Building A Health History
ANSWERS
Communication is the bedrock upon which a positive and effective patient-provider relationship is built. Building rapport with someone gives you a better understanding of how to tailor your communication for the best results. Discussion: Making a Health History Observing and gathering information about a person’s education, developmental status, socioeconomic background, perceptions, and needs aids in delivering quality assessment, planning, education, intervention compliance, and overall outcomes. The following sections will cover communication techniques, risk assessment tools, and specific questions for the case-study patient: an Adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy from a middle-class neighborhood.
Communication techniques should always be tailored to the individual to achieve a better understanding and positive outcomes. When caring for adolescent children, it is critical to analyze their language, distinguish their reactions and perceptions, and provide consent and empowerment (Pea & Rojas, 2013). In this case study, the patient is an adolescent Hispanic/Latino boy living in a middle-class suburb. The World Health Organization defines adolescents as “people aged 10 to 17 years” (Organization, n.d., para. 5). This population is in a critical developmental, emotional, and physical growth stage, which may differ from person to person. Building a Health History Discussion Some health-related topics may be sensitive, making it difficult to assess an adolescent; some youth may not feel comfortable discussing them with a guardian present. Confidentiality should be prioritized, with an understanding of the significance of reporting safety concerns (Barry Solomon, Jane Ball, John Flynn, Joyce Dains, Rosalyn Stewart, 2017).
O’Hagan et al. (2013) identified four themes for effective communication in a study on nurse-patient communications: approach, manner, interaction techniques, and verbal and nonverbal communication skills. The approach and demeanor should be patient-centered, empathetic, and sensitive rather than task-oriented or hurried (O’Hagan et al., 2013). Building a Health History Discussion Simple non-bias explanations with summarization for clarification should be included in the interaction (O’Hagan et al., 2013). Patient-appropriate language, space management, eye contact, sitting down with the patient, and allowing the patient to speak are all examples of nonverbal communication that should be tailored to the individual (O’Hagan et al., 2013). These techniques may differ for different people depending on their communication needs. Building a Health History Discussion
In a study evaluating a communication improvement program in a Singapore emergency department, there was a more than 80% decrease in negative feedback from patients after the “I Hear You” program was implemented (Khoo et al., 2020). This program is divided into three stages: I (introduce, identity, and information gathering), Hear (Patient’s perspective/language), and Patient’s and You (Agreement/closure) (Khoo et al., 2020). This technique contributes to the development of an empowered provider-patient relationship through acknowledgment, respect, and participation.
In this patient interview, I would approach the patient first, followed by the guardian, if one was available. This gives the adolescent patient a sense of uniqueness and importance. Once the history, medications, and concerns are gathered, I would ask the guardian to leave the room for the assessment if the patient is comfortable. Building a Health History Discussion
QUESTION
Building A Health History
38-year-old Native American pregnant female living on a reservation
Post a summary of the interview and a description of the communication techniques you would use with your assigned patient. Explain why you would use these techniques. Identify the risk assessment instrument you selected, and justify why it would be applicable to the selected patient. Provide at least five targeted questions you would ask the patient.