The patient is a 58-year-old female (will be referred to as Mary for convenience) who had pneumonia several months ago. She required clinical care but soon was discharged as the chosen treatment was effective, and she recovered quite soon (with no complications). The patient noted that healthcare professionals invested sufficient time into discussing the treatment plan and giving instructions as to care about herself at home.
It has been acknowledged that proper patient education contributes to patient compliance and positive outcomes (Paterick et al., 2017). The interviewee was specifically thankful to her physician and one of the nurses who provided care. Mary stated that she received detailed information as to her treatment and overall self-care at home. She added that she was quite vulnerable at that period and asked many questions that could seem irrelevant or repetitive, but healthcare practitioners were patient and helpful.
The interviewee noted that she received all the necessary information concerning medication, diet, and exercise. The physician was very helpful and paid specific attention to medication and exercise. She also stressed that Mary had to quit smoking, which is critical for her health. Mary added that she receives recommendations related to COVID prevention strategies and quite substantial information concerning this illness and major symptoms. The patient was diagnosed with COVID, and none of her close relatives had the associated symptoms. According to Mary, the nurse informed her about the specifics of the diet and some helpful exercises.
The nurse had similar symptoms as she had COVID, so she also told her patient about breathing exercises to help the patient improve her state. Mary admitted that those were helpful exercises for her, and she appreciated the nurse’s attention and sharing this experience with her. The development of proper relationships with the patient is facilitated by sharing such experiences and improves patient compliance, which is important for their recovery (Sassen, 2018; Stewart, 2019). Mary’s situation proves to be a good illustration of the mechanics behind this trend.
The interviewee stated that her husband became the central caregiver, although her children participated in her home treatment as well. He checked whether she had all the necessary pills and did exercise. They also changed their eating habits by adding more vegetables and reducing the volume of consumed desserts. The patient noted that her husband supported her that helped her follow all the given recommendations.
As for the available resources, Mary had quite considerable data as her father-in-law is in a nursing home. She also discussed some options with the nurse as it appeared that the nurse had some information about the mentioned facility. At that, Mary admitted that she felt she needed more information about different services that could help her stay in her home as she got older. She stated that she was rather reluctant to think about her close transition to the status of an elderly person, but she understood she would have to learn more about available services and options.
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the interviewee had a positive experience related to her hospital stay and the care she received. She was satisfied with the quality of healthcare services she got, although she expressed concerns regarding her future health status. At the same time, Mary has a caring family who are willing to assist her, which is an important factor having a positive effect on her health.
References
Paterick, T. E., Patel, N., Tajik, A. J., & Chandrasekaran, K. (2017). Improving health outcomes through patient education and partnerships with patients. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 30(1), 112-113. Web.
Sassen, B. (2018). Nursing: Health education and improving patient self-management. Springer International Publishing.
Stewart, M. (2019). The art and science of patient education for health literacy. Elsevier Health Sciences.