Introduction
Diagnostic testing remains one of the topical issues related to clinical practice and the entire healthcare system. Healthcare professionals sometimes overuse these procedures to ensure the diagnosis is correct, and the treatment they plan to assign will be successful (Merrill, 2019). At the same time, some tests are not taken or conducted in an untimely manner, which leads to negative patient outcomes.
Essence
This is specifically relevant to novice practitioners who have limited experience. Fos, Fine, and Zúniga (2018) add that ineffective diagnostic testing exhausts healthcare facilities’ resources that are rather limited. Descriptive epidemiology can become the solution to the problem as it will contribute to the development of efficient strategies related to diagnostic tests.
Descriptive epidemiology aims at identifying certain trends associated with health-related issues. Various studies have been implemented to identify high-risk groups in order to prevent possible health problems (Johnson et al., 2016). In the clinical setting, the identification of risk groups for specific illnesses can help novice physicians, as well as advanced practice nurses, to ensure that diagnostic tests are relevant. Healthcare facilities may develop guidelines and policies concerning the use of diagnostic tests in some groups of people, which will considerably decrease costs and may improve patient outcomes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is possible to state that descriptive epidemiology can be instrumental in improving clinical practice. Diagnostic testing can be specifically vulnerable to overuse or misuse, which leads to financial and reputational losses, as well as adverse impact on patient outcomes and satisfaction. However, sound research and the development of detailed guidelines for practitioners can make the procedure more cost-effective. Importantly, descriptive epidemiology can ensure further empowerment of nursing professionals and their proficiency in performing their tasks appropriately.
References
Fos, P. J., Fine, D. J., Zúniga, M. A. (2018). Managerial epidemiology for health care organizations (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Johnson, M. G., Brown, S., Archer, P., Wendelboe, A., Magzamen, S., & Bradley, K. B. (2016). Identifying heat-related deaths by using medical examiner and vital statistics data: Surveillance analysis and descriptive epidemiology — Oklahoma, 1990–2011. Environmental Research, 150, 30-37. Web.
Merrill, R. M. (2018). Introduction to Epidemiology (8th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.