Main Discussion Post: Patient preferences relate to the decisions made by indivi
Main Discussion Post: Patient preferences relate to the decisions made by individuals regarding their health and medical care based on their own experiences, beliefs, and values (Gurmu, 2022). There is a strong recommendation for health care professionals to involve patients in the decision-making process actively. Patient engagement of this nature is frequently classified as a type of collaborative decision-making wherein the patient and healthcare practitioners participate in the deliberation. The scenario for this week’s discussion is a patient with dementia who had a fall at home that ended up in hip surgery. The patient, an elderly female, has lived with her daughter for ten years after her husband passed away. The daughter spoke with the providers that the best option for the patient is to live at an assisted living facility where somebody can help her with activities of daily living and ensure that she is safe. The daughter is unable to care for her mother as she works full-time. The patient was upset and did not agree with her daughter’s suggestion. Using the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Decision Aids Inventory, I looked up “dementia” and found a decision aid summary “Choosing a support option for caregivers of older adults living with dementia.” The decision aid is helpful as it guides healthcare providers, the patient, and the caregivers in making an informed decision and choosing the patient’s appropriate route. For the scenario, the patient, providers, social worker, case manager, and the family collaborated and emphasized the importance of having support during the day to ensure the patient’s safety. The patient chose a facility close to her daughter’s home and a place that could provide for her needs. The conditions in the environments where individuals are born, raised, educated, employed, leisure-bound, worship, and age that influence a vast array of health, functioning, and quality-of-life risks and outcomes are referred to as social determinants of health US Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). SDOH substantially affects our health, well-being, quality of life, and our odds of maintaining good health as we age (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). Health care practitioners must understand how socioeconomic variables affect patient outcomes (Perez et al., 2022). Clinicians can improve patient health by providing more effective treatments, social screening, timely legal and social services referrals, and research into how social factors affect health (Perez et al., 2022). In my patient’s scenario, they considered choosing the facility’s location so that the patient is close to her family members and healthcare providers. They also considered selecting a facility to provide the patient with her daily needs and ensure her safety. Patients desired family participation in collaborative decision-making; however, there is a disconnect between patients’ expectations and healthcare providers’ perceptions of patients’ preferred roles Gurmu, 2022). Hence, healthcare professionals must incorporate patient participation in collaborative decision-making into their routine clinical activities (Gurmu, 2022). Patients who work with their healthcare providers to establish a shared healthcare choice have more confidence in the provider-patient relationship, work more closely to implement the shared decision, and are more satisfied with their healthcare. References: Gurmu, Y. (2022). Patient Preferences in Shared Decision Making During Healthcare and Associated Factors Among Adult Admitted Patients at Public Hospitals of West Shoa Oromia, Ethiopia. Patient Preference and Adherence, Volume 16, 1781–1786. https://doi.org/10.2147/ppa.s376600Links to an external site. Perez, F. P., Perez, C. A., & Chumbiauca, M. N. (2022). Insights into the Social Determinants of Health in Older Adults. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 15(11), 261–268. https://doi.org/10.4236/jbise.2022.1511023Links to an external site. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, September 14). Social Determinants of Health and Older Adults | health.gov. Health.gov. https://health.gov/our-work/national-health-initiatives/healthy-aging/social-determinants-health-and-older-adultsLinks to an external site.