FoPC Year 3 Flashcards
What five questions should patients ask their doctors?
- Is the test, treatment or procedure really needed?
- What are the potential benefits and risks?
- What are the possible side effects?
- Are there simpler, safer or alternative treatment options?
- What would happen if I did nothing?
What are the most common causes of death?
- Cancer
- IHD
- (young: accidents)
- (men: accidents)
Why is an unexpected death more difficult?
- It causes a profound sense of shock
- No chance to say goodbye, take back stuff
- Accidents might be compounded by multiple deaths, legal involvement or even press coverage
- Death of children can cause parental blame
What is terminal care?
The last phase of care when a patients condition is deteriorating and death is close
What does the WHO say on palliative care?
That it “improves the quality of life of patients and families who face life-threatening illness, by providing pain and symptoms relief, spiritual and psychosocial support … from diagnosis to the end of life and bereavement
Which plan was developed by the Scottish Government in 2008 with regard to palliative care?
Living and Dying Well
Which tool helps identify which patients are at a palliative stage (what sections does it have)?
- Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators
- Would I be surprised if this patient died in the next 6-12 months
- Two or more general clinical indicators (poor performance status, progressive weight loss, two or more unplanned admission in the last six months, two or more advanced or complex conditions and patient is in a nursing home/continuing care unit or has home care)
- Two or more disease related indicators
- Assess patient and family for supportive and palliative care needs
- Consider putting patient on the palliative care register
What questions should a patient be asked when discussing their palliative care?
- Where do they want to be cared for?
- Do they want to be resuscitated in the event of cardiac arrest?
- Do they want to be allowed to die naturally
- Who do they want to be informed of their care and any changes in their condition?
- Are they fully aware of their prognosis?
- Is their family aware of their prognosis?
Which score is used to describe a palliative patients current functional level (+ give a prognosis)?
Palliative Performance Scale
Which professionals (other than the HSCP) may be involved?
- Macmillan Nurses
- CLAN
- Marie Curie Nurses
- Religious or cultural groups
- Other support networks
What makes a “good death”?
- Pain free death
- Open acknowledgement of the imminence of death
- Death at home surrounded by family and friends
- An aware death (personal conflicts and unfinished business are resolved)
- Death as personal growth
- Death according to personal preference and in a manner that resonates with the person’s individuality
Name some of the possible reactions to bad news
- Shock
- Anger
- Denial
- Bargaining
- Relief
- Sadness
- Fear
- Guilt
- Anxiety
- Distress
How could you potentially respond to a patient who wants to talk about euthanasia?
- Listen
- Acknowledge the issue
- Explore the reasons for the request
- Explore ways of giving more control to the patient
- Look for treatable problems
- Remember spiritual issues
- Admit powerlessness
What is sociology?
The study of development, structure and functioning of human society
How can sociology be applied to healthcare?
- Healthcare professional -patient relationships
- The way people make sense of illness
- The behaviour and interactions of health care professionals in their work setting
- Health promotion
Name the stages the national statistics socio-economic classification
- Large employees and higher managerial and administrative occupations
- Higher professional occupations
- Lower managerial, administrative and professional occupations
- Intermediate occupations (civil servants, medical technicians etc.)
- Small employers and own account workers
- Low supervisory and technical occupations
- Semi-routine occupations (security guards, hairdressers etc.)
- Routine occupations (waiters, bar staff, labourers etc.)
- Never worked and long term unemployed
What are the social/socio-economic influences on our health?
- Gender (males have a higher mortality and women have a higher morbidity)
- Ethnicity
- Physical environment/housing
- Education
- Employment
- Income/ social status/ financial security
- Health system
- Social environment
How does ethnicity effect health?
- South Asians have much higher rates of heart attacks than the general population
- Prevalence of type 2 diabetes in South Asian populations
- Admissions: lower among white polish and Chinese groups and higher in some Asian, white British and other white populations
- Sickle cell disease is higher in African origin groups
- The majority of minority ethnic groups have better health (some exceptions than the white population
- Mortality rate is higher in the white population in Scotland
What are the potential barriers to the use of health services?
- Language concerns
- Lack of understanding the system
- Beliefs
- Healthcare provider understanding the differences due to ethnicity
- Organisation of appointments and referrals
What is Culturally Competent Care?
Combination of attitudes, skills and knowledge that allows an understanding and therefore better care of patients with a different backgrounds to our own
How does education influence health?
Those with higher levels of education tend to be healthier than those of a similar income who are less well educated
How can transport have an effect on health
- RTAs, pollution etc. can have an adverse effects on health
- Walking and cycling improve health
- Combining public transport and active travel can help achieve recommended daily activity levels
