DQ2 Explain how health care reform has helped shift the focus from a disease-oriented health care system to one of wellness and prevention. Discuss ways in which health care will continue this trend and explain the role of nursing in supporting and facilitating this shift. In replies to peers, provide an example of wellness and prevention initiatives your organization or specialty area has in place.
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Disease-oriented and wellness/prevention-oriented healthcare systems
Introduction
In the United States, we have a disease-oriented healthcare system. This means that our healthcare providers are primarily focused on treating people with certain diseases like diabetes or cancer. In other words, they’re not concerned with preventing these conditions or diseases before they happen. Instead, they focus on diagnosing and treating them once they do arise (and if you ask them nicely). But what if you want more prevention-oriented support instead? Do you need to switch doctors or change insurance plans? Not necessarily! You can get both types of care through one visit with your primary care provider — or even by popping into a walk-in clinic during your lunch break at work…
Disease-oriented healthcare systems are focused on treating the conditions and diseases people have, rather than preventing them.
Disease-oriented healthcare systems are focused on treating the conditions and diseases people have, rather than preventing them. This can lead to low rates of preventative care, high costs for treatment and medication, and more days spent in hospitals or doctors’ offices.
A wellness/prevention-oriented healthcare system focuses on preventing disease through education about healthy behaviors like eating well, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep.
The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Physical well-being includes good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Mental well-being includes positive thinking and good mental health. Social well-being includes family and community support.
According to WHO’s definition, the goal of healthcare is to achieve better overall health outcomes by addressing both risk factors (the things that cause disease) and protective factors (the things that keep us from getting sick).
In the United States, disease-oriented health care dominates our system.
In the United States, disease-oriented health care dominates our system. Disease-oriented healthcare focuses on treating diseases and symptoms, while prevention-oriented healthcare focuses on the underlying causes of diseases. In other words, disease-oriented healthcare is more common in the US than prevention-oriented healthcare because it’s less expensive to treat someone who has an illness or injury that could have been prevented with better lifestyle choices (such as diet and exercise).
The fact that Americans spend more money on health care than other countries doesn’t mean we get better results for our dollar; rather, it means our system rewards doctors for spending more time with patients rather than focusing on prevention strategies like physical activity or healthy eating habits.
Prevention-oriented healthcare systems are concerned with underlying causes of diseases and conditions.
Prevention-oriented healthcare systems are concerned with underlying causes of diseases and conditions. They focus on treating the conditions and diseases people have, rather than preventing them.
Since prevention-oriented healthcare systems are focused on treating the causes of disease, they can be more cost-effective than disease-oriented methods. Furthermore, this approach allows for a better understanding of how to prevent future illnesses by focusing on early detection and response instead of waiting until someone has already been diagnosed before making a change in their lifestyle or treatment regimen (see [3]).
If you rely on a disease-oriented healthcare system, you may not be getting enough prevention-oriented support to keep you healthy.
If you rely on a disease-oriented healthcare system, you may not be getting enough prevention-oriented support to keep you healthy.
The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” It’s important to remember that this concept applies to everyone—it doesn’t matter if you have a chronic condition or aren’t sure what your health goals are at this time. The key is to take care of yourself so that when other people ask about your well-being (and hopefully they do!), it feels like an honest answer rather than one based on how much time spent in doctors’ offices and hospitals during each day
One way to get more prevention-oriented care is to seek it out yourself.
One way to get more prevention-oriented care is to seek it out yourself. If you’re a healthy person and don’t have any health concerns, then there’s no reason for your provider to discourage you from taking steps toward wellness.
Ask your provider questions about prevention: What are the risks of certain behaviors? How can I reduce them? What strategies do I need to take if my health gets worse in the future (for example, if I get sick)? Do they offer programs or services specifically designed for people who want to improve their lifestyles and prevent future illness? Is there anything specific that could help me manage my stress levels better (like meditation classes)?
You can do some of your own prevention work.
You can do some of your own prevention work.
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Eat a healthy diet. If you’re overweight, losing weight will help slow the growth of diabetes, heart disease and other diseases that affect people with type 2 diabetes. Eating more fruits and vegetables and less sugar will also lower your risk for cancer.
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Get enough exercise to stay fit and healthy. Exercise improves blood sugar levels by helping control appetite hormones like ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) which stimulates hunger while reducing inflammation in cells throughout the body—including those in our gut! While it may seem like going for walks or riding bikes would be enough exercise here’s another way: Make sure to get 30 minutes daily on at least three days per week! This doesn’t mean sitting still though; try doing something active such as gardening instead!
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Stop smoking cigarettes immediately if possible because they are deadly poison even when smoked outside where no one else could smell it coming from behind closed doors where there’s zero ventilation system installed inside these homes…you know what I mean?
Conclusion
You can make a difference in your own health and well-being if you just take the time to look at your choices. You may not be able to change everything that goes on in society, but you can make a change for yourself by making better choices about what and how you eat, drink, smoke or exercise.
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