Introduction
Managing diseases is extremely significant, to an individual’s health or well being. Disease management entails the excellent healthcare interventions that aim at regulating the effects of a disease. It is, therefore, imperative for patients or individuals to manage their diseases to maintain their well being or wellness.
Body
In United States, the healthcare industry is subject to numerous challenges such as the aging population, expensive medical therapies, escalating chronic conditions and the government’s deficit budget (Nuovo, 2007, p.1). Coming up with solutions to these setbacks is not easy thus the emergence of disease management. The primary aim of disease management was to help minimize healthcare costs but, on the other hand, maintain excellence in healthcare services and remedies.
Disease management primarily aims at persons suffering from chronic conditions. It entails a continuous patient education, a lasting management and frequent monitoring to prevent severity. Such measures also reduce the frequency of hospital visits, which tremendously reduces hospital or healthcare cost. Disease management is also boosted by the government’s financial support via Medicaid, which supports many patients, in various perspectives.
Disease management societies are engrossed in a professional association known as DMAA (Huber, 2005, p. 4). The association was founded in the late 90’s as a nonprofit organization. The primary aim of this organization was to advance management of diseases such as breast cancer, in various capacities. It aimed at providing standard definition of disease management, promote and develop high-quality programs that effectively manage diseases. It also intended to educate and provide for material support as a way of promoting disease management. Ultimately, the organization aimed at helping patients, to reduce hospital costs but uphold excellent healthcare.
Disease management plan can be obtained from healthcare organizations, vendors or by developing them domestically (Meyer, Kobb, & Ryan, 2002, p. 87). Managing diseases reduces health complications, which is extremely beneficial to the patient. Medical cost is tremendously reduced by when diseases are well managed. This is because the costs of managing diseases are less costly as compared to the expenses incurred when treating diseases or complications.
One of the chief strategies for ensuring disease management is upheld by many patients is through positive outreach. Such outreach should be executed primarily by nurses, in order to realize their fruitfulness. Private communication, for instance, between a nurse and a patient is of massive significance when striving to uphold disease management (Huber, 2005, p. 3). This is because; private communication develops a strong and healthy association between the nurse and the patient. Such associations help in promoting the management of diseases such as Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes and, COPD. It further helps in noting what a patient lacks in the process of managing his diseases, which can be remedied by educating or counseling a patient. Close association also helps in monitoring treatment adherence and the progress of the patient. This promote quick interventions incase of any problems noted from patients.
Breast cancer, for example, requires a healthy association between doctors, patients and nurses for its excellent management. This is due to the crucial stages that follow the management of the disease. Cancer management begins with consultations between the patient and the breast surgeon who is expected to carry out the mastectomy. After satisfactory consultations, the plastic surgeon proceeds to perform the surgery by restructuring the damaged areas, in a theatre. However, the successfulness this surgery does not mean complete wellness; therefore, a patient should pay regular hospital visits for check ups, to monitor his or her progress. Often at this stage, patients are subjected to chemotherapies, which are also accompanied with several nursing services. Some of the nursing services include caressing and also giving advices and encouragement words that may boost a patient’s appetite for food. Also, the presence of nurses at this stage helps in identifying other complications or to provide certain nursing services, in case there is need for other procedures i.e. either hysterectomy or oophrectomy. However, apart from frequent visits, sometime patients are advised to stay in hospitals as part of the disease management process. At this stage, they are often given a social worker, if it is necessary for them to have one. Moreover, rehab can also be an option as pert of managing the disease, in case the patient faces difficulties in removing ROM.
Such strong associations are critical to private nurses, since it helps in developing trust, in both professional and personal relationship. Trust is extremely key, since it helps in the free flow of conversation and information between a nurse and the patient. Through trust, a nurse can obtain all the necessary information from the patient, which can be useful in managing his or her diseases. Trust is necessary especially when the disease affect sensitive parts such as the breast (breast cancer) or any other sensitive parts (Schwartz et al. 2008, p. 2627).
Conclusion
Managing diseases is extremely necessary for the maintenance of an exceptional healthcare and also in controlling the effects of diseases. Disease management came about as an outcome of the attempts of providing excellent and less costly medical services. Proactive outreach is the best approach that nurses should practice, when campaigning for disease management. Excellent association and trust between a nurse and a patient is vital, in promoting disease management.
References
Huber, D. (2005). Disease management: a guide for case managers. Florida: Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 3-5
Meyer, M. Kobb, R. & Ryan, P. (2002).Virtually healthy: chronic disease management in the home. Journal on disease management. 5(2) pp. 87-94.
Nuovo, J. (2007). Chronic disease management. New York: Springer science +business media. pp. 1-8.
Schwartz, G. F., Hughes, K. S., Lynch, H. T., Fabian, C. J., Fentiman, I. S., Robson, M. E., Domchek, S. M., Hartmann, L. C., Holland, R. and Winchester, D. J. (2008). Proceedings of the International Consensus Conference on Breast Cancer Risk, Genetics, & Risk Management. Journal on American cancer society. 113(10) 2627–2637.