Social and Physical Determinants of Health Post Reply

Reply post #2

I have chosen social factors. “Social determinants of health reflect the social factors and physical conditions of the environment in which people are born, live, learn, play, work, and age. Also, known as social and physical determinants of health, they impact a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes.” (Healtypeople.gov) It is a fact that where you live makes a difference in the health care that you receive. People who live in rural areas will not have the same access to healthcare as those who live in the city. Education also plays a part in healthcare. Therefore, it is important for people to have access to good healthcare information. With the internet now more readily available throughout the world people have access to more healthcare information. People who live in impoverished areas do not get good health care and they live a lifestyle that promotes bad health. They do not eat well and they do not have access to good clean water. Without good nutrition and good cleaning their health will fail. Therefore, it is important as nurses that we find ways to make this information available to them and help them find ways to get good healthcare and nutrition and places to keep themselves clean. As a Medicare/Medicaid nurse case manager I see people from all walks of life and I know the ramifications of how the social environment can play on a person’s health. Case management is essential in helping people to follow throughout on their appointments, taking their medications appropriately, and helping them to find appropriate care for their diagnosis. A good case manager will contact their patient on a regularly scheduled basis. The case manager will visit the patient and determine what their living conditions are and determine if it is safe for them to continue living in this environment. If not the case manager will reach out to the community and help the patient find good healthy housing that is affordable for them. The case manager will assist them with making appointments with their doctors, the specialists, and any resource visits they need. If they do not have transportation the case manager will assist with arranging transportation for them to and from their visits. There is a community of resources available to help all patients and it is important that the RN case manager stay abreast of what is available in the patient’s community. In this fashion the case manager is allowing the patient to receive the best possible care that is available for them. The RN case manager will also visit the home regularly to determine if the patient is taking their medications as scheduled. If they are having problems with this the case manager will make them a schedule and assist with arranging their medications in containers and marking it for easy use. The RN nurse case manager will also be the educator in their medications making sure the patient understands what medications they are taking, why they are taking them and the importance of taking them as scheduled. The nurse case manager is vital in keeping the patient on tract. The nurse case manager is like the patient’s life line in the social environment. Nurse case managers may have to help people re-learn what they know from their background and the way they were raised. Nurse case managers are teachers to their patients. The nurse case manager must be knowledgeable in people’s ethnic social preferences and their religious beliefs, and their superstitions as well as any discriminations they may exhibit. All of these things come into play in how a patient perceives life and their healthcare. Getting a good history and a good sit-down with the patient is imperative to achieving this knowledge and applying it to their health care plans. In essence “an RN Case Manager must be able to multitask and handle numerous responsibilities throughout each day. They must also be effective communicators with patients, families, doctors, and insurance providers; capable of understanding and explaining the features of Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurance options. In-depth knowledge of health care services and medical terminology is a requirement as well.” (HealthcareSupport, nd) The RN Case Manager also must be able to have good documentation skills. She must be a good communicator in that she relays information not only to the patient but to the doctors, other facilities, and to the electronic record. This information all gathered together gives a good overview of the patient, their needs, and the plans for going forward with their care.

HealthCareSupport (nd) RN Case Manager retrieved from:

https://www.healthcaresupport.com/rn-case-manager-jobs/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2018). Healthy People 2020: About Determinants of Health. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Determinants-of-Health (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

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