Essay Sample on Mr. Simmons' Medical Diagnosis

Chief Complaint: A patient is a 54-year-old man who is currently physically weak, has too much salvia at the mouth and according to him has lost some weight.

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History of Present Illness: Mr. Simmons has been previously diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Everything was well until a few days ago when Mr. Simmons started feeling weak and started to witness some saliva forming at his mouth with his weight decreasing. Besides the weight loss and salivation at the mouth were later followed by tremors and shaking as well as slowed movement.

Allergies: Mr. Simmons is lactose intolerant and does not consume any milk products. However, he is not allergic to any medications.

Medications:

• Levodopa 1500mg daily
• Sinemet 200mg daily
• Glycopyrrolate 0.5mg three times a day

Social history: Mr. Simmons was born in the US and has been a resident of California for 54 years. He works as a banker and works nine hours a day typically from Monday to Friday. Mr. Simmons is normally a casual smoker and drinks mostly during the weekends. Besides being a smoker and consuming alcohol, regularly he drinks coffee. Mr. Simmons has one wife and a child. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when he was fifteen years old.

Review of System:

• General: Physical weakness, weight loss
• Skin: Moist, no rushes
• HEENT: No headache, does not have ulcers
• CV: Does not have chest pains, no orthopnea
• Lungs: Experiences normal breathing
• Gastrointestinal: Does not vomit, slight abdominal pain
• Genito-uniray: Does not have polydipsia and polyuria, does not have dysuria
• Musculoskeletal: Experiences occasional tremors
• Neurological: Does not have any sensory defects, does not have a focal weakness
• Psych: Does not have allusion, no signs of hallucinations
• Differentiation Diagnosis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Alcoholic cirrhosis
• Sarcoidosis

Priority Diagnosis Discussion

Based on the physical examination conducted earlier, the priority diagnosis was identified as a matter of the symptoms as well as the past medical history. The symptoms identified from the case of Mr. Simmons include weight loss and saliva secretion. The symptoms are directed toward the diagnosis of Cystic fibrosis, Sarcoidosis, and Alcoholic Cirrhosis. Given that Mr. Simmons was previously diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, it could also be a key factor.

The Rationale for the Care Plan

The care plan was designed to make sure that Mr. Simmons properly manage his condition as well as administered proper the medication given. Among the care, plans include taking medication according to prescriptions. The medicines will suppress and do away with some of the symptoms that Mr. Simmons is experiencing. Some of the care plans include a change in his social lifestyle. The change of social lifestyle will ensure that some of the medications do not affect Mr. Simmons as he engages in his social routines. Some of the social changes include quitting alcohol and cigarette smoking.

Ethical and Cultural Concerns

Ethical concerns are aligned to the ANA code of ethics. Alignment with the code ensures that breach does not occur when caring for the patient. Provision 3 entails protecting the rights, health, and safety of patients (ANA, 2015). One of the aspects concerning the provision includes the confidentiality of the patient. Patient's information should be disclosed to unauthorized personnel. Confidentiality will ensure that there is a good relationship between the patient and the health care provider. The provision also includes ensuring the safety of patients. The security of patients is enhanced regarding the practices involved in health care. I should make sure that I place the safety of Mr. Simmons first against practices that are deemed to be illegal, unethical, or place his place in jeopardy (ANA, 2015). The provision will ensure the practices implemented are in the best interest of the patient.

Besides ethical considerations, it is crucial for cultural aspects to be examined. Cultural elements in providing health will ensure that healthcare principles and the particular culture in question do not clash in matters of providing health care. Both cultural beliefs and health principles are in place to provide proper care to the individuals concerned (Marjorie & Shaheen, 2003). For the case of Mr. Simmons, there are no cultural beliefs that will provide challenges for the delivery of quality services.

Barriers to Care

Different barriers exist in proper health care. The restrictions make it difficult for any individual to have the required health care for his or her condition. The potential barriers that Mr. Simmons faces to quality health care include affordable health care as well as acceptability. Affordable entails financial constraints that will limit Mr. Simmons to have the quality care he deserves. As far as acceptability is concerned, it examines the patients' attitudes toward a certain medical facility (Kullgren, McLaughlin, & Mitra, 2012). The medical facility might have some qualities that maybe not to the liking of Mr. Simmons. The two will make it difficult for Mr. Simmons to have access to quality care.

Social Determinants of Health

Various factors determine an individual's ability to access health care. Among the social determinants include the level of income. An individual's level of income will determine whether or not they can access the services they require. Individuals with high income usually have access to quality care compared to those who have low income. The quality of education also determines the nature of health service to some extent. Individuals who are well educated know the kind of health services they require compared to individuals whose education level is low. The neighborhood which one resides also affect their health. Some neighborhoods are located in areas with pollution, which can play a significant factor in their health. Poor communities, together with those areas with violence in most cases, have individuals who have difficulty accessing health.

Health Care Policy

Some of the policies that will be implemented about the health care plan are the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The legislation made health care affordable and available to citizens (Amadeo, 2019). From the legislation's perspective, Mr. Simmons should be able to get quality health care at an affordable cost. The policy will deal with the affordability barrier to proper care.

Evidence-Based Practice

For this particular task, I used various terms and clinical questions that helped me to get the relevant information. Among the key questions are the conditions or illness that characterized individuals with weight and saliva secretion. In providing the diagnosis, different articles formed part of my decision-making process. The articles and sources used to answer the pending questions are located within the relevant sections. The research was based on the relevant guidelines provided in each section. The evidence used was from credible sources related to health care. The evidence was useful in that it formed a basis for recommending the proper medication and diagnosis for Mr. Simmons. The evidence enabled me to get the outcome that I desired.

Self-Reflection

Based on the information gathered about the symptoms exhibited by Mr. Simmons, the diagnosis and care plan provided was sufficient. I believe the information provided about Mr. Simmons condition was enough to provide the diagnosis. The diagnosis and care plan was based on symptoms and Mr. Simmons past medical history. All assessment provided for by the review of systems and physical examination was sufficient to make the decision.

I designed the care plan that was key in providing the relevant service to Mr. Simmons. The approach to the health care plan was one by considering the past and current state of Mr. Simmons medical condition. I also aligned the care plan according to the ethical principles as well as cultural considerations. The care plan took an individualized approach based on Mr. Simmons condition.

References

Amadeo, K. (2019). 2010 Patient protection & affordable care act summary. The Balance. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/2010-patient-protection-affordable-care-act-3306063

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Maryland, MD: American Nurses Association.

Kullgren, J.T., McLaughlin, C.G. & Mitra, N. (2012). Nonfinancial barriers and access to care for U.S. adults. Health Services Research, 47(2), 462-485. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2011.01308.x

Marjorie, K. & Shaheen, K. (2003). A strategy to reduce cross-cultural miscommunication and increase the likelihood of improving health outcomes. Journal of the Association of America Medical Colleges, 78(6). 577-587. https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2003/06000/A_Strategy_to_Reduce_Cross_cultural.6.aspx