Assignment 1: Case Study Assignment: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
NURS 6512 Assignment 1: Case Study Assignment: Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
Advanced Health Assessment
Healthcare providers utilize various diagnostic tests and assessment tools to determine a patient’s condition and develop an appropriate treatment plan. Understanding the underlying factors is crucial when interpreting assessment results for better clinical outcomes. This week’s discussion explores a case study of an underweight girl with underweight parents. Additionally, the discussion will address the health concerns and risks the healthcare provider should assess. This study will also explore additional information and relevant questions required for a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s growth and possible sensitive issues. The assignment concludes by outlining two strategies to enhance the patient’s and her parent’s health towards attaining the ideal body weight. Being underweight suggests several underlying factors or conditions, environm
Assignment 1 Case Study Assignment Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
ental or genetic.
Health Concerns
Being underweight contributes to several healthcare concerns that affect an individual’s overall wellbeing and quality of life. This baby is underweight, raising concerns about poor nutrition which affects her growth and development,
Assignment 1 Case Study Assignment Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Adults and Children
chronic illness’ risk, poor mental development and impaired thinking, reduced concentration, and compromised immunity (Kiess, Aldern, Pee & Bloem, 2017). Her parents being underweight raises further health concerns, which implies poor socioeconomic status (Iguacel et al., 2018). Consequently, the family cannot afford healthy food, but their underweight status could suggest an underlying genetic disorder or disease affecting their digestive and endocrine system (Iguacel et al., 2018). Thirdly, mental illness could have contributed to the girl’s underweight status. For instance, the girl could have undergone a traumatic event unknown to her parents, impacting her eating habits and consequently affecting her physical development. Nonetheless, regardless of the underlying conditions, it is too risky for the baby to remain underweight because she could suffer irreversible health problems impacting her entire lifetime.
Additional Information Required for Patient Examination
When determining the healthcare issues and concerns, the healthcare provider will assess the family’s nutritional factors. That entails their meals, frequency of buying healthy foods, perception of the food they consume, and understanding of a healthy weight. Additionally, the healthcare provider will assess the patient’s and the parents’ body mass index (BMI) to determine their weight status, whether underweight or healthy (Dietz, 2021). BMI calculation formula entails taking the patient’s body weight and dividing it by height; any score below 19.5 indicates underweight status. Collecting these details will enable the healthcare provider to establish the ideal clinical interventions for the patient and nutrition advice for the parents.
Targeted Questions for Sensitive Issues
Considering this patient’s health status and the information required for further investigation into her family’s health history, the healthcare providers must explore specific questions. These targeted questions will guide the examination process, and the parents will respond on behalf of the girl because she cannot speak on her behalf. They include:
- How do you perceive your body weight? Is it healthy or unhealthy? Here, the healthcare provider gets the chance to examine the parents’ mental status and their self-perception
- Are there other family members with similar weight status? This question allows the healthcare provider to assess potential genetic factors affecting the family’s health status.
- What is your eating pattern within a day? The response to this question will shed light on the family’s eating pattern and regular foods, which could explain their underweight status.
Strategies to Promote Patient Proactivity
Patient education regarding health and proper management is the first approach in promoting the patient’s health. If the patient does not understand the risk factors behind their illness, unhealthy habits, and family health history, they will attain positive clinical outcomes not safeguard their health. Nutrition education is essential in this case study. That entails nutrition consultation, details about the appropriate servings required for proteins, vegetables, carbohydrates, and fruits (Dietz, 2021). The patient should also understand the health risks of failing to meet these food requirements. Notably, the healthcare provider should know the patient’s literacy levels to provide proper patient education. Some patients lack advanced education; thus, establishing their literacy levels is crucial in developing an appropriate treatment plan and follow-up programs. Patient education also helps create positive patient-healthcare provider relationships leading to better clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Assessing the family’s financial wellbeing is another approach to promote proper nutrition for the patient. If the parents cannot afford nutritious food due to financial constraints, the healthcare provider can help them acquire the food and devise a long-term plan to solve this problem (Iguacel et al., 2018). The healthcare provider can obtain family vouchers from WIC government programs and help the family purchase healthy food. These programs provide guidelines on appropriate percentages of fats, carbohydrates and proteins for healthy growth and development (Dietz, 2021). This strategy also enhances the relationship between the healthcare provider, the patient, and the parents.
Conclusion
Being weight is a risky health condition, especially for infants requiring medical attention. The healthcare provider needs a patient’s comprehensive health history to enable them to attain a healthy lifestyle and learn appropriate disease prevention measures. That entails asking relevant questions and comprehending the patient’s medical background. These details help the healthcare provider establish a proper treatment plan and medications. Notably, a good rapport between the healthcare provider, the patient and the parents create an open and positive atmosphere leading to better clinical outcomes and satisfaction.
References
Dietz, W. H. (2021). Better diet Quality in The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act and WIC Package Reduced Childhood Obesity. Pediatrics, 147(4).
Iguacel, I., Fernández-Alvira, J. M., Ahrens, W., Bammann, K., Gwozdz, W., Lissner, L., … & Moreno, L. A. (2018). Prospective Associations Between Social Vulnerabilities and Children’s Weight Status. Results from the IDEFICS study. International Journal of Obesity, 42(10), 1691-1703.
Kiess, L., Aldern, N., Pee, S. D., & Bloem, M. W. (2017). Nutrition in Humanitarian Crises. In Nutrition and Health in a Developing World (pp. 647-664). Humana Press, Cham.