s financial capability since all patients cannot have similar abilities in terms of acquiring medical care. It is also necessary to consider a patient’s lifestyle and what values they hold dear in their lives (Sigma Theta Tau International 2012). As earlier mentioned, the issue of patient-centred care has not been taken seriously in the past. In the past, diagnosis was all a matter of the practitioner using their skills to find out what the illness was and administering the right treatment. However, issues such as the patient’s values, preferences and financial capabilities were mostly overlooked. Today, a major shift has occurred and treatment does not only involve the administering of drugs. Personalization of care is one policy that can aid in the patient’s ability to cope with chronic illness as well as the stay in the hospital during the treatment period. This can be achieved through creating a feeling of being at home for the patient. To achieve this, the patient as well as their family must be involved in order to identify the patient’s preferences and daily routines which can be adopted in the hospital. Maintenance of the patient’s personal identity is also another way of ensuring that the patient feels comfortable in the hospital or during the medical treatment procedure. This gives the patient a sense of recognition and appreciation as opposed to referring to them by numbers or their chronic illness. For example, a patient would feel much more comfortable being addressed by name as this would make them feel that the doctors recognize her and probably their condition as opposed to referring to them by number or simply saying “the cancer patient who came in yesterday” or “the diabetes patient is still waiting for their medicine or lab results to be released” (Frampton & Charmel 2009). Communication is also another avenue that must be fully utilized while dealing with chronically ill patients. Previously, practitioners would keep information about a patient’s health to themselves and act as they find best in the treatment procedure. However, the patient-centred care policy requires that a patient ought to be fully informed of the condition they are suffering from in order for them to make informed decisions regarding the care they receive (Morrison 2011). Involvement of the family is also another great way of ensuring the success of patient-centred care. As the closest people to the patient, family can be relied upon to provide the much needed comfort and care when the practitioner is not always around. With the right information concerning the patient’s condition and the treatment procedure, family can offer great help in reducing the pressure, stress and anxiety of the patient (Freeth 2007). The Australian health care system is faced with various challenges which hinder the service provision. Among the main challenges include healthcare financing, healthcare illiteracy, a growing number of people living with chronic diseases, inadequate labor supply, inappropriate use of technology, inconsistency in the provision of nursing care, an ageing population and hence an increase in health care needs among others. In the recent past, however, the Australian government and the NSW healthcare system introduced a comprehensive primary health care to assess, plan and manage chronic illness. The New South Wales in the last decade established various strategies for dealing with chronic diseases, including the New South Wales Chronic Care Program, the integrated primary and Community Health Policy, CCAP Program which caters for Aboriginals among others. The New South Wales Chronic Disease Management Program (CDMP) has played a greater role of ensuring that quality health care is provided to all at affordable costs (Agency for Clinical Innovation 2013). Reference List Agency for Clinical Innovation. 2013. NSW Chronic Disease Management Program-Connecting Care in the Community: Service Model 2013. ACI. Alder, J., Mayhew, L., Moody, S & Shan, R. 2005. Chronic disease burden: An analysis of health risks and health care usage. London: Case Business School. Clipper, S. 2004. Pain Management. Retrieved 05 23, 2014, from www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php Frampton, S., & Charmel, P. 2009. Putting Patients First: Best Practices in Patient-centered Care: Epub Edition. John Wiley & Sons Inc. Freeman, D. 2005. Top Causes of Chronic Pain. Living With Chronic Pain , 3-6. Freeth, R. 2007. Humanising psychiatry and mental health care: The challenge of the person-centred approach. Oxford: Radcliffe. Haskins, R. & Sawhill, I., 2009. Creating an opportunity society, Massachusetts: Brookings Institution Press. Jansen, M. P. 2008. Managing pain in the Older Adult. New York: Springer publishing Company. Johnson, B et, al. 2008. Partnering with Patients and Families to Design a Patient and Family-Centred Health Care System. Recommendations and Promising Practices. Institute for patient- and Family Centred Care. Lubkin, I.M. & Larsen, P.D. 2013. Chronic Illness: Impact and Intervention. Burlington, Jones & Bartlett Learning, 3-22. Morrison, E. E. 2011. Ethics in health administration: A practical approach for decision makers. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Phillips, J. 2012. SelfCare: The need for an integrated approach to supporting patients who should self manage. 3(2). London: Institute for self-management education and training. Shiel, W. C. 2012. Introduction to Pain Management. Retrieved 05 23, 2014, from www.medicinet.com/pain_management Sigma Theta Tau International. 2012. Clinical Scholarship: Process of Self-Management in Chronic Illness. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2012, 44(20, 136-144. Woodhead, K & Fudge, L. 2012. Manual of Perioperative Care: An Essential. 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