Impact of Health-Illness Continuum on Patient Care
Research the health-illness continuum and its relevance to patient care. In a 750-1,000-word paper, discuss the relevance of the continuum to patient care and present a perspective of your current state of health in relation to the wellness spectrum. Include the following:
Examine the health-illness continuum and discuss why this perspective is important to consider in relation to health and the human experience when caring for patients.
Explain how understanding the health-illness continuum enables you, as a health care provider, to better promote the value and dignity of individuals or groups and to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and are consistent with the Christian worldview.
Reflect on your overall state of health. Discuss what behaviors support or detract from your health and well-being. Explain where you currently fall on the health-illness continuum.
Discuss the options and resources available to you to help you move toward wellness on the health-illness spectrum. Describe how these would assist in moving you toward wellness (managing a chronic disease, recovering from an illness, self-actualization, etc.).
You are required to cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
Benchmark - Human Experience Across the Health-Illness Continuum
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The aging of the population is a major factor in modern healthcare. More individuals are likely to be affected by diseases that have a long-term course and significant effects on their everyday lives if the current trend continues. Beyond that, expanding options for diagnosis and treatment are made possible by the exponential growth of medical knowledge and technological innovation. To offer integrated and continuous care for the chronically sick, healthcare professionals must work together effectively since chronic patients demand long-term, complicated healthcare interventions (De Regge et al, 2017). The connection between acute care facilities, primary care physicians, and community-based programs is crucial to effective chronic care. The health-illness continuum represents this process, from peak wellness, when a person is working at their best in all areas of life, to death, where all important processes have stopped (De Regge et al, 2017). The intersection of illness, ability, and sickness may lead to diminished well-being. This paper investigates the impact of the health-illness continuum on patient care. As a health care practitioner, knowing the health-illness continuum helps better promote the worth and dignity of people or groups and serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and are compatible with the Christian worldview.
As a caregiver, it is important to understand the relationship between health and the human experience. Viewing health as a continuum helps us recognize that it is a dynamic and holistic process influenced by various factors. Biological, psychological, social, environmental, cultural, spiritual, and ethical dimensions all play a role in an individual's health and quality of life. By recognizing this complexity, medical professionals can create personalized treatment plans that respect the unique needs and inherent worth of each patient (Parida, 2021). When a healthcare professional takes into account the health-illness continuum, they are better able to pinpoint their patients' individual strengths and resources, allowing them to better assist their patients in developing healthy coping mechanisms, resilience, and self-efficacy. These are crucial for maintaining wellness, warding off disease, and dealing with long-term issues, sudden setbacks, and permanent shifts.
Furthermore, having an understanding of the health-illness continuum allows healthcare providers to emphasize the importance and respect for individuals or groups while serving others in manners that encourage human growth and align with a Christian worldview. In accordance with this perspective, humans are created in God's image with intrinsic value and purpose. It is God's intention for people to live in balance with Him, themselves, others, and the environment (Huston, 2021). Therefore, human flourishing encompasses not only physical well-being and happiness but also fulfilling God's plan and purpose for one's life.
It is my privilege and calling to assist people in the name of Christ as a healthcare practitioner who also shares his Christian viewpoint. Jesus Christ is the perfect e...