Assessment Description
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.
- 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.).
ANSWER
Benchmark – Human Experience Across the Health-Illness Continuum
Understanding changes in health and illness over time is fundamental to establishing and assessing healthcare interventions for individuals, families, and communities. Health is a product of various factors that operate in embedded biological, genetic, behavioral, cultural, social, environmental, economic, and political contexts that vary as an individual move across the lifespan (Svalastog et al., 2018). Individuals experience health as changes over time. The purpose of this paper is to explore the health-illness continuum and its significance in patient care and describe my current health state with regard to the wellness spectrum.
The Health-Illness Continuum
The health-illness continuum is a graphical illustration of a concept proposed by John Travis in 1972. The continuum demonstrates the process of change wherein people go through various health and illness states ranging from excellent health, which fluctuate throughout one’s life, to death (Ali et al., 2018). Travis explained that individuals move back and forth within the continuum day by day. The graphical illustration of the continuum has two arrows pointing in opposite directions and connected at a neutral point. The right arrow moves toward a high level of wellness and equates to an increasing level of health and wellbeing. A high level of wellness is attained in three stages: Awareness, Education, and Growth (Ali et al., 2018). On the other hand, the left arrow moves towards premature death and equates to a gradually declining state of health. Premature death is attained in three stages: Signs, Symptoms, and Disability.
It is important to consider the health-illness continuum in patient care by first understanding the direction a patient is facing on the continuum. The nurse should be aware that a patient heading towards a high level of health and wellness has a positive attitude regardless of their health status (Swan et al., 2019). On the other hand, a patient moving towards premature death has a negative attitude about their health status. Thus the nurse should consider interventions necessary to help move the patient in the left direction towards the positive direction (Swan et al., 2019). In addition, the nurse can identify interventions that will help the client in the right direction to improve their health status further.
Relation of Human-Illness Continuum to Value, Dignity, and Promotion of Human Flourishing
The health-illness continuum has helped me understand that individuals need awareness, education, and growth to attain the desired high level of wellness. I have also realized that medication and physical treatment only moves patients’ health to a neutral point with no evident signs of illness. However, after getting to the neutral point, the choice to move to the left or right direction depends on an individual’s actions to move to optimum health (Koskinen, 2020). Besides, I have learned that peoples’ attitude towards health affects their overall health and wellbeing. Consequently, when interacting with patients, I endeavor to promote a positive attitude in them so that they can move toward achieving good health. When conducting patient assessment, I evaluate a patient’s position at continuum (Koskinen, 2020). I also examine the risk factors causing a decline in the patient’s health and help them avoid premature death by creating awareness and providing education, which promotes human flourishing.
Reflection on Personal State of Health and the Health Illness Continuum
I am in overall good health based on the absence of chronic diseases, recurrent infections, or disability. Behaviors that support my health include healthy eating habits, engaging in regular physical exercise, and maintaining high personal and environmental hygiene levels. The healthy diet and regular exercises are inspired by the wish to maintain a healthy weight and prevent NCDs. However, I observed that I have poor health-seeking behaviors, which might detract me from achieving the desired high level of health and wellness. For instance, I hardly attend annual well check-ups despite my insurance covering for such services. Besides, I do not adhere to the immunization schedule and have not had a flu shot in the past three years. I am also reluctant to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and I have never received the second dose, although the vaccine is readily available. I currently fall on the right side of the continuum.
Available Options and Resources
Resources available to help me move towards a high level of wellness include health clubs, health education materials from organizations’ websites, and community wellness centers. The health clubs will offer facilities to help me improve my fitness levels and maintain a healthy weight. Health education materials are important in creating awareness and educating me on approaches to take towards higher levels of wellness (Svalastog et al., 2018). Lastly, community wellness centers offer access to wellness check-ups and receive health education about improving my overall health.
Conclusion
Health can be defined in the context of a continuum, which implies something that changes progressively without any clear points. The health-illness continuum is a visual illustration of an individual’s wellness, which moves either toward a high level of wellness or premature death. Health providers should understand that for patients to achieve a high level of wellness; they need to go through stages of awareness, education, and growth. Nurses can use the continuum in disease prevention and health promotion by first identifying a person’s position on the continuum and identifying interventions to help them move towards a high level of wellness.
References
Ali, T., Hussain, M., Afzal, M., Khan, W. A., Hur, T., Amin, M. B., … & Lee, S. (2018). Clinically harmonized wellness concepts model for health and wellness services. IEEE Access, 6, 26660-26674.
Koskinen, V. (2020). Building skills for lifelong wellness: An empirical study on the wellness-oriented lifestyle. JYU dissertations.
Svalastog, A. L., Donev, D., Jahren Kristoffersen, N., & Gajović, S. (2018). Concepts and definitions of health and health-related values in the knowledge landscapes of the digital society. Croatian medical journal, 58(6), 431–435. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2017.58.431
Swan, B. A., Haas, S., & Jessie, A. T. (2019). Care coordination: roles of registered nurses across the care continuum. Nursing Economics, 37(6), 317-323.