Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (World Health Organization) A comprehensive health assessment is an interview conducted by a health care provider with a patient to gather information about the individual’s physical and mental health.
The assessment includes taking a medical history, performing a physical examination, and ordering laboratory tests and imaging studies as needed. The goal of the assessment is to identify any health concerns that the patient may have so that they can be treated accordingly.
The first step in conducting a comprehensive health assessment is to take a thorough medical history. This involves asking the patient about their past and present medical conditions, as well as any medications they are currently taking. It is also important to ask about any family history of medical conditions, as this can help to identify potential health concerns. The second step is to perform a physical examination.
This includes checking the patient’s vital signs, such as their blood pressure and heart rate. The examiner will also assess the patient’s general appearance and check for any signs of illness or injury. The third step is to order laboratory tests and imaging studies as needed. These tests can help to confirm or rule out a diagnosis, and they can also provide valuable information about the patient’s overall health.
Once the assessment is complete, the health care provider will be able to develop a treatment plan for the patient based on their individual needs. This may involve lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, as well as medication and/or surgery. The goal of treatment is to improve the patient’s overall health and well-being.
Health care providers play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of disease. By conducting comprehensive health assessments, they can identify potential health concerns early on and provide the necessary treatment to improve the patient’s overall health.
A complete health examination is the starting point for a nurse creating a care strategy and a doctor diagnosing. It assesses physiological, psychological, spiritual, economic, and cultural elements that may impact a person’s functional health (UTS handbook, 2012). The comprehensive assessment of an individual’s information and monitoring his or her health status includes gathering data through interviews and examinations (Lawrence, 2012).
This paper will focus on the assessment of a woman in her reproductive years. The Health belief model (HBM) is a psychological health-related behaviour model which posits that an individual’s health beliefs influence their health behaviours (Rosenstock, 1966). The HBM has been used to successfully predict and explain a variety of health behaviours, including cancer screening, diet and exercise behaviours and disease prevention activities (Weinman & Petrie, 1996). It is therefore postulated that the HBM could be used to explain and predict compliance with comprehensive health assessment.
The key elements of the Health Belief Model are:
– Perceived Susceptibility: The degree to which an individual believes they are susceptible to developing a particular health problem.
– Perceived Severity: The degree to which an individual believes that a particular health problem is severe.
– Perceived Benefits: The degree to which an individual believes that engaging in a particular health behaviour will lead to improved health outcomes.
– Perceived Barriers: The degree to which an individual believes that there are barriers to engaging in a particular health behaviour.
Based on the Health Belief Model, it is postulated that individuals who perceive themselves to be susceptible to developing a health problem, and believe that engaging in a comprehensive health assessment will lead to improved health outcomes, are more likely to comply with comprehensive health assessment. However, if individuals perceive there to be barriers to engaging in comprehensive health assessment (e.g. time commitment, cost, etc.), they may be less likely to comply with the assessment.
It is important to note that the Health Belief Model is just one of many models that can be used to explain and predict health behaviours. However, it is a useful model as it can help us to understand why people might choose not to engage in comprehensive health assessment, and how we can encourage them to do so.
Specific evaluation is a type of clinical evaluation that focuses on a certain issue or one body system (Jarvis, 2012). Nurses employ this form of assessment to gather data on a specific bodily function. Pain assessment is an example of specific evaluation; it focuses on physical and psychosocial pain, treatment response, and self-management before selecting non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapy
A comprehensive health assessment is a complete assessment of the patient’s physical and mental health. It includes taking the patient’s history, performing a physical examination, and ordering laboratory tests and imaging studies ( if needed) (Kee, Hayes, & McCuistion, 2013). Nurses use this kind of assessment to get a general idea of the patient’s overall health. This type of assessment is important because it helps nurses identify any potential health problems that the patient may have.
The nurse-patient relationship is an important part of the nursing process. The nurse-patient relationship is a professional relationship that is based on trust and respect. The nurse-patient relationship allows nurses to provide patients with the best possible care.
The physical examination is an important part of the nursing process. The physical examination allows nurses to assess the patient’s physical health. The physical examination includes taking the patient’s vital signs, assessing the patient’s body, and ordering laboratory tests and imaging studies ( if needed).
The nursing process is a systematic approach to providing care to patients. The nursing process includes assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The nursing process is an important tool that nurses use to provide quality care to patients.
The nurse may use a health assessment to identify one particular aspect of the client’s overall health status and prescribe treatment accordingly. Risk is assessed to determine a patient’s risk of injury or disease. An individual risk assessment is based on statistics from the population group, which are then linked to the patient’s characteristics.
This can be done for health promotion, as well as risk reduction. Health assessment is an ongoing process starting from the first contact with a client and continuing during the entire relationship. Health assessment includes taking a health history and performing a physical examination.