An Assessment of Health-Illness Continuum

An Assessment of Health-Illness Continuum

A health-illness continuum is an important visual tool that helps individuals make healthy choices regarding their lives and lifestyles. As such, it helps healthcare providers to monitor their patients from the stages of preventive care all the way to rehabilitation (Swan et al., 2019). Cognizant of the importance of the tool to the healthcare system, it bears certain features such as positive emotional well-being, the social wellbeing as well as healthy psychological state. Likewise, it has two ends, with one end representing poor health (illness) and the other end representing ideal health (wellness) (Luciani et al., 2019). This analysis, therefore, argues that health-illness continuum is a relevant tool to patientcare and subsequently use the wellness spectrum to present the perspective of my current state of health.

An Examination of Health-Illness Continuum

Health-illness continuum helps determine the extent to which a patient can consider self as being well or ill at a particular time and it ranges from optimum wellness to total depletion of energy which is signified by death. It may be in the form of graphic representation of the state of a patient`s health and thus plays critical role in guiding healthcare professionals in the process of decision-making and diagnosis (Swan et al., 2019). John W. Travis first formulated the health-illness continuum in 1972 and founded it on the theory that at least every individual goes through all the spectrums in the continuum at some point in their lifetime (Swan et al., 2019). The model is important to consider when caring for patients because it enables a nurse to determine a client`s health status at every given time. With such determination, a nurse is consequently able to take appropriate measures regarding the patient and subsequently improve client’s overall health either through curative or preventive measures (Alves 2022). It is also useful in helping a nurse or care provider to set client`s goals necessary for attaining desired health condition. For instance, a nurse can use the continuum to guide a client or patient on nutritional requirement and the types of foods to eat or avoid. Lastly, it also enables seamless transition of care services incase of change in patient`s medical conditions (Luciani et al., 2019). Such seamless transition is particularly important when dealing with patient with acute or chronic conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. An Assessment of Health-Illness Continuum

Relation of Human Illness Continuum to Value and Human Dignity

An understanding of the health-illness continuum enables healthcare providers to promote the value and dignity of individuals in more ways than one. For instance, such an understanding enables a healthcare provider to appreciate that illness should not define individuals because it is a condition that almost every human experiences at some point in time (Swan et al., 2019). With such appreciation, healthcare providers are able to demonstrate empathy and professionalism when handling patients and also discharge their roles and duties in ways that align with Christian worldview and promote human flourishing. Moreover, an understanding of the continuum also enables healthcare providers to recommend medical solutions and measures geared towards a better health status and consequently promote human flourishing and dignity (Alves 2022). For example, a nurse that understands the continuum will take care of a patient`s overall health condition including the psychological, emotional and social wellbeing of the same. An Assessment of Health-Illness Continuum

Personal Reflection

I do not consider myself healthy because I am overweight and this is a risk/predisposing factor to cardiovascular conditions, hypertension, obesity, diabetes or respiratory conditions. I believe I found myself where I am currently in terms of health because of certain behaviors that promote obesity or being overweight. For example, my tight schedules make it hard for me to undertake physical activities or exercises. I am always on the car moving from place to place and when I return to the house, I go straight to bed after meals. Furthermore, I also consume too much junk food and this has contributed significantly to my situation. On the health-illness continuum, I think I fall on the spectrum that represents poor health (illness). An Assessment of Health-Illness Continuum

Available Options

The main options available to help me move towards the wellness spectrum of the health-illness continuum are to avoid consumption of junk food and to spare some time every day for physical activities. From my research, I established that performing physical activities or exercising helps the body to burn calories and consequently lead to weight loss. According to Hardt and Santos (2020), “When losing weight, more physical activity increases the number of calories your body uses for energy or “burns off.” The burning of calories through physical activity, combined with reducing the number of calories you eat, creates a “calorie deficit” that results in weight loss.” I further established that reducing junk food helps in reduction of sugar intake and thus weight loss. Hardt and Santos (2020) opine that Cutting back on junk food means one will be receiving less amounts of fat, sugar and calories, which will naturally lead to weight loss. Thus, an individual will feel more energetic. Receiving more calories from junk food does not mean one is  obtaining enough nutritional substance. I therefore believe the two options will help me reduce weight and thus move towards the wellness spectrum of the continuum.

Conclusion

Health-illness continuum is an important visual tool that helps in making proper decisions concerning one`s health. Accordingly, the perspective is important in care giving because it enables a nurse to determine a patient`s health status at a given time and therefore recommend either preventive or curative measures. An understanding of the continuum therefore enables a nurse to or caregiver to appreciate that illnesses do not define individuals because they are conditions that are natural to human existence. Likewise, I have evaluated my status in line with the continuum and established that I fall within the spectrum of illness because of my overweight status that predisposes me to several health conditions.

References

Alves, T. C. (2022). The Client System: The Importance of the Client Support Group in the Area of Health Sciences. International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice, 13(2), 32-43.

Hardt, F., & Santos, R. C. G. (2020). The primary care sports and exercise medicine physician: A key role in a continuum remodeling medical career. In Sports, Health and Exercise Medicine. IntechOpen.

Luciani, M., Jack, S. M., Campbell, K., Orr, E., Durepos, P., Li, L., … & Di Mauro, S. (2019). An Introduction to Qualitative Health Research-Un’introduzione alla ricerca sanitaria qualitativa. Professioni Infermieristiche, 72(1).

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.