Healthcare Services
Patients’ involvement in healthcare services is one of the main discussions that have attracted global attention. In my opinion, patients’ engagement in their treatment options is more of a moral question. On the other hand, it is one of the problems nurses face in almost every facility. Previous research on the topic has indicated that patients who are engaged in their treatment options have high chances of recovering from their conditions faster than those who are not involved. Simply put, increasing patients’ engagement in healthcare services increases patients’ satisfaction and confidence, which translates into better healthcare outcomes. Engaging the patients simply means allowing them to participate in their medical care. A study conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) between 2009 and 2010 suggested that; patients are more willing to be engaged in their caregiving since they need to know the level of disease progression and how the interventions taken will work for them.
Additionally, the study suggested that patients feel secure if they are engaged in their treatment options without their immediate family members’ interference. Sometimes the family members of the patients bar the healthcare working from disclosing any information about disease progression to the patients. However, non-disclosure can only work well for young patients who may not understand their infection’s nature and why several interventions are considered. For the grownups, non-disclosure does more harm than good to their mental wellbeing. Therefore, it is necessary for the caregivers, especially the nurses, to engage the patients by explaining to them the nature of the stage of their condition and what treatment options are available. The patient’s family is one of the primary barriers to effective patients’ engagement in the healthcare services.
On the other hand, the healthcare provider is also barred from providing patient-centered care due to bureaucratic procedures and sometimes lack of adequate interpersonal skills. Nurses should encourage open and honest communication between the patients and the caregivers. Communication fosters a positive relationship between the caregivers, the patients, and their family members. Again, engaging patients in their treatment options enable them to own the treatment options, and therefore they have lower chances of resisting the medication. For instance, patients who understand their conditions do not have to be reminded to take medications since they know its importance. Consequently, the nurses’ work will reduce proportionately.