Health Assessment Essay Discussion Paper
Health Assessment Essay Discussion Paper
Case: Adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy living in a middle-class suburb
How would your communication and interview techniques for building a health history differ with each patient?
How might you target your questions for building a health history based on the patient’s social determinants of health?
What risk assessment instruments would be appropriate to use with each patient, or what questions would you ask each patient to assess his or her health risks?
Identify any potential health-related risks based upon the patient’s age, gender, ethnicity, or environmental setting that should be taken into consideration.
Select one of the risk assessment instruments presented in Chapter 1 or Chapter 5 of the Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination text, or another tool with which you are familiar, related to your selected patient.
Develop at least five targeted questions you would ask your selected patient to assess his or her health risks and begin building a health history.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a summary of the interview and a description of the communication techniques you would use with your assigned patient. Explain why you would use these techniques. Identify the risk assessment instrument you selected, and justify why it would be applicable to the selected patient. Provide at least five targeted questions you would ask the patient.
Health Assessment
Case
Adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy living in a middle-class suburb
Summary of interview – interview for social determinants of health
Question 1. Food Insecurity – Within the past 12 months, did you worry about your food running out and being unable to get more food?
Response – Money has been very tight and food has been somewhat of a problem. However, I still feed and haven’t been hungry. Health Assessment Essay Discussion Paper
Question 2. Housing instability – Do you have housing, are you worried about losing your home, and have you been unable to get utilities (electricity, water and heat) when it was really needed over the last six months?
Response – I have housing although I have had my parents complaining that they may be unable to keep up with the mortgage payments if our family’s financial situation continues. There has been talk of joining my uncle up north where my parents would have better job prospects to improve our family’s financial situation. Although we have had utilities over the last 12 months, we’ve had watch how we use them to minimize costs.
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Question 3. Transportation – Within the past 12 months, has lack of transportation kept you from getting things you need or kept you from medical appointments and getting your medicine?
Response – We had to sell my dad’s truck and now use my mum’s car. This has made transportation difficult as there is only one care available for the whole family. While I have not missed any medical appointments, I have been late to some of them and come very close to missing others. Health Assessment Essay Discussion Paper
Question 4. Interpersonal violence – Do you feel emotionally and physically safe where you currently live, and have you been subjected to any abuse at home within the past 12 months.
Response – I feel safe at home. However, my parents’ tempers have been flaring up more frequently of late so that they are fast to anger. I believe that this situation would turn for the better once our financial situation improves.
Question 5. – Do you have any urgent needs, such as being afraid of being hurt if you go home today or not having enough food for tonight?
Response – I do not have any urgent needs.
Communication techniques
Four communication techniques would be useful. Firstly, paying attention and being seen to be listening by giving the patient full attention helps to show that the information being presented is important. Secondly, giving feedback and asking for clarification helps to get the right interpretation of the information being presented (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). Thirdly, keeping an open mind by not interrupting the responses helps to ensure that truthful information is presented. Fourthly, responding appropriately encourages respect (Truglio-Londrigan & Lewenson, 2018).
Risk assessment instrument
Rapid Adolescent Prevention Screening (RAAPS) has been identified as an appropriate risk assessment instrument for use among adolescent patients. This is a standardized validated risk screening tool that has been develop to help in addressing risk behaviors that impact wellbeing, health and academic success of adolescents. RAAPS offers six significant advantages. Firstly, it is short with 21 questions that can be completed within 5 minutes. Secondly, it is standardized. Thirdly, it is tailored for adolescents. Thirdly, it captures the prevalence of environment and social conditions that threaten the wellbeing, health and academic progress of adolescents. Fourthly, it addresses mental health and substance use as risks that impact adolescents. Fifthly, it has been tested and determined to be reliable and valid for use as a comprehensive risk screening tool among adolescents. Finally, it is updated biennially to ensure that it incorporates the changing adolescent trends and latest evidence-based guidelines (Possibilities for Change, 2021).
References
Possibilities for Change (2021). RAAPS. https://possibilitiesforchange.org/raaps/
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community. Elsevier, Inc.
Truglio-Londrigan, M., & Lewenson, S. (Eds.) (2018). Public Health Nursing: Practicing Population-Based Care (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
