Social Construction of Chronic Disease

2011 ◽  
pp. 395-409
Author(s):  
Chris Peterson ◽  
Evan Willis
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Medical Practitioner ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Patients Experience ◽  
And Control

In this study of narratives in relation to chronic illness, a number of themes relevant to patients were identified from the literature for discussion and analysis. Themes included responsibility and control of chronic illness, stigma and non-legitimation. Discussions and blogs on the Internet were identified and examined representing patient experiences of chronic illness. For some patients taking responsibility for their chronic illness conflicted with some of their important life roles. There were also questions about the degree to which people who already manage busy lives should also be managing their disease. It was found that some patients experience control over their illness and behaviour as a difficulty they faced with a chronic condition. This included being placed on a regimen and reviewed for compliance. Some referred to the experience as policing. Patients who reported some greater difficulties were those with illnesses which struggled to achieve legitimacy through medical means. Their illness experience and outcomes were largely dependent on seeking out sympathetic medical practitioners. Overall the authors conclude that notwithstanding the benefits of self management programs for patients, the uncertainty surrounding chronic illness creates problems for patients and reinforces the importance of having effective and trusting relationships with their health care providers. A typical biomedical perspective on illness tends to focus on disease and its causes without considering the social world within which health and illness occur, and the way in which social forces shape these concepts and experiences. Sociologists and some progressive medical practitioner researchers are concerned with social process and with the effect of factors such as gender relations, social class and the broader political economy on understanding the experience and prevalence of disease. The aim of this chapter is to present some narratives by patients, consumers, medical and health practitioners, and other stakeholders in blogs, discussions and forums on the Internet. This chapter looks at a number of aspects of chronic illness that have been identified in a range of studies, from aspects of responsibility of patients and control processes on chronic illness patients through to non-legitimate and resistance themes.

The Role of Spirituality in Coping With Chronic Illness: What Health Care Providers Need to Know for Advance Directive Decision Making

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Advance Directive ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Beliefs And Values ◽  
Health And Illness

Spirituality is recognized by health care providers as having a significant influence on an individual’s ability to cope. The role of spirituality in coping with chronic illness as well as what providers need to know about spirituality in advance directive decision making (ADDM), however, are poorly understood phenomena. With the growing population of people with chronic illness combined with escalating costs and disease burden, providers must understand and use the role of spirituality in the care of their patients who have demanding states of health and illness. Research has demonstrated the power of spirituality in managing chronic illness as well as the importance of spirituality during end-of-life care planning. The purpose of this case study is to illustrate the necessity of recognizing and understanding an individual’s spiritual beliefs and values during chronic illness and how this knowledge, or lack of knowledge, affects ADDM.

Integrating Medication and Health Monitoring Systems

2008 ◽  
pp. 763-767
Author(s):  
Burges Karkaria ◽  
Vincent Zimmer
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Medical Practitioner ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Patient Medication ◽  
Current Medication ◽  
Health Monitoring Systems ◽  
Sugar Levels

Current Health Care Providers (Medical Practitioners, Insurance, Pharmacies) have disjointed proprietary systems. This makes data sharing and collaboration very difficult. Further consumers (Patients) have no abilities to interact directly with these systems. This paper discusses an eco system for patient medication and health monitoring named PMHMS (Patient Medication and Health Monitoring System). PMHMS proposes global and ongoing collaboration of data between the patient, various Medical Practitioners and pharmacies. Existence of this eco system helps enable some of the following scenarios - Medical Practitioners can view the patients current medication (from other Medical Practitioners as well) to ensure current prescription will not conflict with other medication - Medical Practitioner’s office can monitor if chronic patient is skipping medication (e.g.: no refills ordered). Medical Practitioner’s office can also monitor patients stats (patient uses PC to upload say blood sugar levels, or blood pressure etc) - Pharmacies will be able to automatically send refills to the patients - Patients can get a quick offsite consultation from the Medical Practitioner’s office (using video conferencing to show some visual symptoms as needed by the Medical Practitioner) - Patients get Automated Dosage Reminders

scholarly journals Elements of Suffering in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Experience of Loss, Grief, Stigma, and Trauma in the Severely and Very Severely Affected

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 553
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Fennell ◽  
Nancy Dorr ◽  
Shane S. George
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Community ◽  
Fatigue Syndrome ◽  
Patients Experience

People who are severely and very severely affected by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) experience profound suffering. This suffering comes from the myriad of losses these patients experience, the grief that comes from these losses, the ongoing stigma that is often experienced as a person with a poorly understood, controversial chronic illness, and the trauma that can result from how other people and the health care community respond to this illness. This review article examines the suffering of patients with ME/CFS through the lens of the Fennell Four-Phase Model of chronic illness. Using a systems approach, this phase framework illustrates the effects of suffering on the patient and can be utilized to help the clinician, patient, family, and caregivers understand and respond to the patient’s experiences. We highlight the constructs of severity, uncertainty, ambiguity, and chronicity and their role in the suffering endured by patients with ME/CFS. A composite case example is used to illustrate the lives of severely and very severely affected patients. Recommendations for health care providers treating patients with ME/CFS are given and underscore the importance of providers understanding the intense suffering that the severely and very severely affected patients experience.

The Special Perils of Being Old and Sick in Prison

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 276-284
Author(s):  
William J. Jefferson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Constitution ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
Access To Medical Care

The United States Supreme Court declared in 1976 that deliberate indifference to the serious medical needs of prisoners constitutes the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain…proscribed by the Eighth Amendment. It matters not whether the indifference is manifested by prison doctors in their response to the prisoner’s needs or by prison guards intentionally denying or delaying access to medical care or intentionally interfering with treatment once prescribed—adequate prisoner medical care is required by the United States Constitution. My incarceration for four years at the Oakdale Satellite Prison Camp, a chronic health care level camp, gives me the perspective to challenge the generally promoted claim of the Bureau of Federal Prisons that it provides decent medical care by competent and caring medical practitioners to chronically unhealthy elderly prisoners. The same observation, to a slightly lesser extent, could be made with respect to deficiencies in the delivery of health care to prisoners of all ages, as it is all significantly deficient in access, competencies, courtesies and treatments extended by prison health care providers at every level of care, without regard to age. However, the frailer the prisoner, the more dangerous these health care deficiencies are to his health and, therefore, I believe, warrant separate attention. This paper uses first-hand experiences of elderly prisoners to dismantle the tale that prisoner healthcare meets constitutional standards.

Update of the last 2 years on the impact of the internet and social networks on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: simple review. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayli Lañas-Navarro ◽  
Jose Ipanaque-Calderon Sr ◽  
Fiorela E Solano
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Health Personnel ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Bibliographic Search ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Research on the use of the Internet in the medical field is experiencing many advances, including mobile applications, social networks, telemedicine. Its implementation in medical care and comprehensive patient management is a much discussed topic at present. OBJECTIVE This narrative review aims to understand the impact of the internet and social networks on the management of diabetes, both for patients and medical staff. METHODS The bibliographic search was carried out in the databases Pubmed, Virtual Health Library (VHL) and Lilacs between 2018 to 2020. RESULTS Multiple mobile applications have been created for the help and control of diabetic patients, as well as the implementation of online courses, improving the knowledge of health personnel applying them in the field of telemedicine. CONCLUSIONS The use of the Internet and social networks brings many benefits for both the diabetic patient and the health personnel, offering advantages for both.

scholarly journals Patient Experiences of Postinfectious Olfactory Dysfunction

ORL ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Carl M Philpott ◽  
James Boardman ◽  
Duncan Boak
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Olfactory Dysfunction ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Clinical Trials Unit ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Patients Experience ◽  
Age Range

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> To highlight the importance of the need for new treatment modalities, this study aimed to characterise the experience of patients with postinfectious olfactory dysfunction (PIOD) in terms of the treatment they received. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> An online survey was hosted by the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit on the secure REDCap server. Members of the charity Fifth Sense (the UK charity that represents and supports people affected by smell and taste disorders) were invited to participate. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There were 149 respondents, of whom 127 had identified themselves as having (or had) PIOD. The age range of respondents to the survey was 28–85 years, with a mean of 58 ± 12 years, with the duration of their disorder &#x3c;5 years in 63% of cases. Respondents reported experiencing variable treatment with oral and/or intranasal steroids given typically (28%), often with no benefit, but with 50% receiving no treatment whatsoever; only 3% reported undertaking olfactory training. Over two-thirds of patients experience parosmia and, up to 5 years from the onset of the problem, were still actively seeking a solution. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> There appears to be a need to encourage greater use of guidelines for olfactory disorders amongst medical practitioners and also to develop more effective treatments for patients with PIOD, where there is clearly an unmet need.

Telemedicine Preparedness Among Older Adults with Chronic Illness (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Ufholz ◽  
Amy Sheon ◽  
Daksh Bhargava ◽  
Goutham Rao
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Research Assistant ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Video Calling

BACKGROUND Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine appointments have replaced many in-person healthcare visits [1 2]. However, older people are less likely to participate in telemedicine, preferring either in-person care or foregoing care altogether [3-6]. With a high prevalence of chronic conditions and vulnerability to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality through exposure to others in health care environments, (1-4), promoting telemedicine use should be a high priority for seniors. Seniors face significant barriers to participation in telemedicine, including lower internet and device access and skills, and visual, auditory, and tactile difficulties with telemedicine. OBJECTIVE Hoping to offer training to increase telemedicine use, we undertook a quality improvement survey to identify barriers to, and facilitators of telemedicine among seniors presenting to an outpatient family medicine teaching clinic which serves predominantly African American, economically disadvantaged adults with chronic illness in Cleveland, Ohio. METHODS Our survey, designated by the IRB as quality improvement, was designed based on a review of the literature, and input from our primary care providers and a digital equity expert (Figure 1). To minimize patient burden, the survey was limited to 10 questions. Because we were interested in technology barriers, data were collected on paper rather than a tablet or computer, with a research assistant available to read the survey questions. Patients presenting with needs that could be accomplished remotely were approached by a research assistant to complete the survey starting February 2021 until we reached the pre-determined sample size (N=30) in June 2021. Patients with known dementia, those who normally resident in a long-term care facility, and those presenting with an acute condition (e.g. fall or COPD exacerbation) were ineligible. Because of the small number of respondents, only univariate and bivariate tabulations were performed, in Excel. RESULTS 83% of respondents said they had devices that could be used for a telemedicine visit and that they went on the internet, but just 23% had had telemedicine visits. Few patients had advanced devices (iPhones, desktops, laptops or tablets); 46% had only a single device that was not IOS based mobile (Table 1). All participants with devices said they used them for “messaging on the internet,” but this was the only function used by 40%. No one used the internet for banking, shopping, and few used internet functions commonly needed for telemedicine (23.3% had email; 30% did video calling) (Table 1). 23.3% of respondents had had a telemedicine appointment. Many reported a loss of connection to their doctor as a concern. Participants who owned a computer or iPhone used their devices for a broader range of tasks, (Table 2 and 3), were aged 65-70 (Table 4), and were more likely to have had a telemedicine visit and to have more favorable views of telemedicine (Table 2). Respondents who had not had a telemedicine appointment endorsed a greater number of telemedicine disadvantages and endorsed less interest in future appointments (Table 2). Respondents who did not own an internet-capable device did not report using any internet functions and none had had a telemedicine appointment (Table 2). CONCLUSIONS This small survey revealed significant gaps in telemedicine readiness among seniors who said they had devices that could be used for telemedicine and that they went online themselves. No patients used key internet functions needed for staying safe during COVID, and few used internet applications that required skills needed for telemedicine. Few patients had devices that are optimal for seniors using telemedicine. Patients with more advanced devices used more internet functions and had more telemedicine experience and more favorable attitudes than others. Our results confirm previous studies [7-9] showing generally lower technological proficiency among older adults and some concerns about participating in telemedicine. However, our study is novel in pointing to subtle dimensions of telemedicine readiness that warrant further study—device capacity and use of internet in ways that build skills needed for telemedicine such as email and video calling. Before training seniors to use telemedicine, it’s important to ensure that they have the devices, basic digital skills and connectivity needed for telemedicine. Larger studies are needed to confirm our results and apply multivariate analysis to understand the relationships among age, device quality, internet skills and telemedicine attitudes. Development of validated scales of telemedicine readiness and telemedicine training to complement in-person care can help health systems offer precision-matched interventions to address barriers, facilitate increased adoption, and generally improve patients’ overall access to primary care and engagement with their primary care provider.

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