Exploring Patient Values in Medical Decision Making, Case Study Example

Patient/Problem

The patient is a 67 year-old white female who has been admitted to the surgical floor with the following: right-sided CVA with hemiparesis, hypertension, and arthritis (Case Study). She is unable to communicate well because of her condition and requires around the clock care for her CVA and incontinence, and in addition, she has pneumonia, UTI, dehydration, and a substantially large pressure ulcer (Case Study). The patient’s primary caregiver in a commune must approve the medications that are prescribed for her and she has not been receiving any type of medical care for her condition over the past year (Case Study). She is also receiving a surgical consult to evaluate ulcer debridement, and although she cannot directly communicate, she is alert and is able to nod to her friend for guidance (Case Study).

Intervention

In order to treat the patient effectively to achieve improved health, it is important to provide additional support that goes beyond the religious perspectives that are in place, as the patient requires significant clinical care and treatment in a traditional context that supports her physical and spiritual health. Therefore, clinicians must be able to provide opportunities for the patient to receive treatment in a manner that will promote healing in conjunction with her religious beliefs. Religious beliefs must be examined as part of a larger treatment strategy, but this also requires the development of a specific set of factors that will encourage patients to accept treatment, even if their religious beliefs may persuade them otherwise (Lee, Low, & Ng, 2013). These efforts require an understanding of spirituality and how it plays a role in patient care outcomes at this level so that patients receive the best possible treatment for their diagnosis with religious beliefs in mind (Lee et.al, 2013). A high level of communication must be achieved that will demonstrate the importance of the patient’s core spiritual values by sharing information regarding the benefits of the treatment that will be administered with her primary caregiver. Routine communication on a daily basis or even twice daily may facilitate a higher level of comfort for the patient and for her caregiver, given that traditional treatment is a challenge for them to accept, even at this stage. Therefore, it is important for nurses to provide detailed insight regarding the patient’s treatment so that there are no questions raised regarding the overall course of action that is taking place. At the same time, nurses must respect the patient’s wishes and recognize that her spiritual needs are a priority; therefore, the nursing staff must be open regarding the treatment plan and how it will promote spiritual as well as physical healing.

Comparison

This article was chosen because it provides support for understanding that core religious values and beliefs often play a significant role in how medical care decisions are made, even if they pose questions for clinical professionals. Patients with serious health conditions require a high level of encouragement that their spirituality may provide, and this is likely to have an impact on the patient’s overall health and wellbeing (Nawawi, Balboni, & Balboni, 2012). This practice requires the elements of spiritual care that will emphasize the importance of clinical practice objectives to facilitate improved quality of life for patients at this level (Nawawi et.al, 2012). This process will demonstrate the importance of new ideas to encourage patients to support treatments that will give them an improved chance of survival at a higher level (Nawawi et.al, 2012).

Outcome

The outcomes associated with treatment require a high level of support and guidance in order to facilitate effective results and to be proactive in meeting the needs of patients through a combination of spiritual and clinical care. It is important to demonstrate that religion and spirituality are instrumental in supporting quality of life for patients with strong spiritual backgrounds; however this practice requires a high level of support and encouragement from caregivers who might make decisions on behalf of patients in one form or another (Worthington et.al, 2011). This process will encourage collaboration between caregivers and clinical providers to ensure that all of a patient’s comprehensive needs are met in a timely manner to promote improvements in quality of life and an expanded response to treatment that will impact outcomes for patients over time (Worthington et.al, 2011).

References

Lee, Y. K., Low, W. Y., & Ng, C. J. (2013). Exploring patient values in medical decision making: a qualitative study. PloS one, 8(11), e80051.

El Nawawi, N. M., Balboni, M. J., & Balboni, T. A. (2012). Palliative care and spiritual care: the crucial role of spiritual care in the care of patients with advanced illness. Current opinion in supportive and palliative care, 6(2), 269-274.

Worthington, E. L., Hook, J. N., Davis, D. E., & McDaniel, M. A. (2011). Religion and spirituality. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(2), 204-214.