Long Term Conditions Flashcards
describe epidemiology
Is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations.
It serves as the foundation of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine.
It is highly regarded in evidence-based medicine for identifying risk factors for disease and determining optimal treatment approaches.
define/describe incidence
a measure of the risk of developing some new condition within a specified period of time.
Incidence is the number of new cases within a specified time period divided by the size of the population initially at risk.
For example, if a population initially contains 1,000 non-diseased persons and 28 develop a condition over two years of observation, the incidence proportion is 28 cases per 1,000 persons, i.e. 2.8%.
define/describe prevalence
Is defined as the total number of cases of the disease in the population at a given time.
It is used as an estimate of how common a condition is within a population over a certain period of time.
For example, the prevalence of obesity among American adults in 2001 was estimated by the U. S. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) at approximately 20.9%.
what is morbidity and mortality rate
- Mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths (in general, or due to a specific cause) in a population.
- Mortality rate is typically expressed in units of deaths per 1000 individuals per year; thus, a mortality rate of 9.5 in a population of 100,000 would mean 950 deaths per year in that entire population.
- It is distinct from morbidity rate, which refers to the number of individuals in poor health / long term complications of disease.
define long term conditions
Health problems that cannot be cured Last longer than one year Affect any aspect of a person’s life Includes: • non-communicable diseases • communicable diseases • certain mental disorders • ongoing impairments in structure Can be • physical (visible) • physical (invisible) • mental (visible) • mental (invisible)
give examples of long term conditions
Cardiovascular - IHD, HT, heart failure, AF, peripheral vascular disease
Respiratory - asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis
Endocrine - DM, hypothyroidism
Renal - CKD
MSK – arthritis, chronic lower back pain, gout
Neuro - epilepsy, MS, MND, Parkinson’s, stroke/CVD, dementia
GI - dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, IBS, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease
Gynae - endometriosis, PID, continence problems
Skin - eczema, psoriasis, acne
Ophthalmology - glaucoma, ARMD
Psychiatric - depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, substance abuse
Other - chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain conditions, head injury, spinal injury
what are common symptoms of LTCs
depression fatigue isolation anxiety lack of motivation loss of appetite anger stress pain memory loss incontinence lack of confidence
Diagnosis brings challenges - describe them
• For many people, being diagnosed with a long term condition means hearing there will be things they can no longer do
• Long term conditions will bring challenges that the person will have to face –
o Day to day activities they may be limited in
o Equipment they may come to rely on
o Using support services to remain in their own homes
o Life-long medication they must take
o Physical changes to their bodies
o Periods of emotional distress
o End of life care
describe Chronic Liver Disease (in scotland)
- 3 commonest risk factors for CLD: excessive alcohol consumption; blood borne viruses (eg Hepatitis B and C), obesity.
- 5 fold increase in CLD mortality rates in those aged between 30-39 yrs of age.
- In women: 7 fold increase in CLD acute hospital discharge in the 25-29 age group; from 1984-88 to 2004-2008.
- Effect of deprivation: most deprived men x11 times and women x6 times more likely to die from CLD than least deprived.
describe morbidity and mortality related to obesity
type 2 diabetes hypertension MI colon ca angina gallbladder diseases ovarian ca osteoarthritis stroke
describe lung cancer (in scotland)
¥ 3rd most commonly diagnosed but leading cause of death.
¥ Survival rates very poor – less than 8% alive at 5 years.
¥ Scotland has amongst the highest global rates.
¥ RR men 1:13, women 1:17.
– Incidence falling in men but rising in women
¥ Tobacco smoking is the main risk factor: accounts for an estimated 80-90% of cases in developed countries
¥ Stopping smoking makes a difference!
- cumulative risk of lung cancer can be reduced by around 90% in smokers who manage to quit before middle age. Thus smoking cessation policies and services play a major part in the primary prevention of lung cancer.
what are the 4 things in Scotland’s vision for people with long term conditions
- Those with long term conditions and those who support them, feel valued, confident and able to enjoy full and positive lives.
- A culture which supports people with long term conditions and their carers to be the lead partners in decisions about their health and wellbeing.
- A workforce that has the awareness, environment, knowledge, skills, confidence and capability to enable people to live well with their conditions.
- Health, housing, social services, community and voluntary partners to work together with people with long term conditions and their families.
Adaptions to long term conditions mirrors the grief cycle- what is it
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
what are key stages where people need support
- Diagnosis
- Living for today
- Progression
- Transitions
- End of life care
how can we support people with a long term condition
¥ Need to understand the journeys individual people take when diagnosed with a long term condition
¥ Focus more on how a person ‘feels’ as a result of their long term condition
¥ Focus on gathering information about the individual person’s
symptoms
¥ Approach with a critical eye – look out for opportunities for
