Health Promotion, Education and Disease Prevention

Alternate Preventive Measures 

Ramezani et al. (2014) discuss the essence of spiritual care in nursing. According to the authors, spiritual care is an integral part of the provision of holistic care. The resource is essential because it helps in defining the role of the nurses heading forward. Spiritual care focuses on several fundamental aspects, including protection and the preservation of human dignity, wholeness, and integrity. The patient gets to understand what it means by pain, suffering, and illness. Despite the external circumstances, an individual tends to have a sense of harmony. The study described in the article assists nurses to come up with evidence-based policies that incorporate much-needed spirituality in patient care. As regards the limitations, the study was narrow as it only included documents documented in two languages, including English and Persian. Other languages, including documents published before 1950 were not included. 

Cherniack and Cherniack (2014) discuss the importance of animal-assisted therapy, especially in the elderly. The article shows that animal therapy comes with a plethora of benefits, including improving mental health and physical health. The use of animals in the care of the elderly has also shown signs in the improvement of the behavioral symptoms. Nurses and other health professionals need to include the use of animals, especially in patients with psychological problems such as stress. The only limitation with the resource is that the study is still at the preliminary stages, thus making it difficult to make conclusive assessments. Bradt et al. (2015) discuss the importance of music intervention in addressing the vast array of symptoms witnessed in cancer patients. The music interventions are vital in symptoms such as stress and anxiety related to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The research concludes that music therapy has positive impacts on the improvement of mood, anxiety, pain, and overall relaxation. However, the main limitation of the study involves the use of small population size that mainly consisted of black female participants. 

Technology and Health 

Communication plays a critical role in professional disciplines, such as nursing. Developing effective communication with the patients forms an integral part of the nursing profession. Nurses must remain keen to develop a crucial concept known as the therapeutic relationship. The therapeutic relationship developed between the patient and the nurse serves several functions, including promoting trust and enhancing respect. Most importantly, it nurtures hope and faith in the patient. Through skills and knowledge, the therapeutic relationship assists in the development of a patient's emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. Therapeutic relationship significantly thrives under effective verbal and nonverbal communication. The communication enhances interaction and leverages the patient as an equal partner in the achievement of wellness (Fakhr-Movahedi et al., 2016). Therefore, therapeutic relationship seeks to empower the patient to make critical decisions about their health hence setting the center-stage for health promotion. 

Technology has an important role to play in communication today. The advent of the internet, computer devices, social media, interoperability, and telemedicine devices, the communication between the patients and the healthcare practitioner has become increasingly possible. As regards my thoughts, technology has played an essential role in eliminating the barriers to health. For instance, telemedicine has removed the barrier caused by distance and costs hence increasing efficiency and effectiveness of care. The nursing code of ethics is a set of guidelines that seek to promote ethical conduct among nurses. As nurses seek to enhance health promotion, they must ensure that they remain keen to focus on ethical considerations. When planning a health promotion campaign, it is vital for nurses to protect patient privacy and confidentiality. Secondly, they should remain on course to prevent the patient from harm and only suggest what benefits the patients. 

Community Health 

An example of a health disparity in the US regards maternal mortality. According to MacDorman, Declercq and Thoma (2017), Maternal mortality has long been seen as a primary indicator of the quality of health care both in the U.S. and internationally. However, health disparity has been witnessed across the racial divide with African American women showing disparities in their outcomes. Black women in the US experience significantly high healthcare outcomes. Examples include the disproportional rates of death from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Several factors have implicated in this disparity, including the health system and societal factors. It is well-documented that black women are more likely to experience barriers to healthcare, including the problem of racial discrimination that is a stumbling block in their proper healthcare accessibility. It is in this regard that several strategies at the local and national level have been put in place in a bid to end the problem. 

Both at the federal and state level, several laws and policies have been created in a bid to put an end to the disproportionality witnessed in maternal healthcare. The first focus has primarily been placed on the improvement of access to a wide array of critical services. The national government, in collaboration with the local governments, has set out programs aimed at strengthening the health programs and supporting reproductive care. Women have received screening and treatment, especially those at risk for preterm birth. More attention has been placed on African American women by providing them with tools that enable them to navigate the health care system. Local governments have created programs that seek to help providers deal with the issue of racism by building a more diverse workforce. At the community level, programs have been developed to identify barriers to healthcare, such as insurance and socioeconomic levels among the African American community. 

Nutrition Counseling 

MyPlate is a guide to nutrition developed by the Center for Nutrition Policy. I believe that it provides essential guidelines that could help individuals meet the 2020 goals as regards proper nutrition. It incorporates several dietary components, including vegetables, proteins, grains, fruits, and dairies. I believe that MyPlate will not only impact the eating behavior but also the education of people on the best eating strategies they should employ. In comparison to other versions of the daily requirements, I think MyPlate has an edge due to its simplicity and understandability. However, compared to other established guidelines, MyPlate can also be accused of being confusing and abstract. Although it does well to provide the much-needed ideal nutritional situation, it does not give options given that these aspects might not be at everyone’s disposal. 

MyPlate is undoubtedly an important strategy that will enable people to meet their nutritional needs. It would, therefore, work well in a population where individuals are desperate to meet optimum nutritional targets. However, for the disadvantaged people such as the underserved Latino population, benefiting from MyPlate can be a far-distant reality. As previously mentioned, the strategy is based on a balanced nutritional intake composed of several food components such as protein, vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy (Levine et al., 2015). For an underserved Latino living in America, achieving all these food components in a single meal can be unrealistic given their low socioeconomic conditions. It, therefore, shows that MyPlate can be an abstract idea that can be difficult to achieve when the required resources are not present. Therefore, for low socioeconomic groups, I believe that focus should be placed on bridging the economic gap before the introduction of this nutritional policy. 

Systems of Health 

Health systems have a fundamental role in improving health. Atun (2014) states that "well-functioning health systems enable achievement of good health with efficient use of available resources." The author goes ahead to mention that effective healthcare systems are essential in responding to legitimate concerns and expectations of patients. Health systems also contribute to the growth of the economy by assisting in the production of effective and good health. Well-functioning systems are also fundamental in dealing with emerging public health emergencies (Atun, 2014). Most fundamentally, the systems have a crucial role in determining the plan of care. The plan of care comes into the picture due to the impact of the systems in determining the utilization of resources and policy development. The systems define the complex functioning of the healthcare system and the interconnectedness between procedures, professionals, and resources. All these aspects are fundamental in the creation of a plan of care. 

Based on my thoughts, the role of a nurse is to work with the patient to ensure that their primary, secondary, and tertiary needs become a reality. Although it is difficult to define the role of a nurse due to its complexity, their importance in the healthcare system is emphasized by their number. They work directly with the patient to enhance treatment and healing. They also work in the community to prevent the onset of conditions through preventive measures. The role of screening is to uncover a disease pathogen or a condition that might advance to a disease. Health promotion, on the other hand, aims at empowering the patient to live a healthy life free of disease effectively. Healthcare screening can significantly be influenced by both economics and ethics. Economics deals with the utilization of resources which might influence the type of screening tests done at a given facility due to the costs. Ethics, on the other hand, ensures that health professionals enhance morality while engaging in screening and diagnosis. 

Collaborative community and national partnerships and policies have a crucial role in the development of screening programs. Through the relationships, identification of at-risk individuals and populations becomes a reality enabling a targeted screening procedure. I agree with the health of health education, which includes empowerment, health promotion, and the creation of responsible people with the ability to make critical healthcare decisions. The most significant barrier to health education is the literacy levels as this determines whether or not the people will understand what they are taught. 

Telehealth vs. Telemedicine 

Telehealth and telemedicine are two fundamental terms that are closely related but have different meanings. Young and Badowski (2017) in addressing the distinction state that Telehealth is a general term that encompasses telemedicine and uses telecommunications to provide healthcare, patient and professional education, and public health data. The main aim of telemedicine is to improve the health of the patient by use of a two-way interaction mechanism pitting the patient and the clinician. According to the author, telehealth primarily incorporates non-clinical services such as administrative meetings, training, and medical education, among others. On the other hand, telemedicine primarily focuses on clinical services. Telehealth is, therefore, more important to use in the development of policies, the creation of programs, interaction with third parties, and the empowerment of the staff members. 

On the other hand, telemedicine is mainly critical in the provision of healthcare services. Some of the essential roles of telemedicine include medication management, patient follow-up, and specialist consultation, among others. It, therefore, cannot be used in the corporate governance of the care facility. In telehealth, privacy does not have to be guaranteed because it does not directly deal with patient private and confidential information. However, in telemedicine, private information must be adequately guarded. Telemedicine has a direct impact on the improvement of patient health. On the other hand, telehealth has an indirect impact by primarily focusing on policy development. According to Young and Badowski (2017), telehealth can increase access to healthcare and lower unnecessary costs, something that telemedicine technology is not tailored to do. 

Healthy People 2020 

Tuso (2015) notes that "Healthy People 2020 has determined that physical activity is one of their key interventions to improve health in America.” Despite the importance of physical activity, most Americans have failed to reach the required levels of 150 minutes per week. I believe that the fitness goals for Healthy People 2020 will significantly improve the health of many people in America. Attaining the required minutes of exercise, measuring physical activity, and creating healthy environments are all vital in preventing diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, among others. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the people to continue incorporating physical fitness criteria in a bid to enhancing a healthy nation. Exercise compliance for patients can be a difficult thing to achieve, especially when they have physical pain and deformities that prevent them from engaging in the exercise. I normally apply technology such as smartwatches in complying with my exercise. The smartwatch assists me to track my pulse rate as I engage in exercise. 

As regards the management of stress, I use an application known as a headspace. The application creates a program for the patient that enables them to engage in the process of mindfulness and meditation in a bid to overcome their stressors. Some of the common stressors in a patient population include the social and economic problems, unimproved healthcare conditions, family conflicts, and poor work-life balance, among others. Some of the complementary strategies aimed at dealing with stress include talk therapy, especially with counselors who are specially trained to deal with psychological problems. 

Complementary and Alternative Medicine 

Allopathic medicine focuses on the treatment of the disease rather than the individual. However, holistic approaches maintain a strong sense of connection between the person and their environment. Allopathic strategies are science-based and rely on the use of medication and surgery to find a remedy. It is, therefore, the conventional method of treatment. A holistic approach looks at the patient as part of their environment (Trimble & Rajaraman, 2017). Complementary and alternative medicine use non-standardized approaches to healthcare such as massage, tai chi, acupuncture, and meditation, among others. Traditional medicine, on its part, focuses on the treatment of symptoms and problems as seen in the body. Alternative medicine seeks to enhance prevention by focusing on cause and prevention. It relies on the use of natural elements. 

Complementary and traditional medicines, despite their differences, can be used together to achieve healthy standards. Health professionals are continually incorporating alternative medicine such as music therapy, massage, and therapy into the conventional one. As such, they work in synergy to ensure that the patient receives the much-needed relief from their ailments. No evidence, however, shows that complementary medicine can treat severe physical and mental health. They lack not only scientific backing but also a standard for regulation, thereby making them inefficient. For conventional medicine, some have marked toxicity of the patient, which can give rise to new conditions. Some drugs are also expensive and cannot be afforded by the patients in need. 

Global Telehealth 

As illustrated by Young and Badowski (2017), telehealth is technological advancement in the healthcare system that utilizes telecommunication tools to enhance health, communication, professional education, and the management of patient data. It has global implications on the healthcare system as it enables the interaction of two or more facilities in different jurisdictions. For instance, a healthcare system in the US can engage in benchmarking efforts from another system in Cuba. Also, a patient in one country can keep close ties with a doctor in another country due to the devices availed through telemedicine technology. It, therefore, reduces the barriers associated with cost and distance. Lastly, telehealth has also enabled professional development as patients can engage in live conferences in remote settings, give their contributions, and most importantly, learn. 

However, telehealth has to overcome certain problems in a bid to achieve its goals. First, it needs to remove the loophole of data insecurity, especially in the telemedicine devices that deal with patient information. Telehealth devices also need trained professionals for the healthcare system to reap the maximum benefits. Training, coupled with the software and hardware needs, will require the healthcare system to spend a lot of money. Therefore, without proper planning, telehealth can adversely affect the economic stability of a care facility (Kruse et al., 2017). Lastly, efforts should be placed to change the attitudes of healthcare professionals such as physicians and nurses who might have problems with changing their attitudes towards embracing the new technology. They should learn to appreciate change and the benefits that come with it. 

References 

Atun, R. (2014). Health systems, systems thinking, and innovation. Health Policy and Planning, 27(suppl_4), iv4-iv8. 

Bradt, J., Potvin, N., Kesslick, A., Shim, M., Radl, D., Schriver, E. ... & Komarnicky-Kocher, L. T. (2015). The impact of music therapy versus music medicine on psychological outcomes and pain in cancer patients: a mixed-methods study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 23(5), 1261-1271. 

Cherniack, E. P., & Cherniack, A. R. (2014). The benefit of pets and animal-assisted therapy to the health of older individuals. Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, 2014. 

Fakhr-Movahedi, A., Rahnavard, Z., Salsali, M., & Negarandeh, R. (2016). Exploring the nurse's communicative role in nurse-patient relations: A qualitative study. Journal of Caring Sciences, 5(4), 267. 

Kruse, C. S., Krowski, N., Rodriguez, B., Tran, L., Vela, J., & Brooks, M. (2017). Telehealth and patient satisfaction: a systematic review and narrative analysis. BMJ Open , 7(8), e016242. 

Levine, E., Abbatangelo-Gray, J., Mobley, A. R., McLaughlin, G. R., & Herzog, J. (2015). Evaluating MyPlate: an expanded framework using traditional and non-traditional metrics for assessing health communication campaigns. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 44(4), S2-S12. 

MacDorman, M. F., Declercq, E., & Thoma, M. E. (2017). Trends in maternal mortality by socio-demographic characteristics and cause of death in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 129(5), 811. 

Ramezani, M., Ahmadi, F., Mohammadi, E., & Kazemnejad, A. (2014). Spiritual care in nursing: a concept analysis. International Nursing Review, 61(2), 211-219. 

Trimble, E. L., & Rajaraman, P. (2017). Integrating traditional and allopathic medicine: An opportunity to improve global health in cancer. JNCI Monographs, 2017(52). 

Tuso, P. (2015). Strategies to increase physical activity. The Permanente Journal, 19(4), 84. 

Young, J., & Badowski, M. (2017). Telehealth: Increasing access to high-quality care by expanding the role of technology in correctional medicine. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 6(2), 20.