Example Of Medicine Discussion Essay

Building a health history for the patient often presents a challenge because of the many factors that need to be considered. This paper presents a case involving an Asian father. The patient is an 86-year-old Asian male who went to the hospital for the physical exam. The patient claimed he did not want to be a burden to his daughter. The patient is physically and financially dependent on his daughter who happens to be a single mother with little money to spend on the health needs of her father. This poses difficulties in obtaining information on the patient’s medical history.
In obtaining the medical history of the patient, it is essential to take into account the different spiritual, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and other cultural factors related to the health. In a traditional Asian family, sons are mostly favored than daughters. The primary reason behind this is the fact that men are the ones who carry on the surname of the father even after he is already married. On the other hand, females are not so much valued. Females are passive members who adhere to the family of their husband, perform house chores, and give birth. The male is always the provider, and his primary responsibility is to be a good child to his parents; a good husband to their wife; and a good father to his children. Family problems are not also shared with others. Most Asian males are secretive and solve problems on their own. They do not want to discuss.

Below are the five targeted questions that will be asked of the patient.

1. Ask all basic questions that would establish rapport. These questions should focus on getting to know the patient.
a. What is your complete name? Age? Address? Ethnicity?
b. How many live in your house?
c. Is the house structure giving you any difficulty in moving around?
d. How many children does your daughter have?
2. What are the most recent problems you encountered with your health? Did you have any discomforting feelings such as dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting?
3. When did you have your recent health check?
4. Do you take any medications at the moment? What are they?
5. How many falls did you experience in the past three year? How did it happen? Who was with you? Who helped you?
In gathering pertinent information from the patient, the need to be extra cautious and tactful is essential. To interview patients coming from a different cultural background, it would be helpful to review the common characteristics of individuals from different races and take into account the questions that would be not be perceived as nosy. During the interview, take note of the patients’ non-verbal communication cues to know whether he or she is comfortable with the questions or not. Sensibleness and tact must be rendered during the health history taking.

References

Patient Interviews. (2001). JAMA, 285(17), 2257. doi:10.1001/jama.285.17.2257-jbk0502-4-1
Putsch, R., & Joyce, M. (1990). Clinical methods: Chapter 229 - Dealing with Patients from Other Cultures (3rd ed.). Boston: Butterworths.