Introduction
Diabetes damages the body’s organs and leads to a strenuous economic impact on the patients, their families, and the country. Moreover, the condition affects the emotional well-being of the family members and the patients. Consequently, diabetes has an economic and psychological impact on patients and their families. Diabetic patients live with an incurable disease that requires drug therapy, blood glucose control, and a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, the patients have to change their cultural patterns and their perception of a poor healthy lifestyle. Increased depression among diabetic patients leads to poor treatment adherence, increased morbidity, and increased mortality. Furthermore, diabetes is associated with risk factors such as peripheral neuropathy, decreased physical and cognitive performance, and poor vision. The increased use of antidepressant medication and the need for a healthy lifestyle economically affect the patients and their families. Type 2 diabetes encumbers patients’ safety and economically strains the patients and their families.
Diabetic Effect on Care and Life Quality
Poor Treatment Adherence
Managing diabetes is associated with increased health complications, death, and increased healthcare costs. Medical nonadherence involves the failure of the patients to correctly follow medical advice (Zheng et al., 2022). Many diabetic patients are subject to depression because diabetes is a permanent condition. For instance, the studied patient said that he does not remember the specific instructions that the doctor gave him. Furthermore, a close family member said he had problems finishing his dosage. The failure to adhere affects the patient and the healthcare system. According to the studied patients, he has experienced a substantial worsening of the disease and increased healthcare costs. Although the patient appeared physically fit, he is overweight and has higher chance of recording additional complications, such as stroke and atherosclerosis. Type 2 diabetes causes poor treatment adherence among patients.
Increased Morbidity
Diabetes is associated with other illnesses that may be acute, affecting the patient’s health condition. Morbidity is described as a state of being ill and having an acute condition, such as hypertension, and respiratory problems, among others (Naveed et al., 2021). According to World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, and strokes, among other acute conditions (2021). The studied patient had symptoms of stroke and other medical conditions. According to his medical report, he was hospitalized for hypertension a year into his diabetic condition. Furthermore, the patient indicated signs of depression and loneliness since he stated that he had no hope of recovering from the condition. Increased morbidity among diabetic patients threatens their well-being of the patients.
Increased Mortality
Diabetes is associated with chronic conditions that can lead to death. Hypertension, kidney failure, and heart attacks are Americans’ major causes of death. According to the WHO, diabetes caused 1.5 million deaths and 48% of all deaths among people of age 70 and below (2021). In the U.S., the condition is the seventh leading cause of death, and about 90-95% of diabetic patients suffer from type 2 diabetes (CDC, 2020). The increasing mortality rate among the patients is associated with increased morbidity and poor treatment adherence. Furthermore, the patients may face discrimination from their family members and increased financial pressure to meet medical expenses. Consequently, the patients suffer from psychological conditions that deteriorate their health leading to death. The studied patient was reluctant to comment on discrimination, but he was worried about his fate. Type 2 diabetes is the most common condition among Americans and causes the death of patients.
Diabetic Effect on Patient’s Safety
Diabetes affects the physical, mental, and health safety of the patients. The condition is associated with risks like decreased physical and cognitive performance and poor vision (Zhang et al., 2021). The patients develop chronic conditions like hypertension that risk their physical activity intensity. Furthermore, the increased morbidity leads to a change in the kind of foods the patients consume. For instance, the studied patient was advised to avoid sugary foods, fried meat, and regular cheese, among other fast foods. Consequently, the patients are always at risk of worsening their condition if they consume meals not advised by the doctor.
Poor cognitive performance and vision are also risks among patients that deter their safety. Diabetic patients may be subjected to social factors such as discrimination that lead to depression and other psychological conditions. Since cognition influences affective states, poor cognition makes the patient vulnerable to slight emotional distress. Consequently, the patient needs to be in a friendly environment free from any form of discrimination and upset. Meanwhile, poor vision affects the patients’ safety since they need assistance to access poorly lit areas. Furthermore, poor vision may affect the patients’ reading capability putting them at risk of misreading instructions. The studied patient sought extra medication for his worsening vision, which affected his performance at work.
Diabetic Effect on Cost to the System
Treating diabetes is costly to the patient and the country at large. The patients are expected to meet the regular medication costs and the costs of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. According to a report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), diabetic patients incur average medical expenditures of $16, 752 per year (ADA, 2020). According to the studied patient’s doctor, some medicines cost as high as $100 per dosage. Furthermore, the patient stated that he buys insulin at about $98 per dosage. Although the patient has medical insurance, the insurer does not cater for other costs like transport to the health center and emergency services. Meanwhile, the country incurs costs for research and other free medical services. Therefore, diabetes is costly to patients, their families, and their country at large.
Experiences During the First 2 Practicum Hours
Centre Visited
During the practicum, I visited the Massachusetts General Hospital, where the studied patient seeks medication. I accompanied the patient during his scheduled appointment with his doctor. At the hospital, we met the doctor and his assigned nurse, who had been taking care of the patient for over one year. The nurse and the doctor were very welcoming and were concerned about their patient’s well-being. The nurse took the patient’s body temperature, and blood pressure, among other conditions that were recorded in his record book. According to the condition has no specific number of medications, but Metformin is generally the first prescribed medication. The studied patient has not presented any medication side effects owing to the quality prescription by the doctor. Since the condition is associated with depression, counseling and treatment are the best therapies done often twice a month. The doctor requested private time with the patient, whom I joined later.
What I Learned
Within two hours at the hospital, I learned a lot from the doctor, nurse, and the hospital in general. I learned that the hospital has specialized doctors who care for diabetic patients and experienced nurses in diabetes. Each doctor was assigned a manageable number of diabetic patients. According to the nurse, the hospital adopted the strategy to allow the doctors to establish a conducive environment with their patients and accordingly track their treatment adherence. The doctors were subjected to leadership and communication skills to effectively manage their patient’s activities.
Moreover, I learned that the hospital offers emotional support to patients and their families. According to the doctor, many of their patients are discriminated against by their family members due to increasing medical expenditures: the patient’s family members are unwilling to offer financial support. Consequently, some of the patients are absorbed in non-governmental organizations that support diabetic patients. The medication costs increase if the patients are referred to emergency departments. According to the nurse, the studied patient rarely visits the emergency department since his condition is not chronic.
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Documents
During the practicum, I integrated the existing patient records, clinical expertise, and existing medical journals on diabetes. The patient records were organized and I could get any information about the patient. Furthermore, the hospital recordings were analyzed to predict the patients’ future performance. The medical journal by Zhang et al. (2021) presented the various chronic conditions associated with diabetes. Furthermore, the article focuses on the impact of type 2 diabetes on aging patients. The WHO, CDC, and ADA websites contain crucial information on the causes, treatment, and management of diabetes. Although the EBP documents presented vital information on the condition, some of the documents contained errors. For instance, the patient’s records contained inconsistent dates and other data.
Conclusion
Diabetes is one of the common causes of death and morbidity among patients. The condition is associated with other chronic illnesses like hypertension and poor vision. The patient involved was a male relative who was diabetic and receives treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital. The patient presented symptoms of stroke despite his active physical activities. The condition is associated with effects on care quality, cost, and patient safety. Diabetic patients are subjected to depression and financial constraints.
References
ADA. (2020). The Cost of Diabetes. Www.diabetes.org. Web.
CDC. (2020). What is Diabetes? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Naveed, M., Naeem, M., ur Rahman, M., Hilal, M. G., Kakakhel, M. A., Ali, G., & Hassan, A. (2021). Review of potential risk groups for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). New Microbes and New Infections, 41, 100849. Web.
World Health Organization. (2021). Diabetes. Www.who.int. Web.
Zhang, Y., Lu, S., Yang, Y., Wang, Z., Wang, B., Zhang, B.,… & Yu, Z. (2021). The diversity of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes with or without cognitive impairment. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 33(3), 589-601. Web.
Zheng, M. Y., Lui, H., Patino, G., Mmonu, N., Cohen, A. J., & Breyer, B. N. (2022). Morbidity and Mortality Caused by Noncompliance with California Hospital Licensure: Immediate Jeopardies in California Hospitals, 2007–2017. Journal of Patient Safety, 18(2), e401-e406.