Since the last blog post, we have delved
into topics related primarily to the patient experience of illness. We
have discussed the factors related to people seeking treatment from
professionals, as well as learned that most of the time people engage in
self-care, and a growing majority of patients use some type of
complementary or alternative therapy in their life.
While some of you may be blogging on your
final research project topic, here are some ideas for posts that relate
to our recent class discussions:
1) The Emotional Side of Illness
When dealing with chronic or acute
illnesses, people often report that they are more depressed, have more
anxiety, even experience a "loss of self". What are the most important
factors in whether a personal will reconstruct their personal narrative,
or experience debilitating mental illness as a result of a physical
condition? Review an article on the loss of self or biographical
disruption. How do you think health professionals can (if at all)
integrate this knowledge into how they care and interact with patients?
2) Health Practices in Daily Life
A large majority of people who report
using complementary and alternative medicines say they do so not to
treat an illness, but as part of a lifestyle that is oriented toward
staying well, and includes tests and check-ups at the hospital. Research
a practice that people might do everyday, and provide a discussion of
the physical or mental effects of that practice, including risk of
specific illnesses. Then, perhaps using a sociological theory, give
insight into why doctors do not prescribe scientifically proven
practices in a hospital setting.
3) The Future of Service Utilization
Our health care system is undergoing
some major changes that are likely to impact how people engage with
services. Discuss at least one trend, and elaborate on how this will
effect how many people use services, who those people are
(demographically, financially, etc), and how that will impact their
relationship with health professionals. Examples of trends are:
* Increasing technology in health care
* Expanding coverage of health insurance
* Rapidly aging population
* Increasing proportion of Hispanic Americans
* Rise of complentay and alternative medicine
* Use of the internet for symptom identification and treatment
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