Discussion of Different Responses to a Newly Diagnosed Condition with

Question: Discuss the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses an individual is likely to experience in response to a newly diagnosed condition with a poor prognosis? Answer: Predicting the probable outcome of individuals current status is medically termed as prognosis. Therefore, prognosis needs to be firm enough to correctly evaluate, diagnose and treat serious illnesses. Poor prognosis badly affects individuals emotional, cognitive, behavioral and physical responses (Grenyer, 2013). Poor prognosis may take place because of various reasons. These are: accompanying diseases or inexperience of health care personnel, negligence of patients and their family members in accessing health care services and so on. Mack and Smith (2012) have stated that sincere communication regarding preferences and consequences represent a significant solution in health care set up (Mack Smith, 2012). They have found various misconceptions, posed by the health care personnel that contribute to poor prognosis. It is indeed difficult for the health care personnel to know how long a critical patient will survive and should not be mentioned as an explanation. Clinicians are capabl e to predict a sensible prognosis or series of probable consequences which can make patient understand how closer he/she is to the truth. Noticeably doctors offer the least true figures to the patient with poor prognoses. Few of the physicians have the belief that discussing about prognosis is not proper. It is said that people from different cultural background and ethnicity have different preferences about information, however, knowledge about various preferences by culture and ethnicity should not state communication process with individuals. In terms of physical context it can be said that poor prognosis might lead a patient towards more infirmity. This can be better illustrated with an example: suppose, a patient is suffering from spondylosis and because of this the patient is experiencing immense neck and head pain, which is unmanageable. If a physician supposed it as collar bone injury or some carcinomic formation of osteocytes, then this can be considered as poor prognosis. Spondylosis can affect daily living activities and the worst part could be a communication of this message to this individual (Gando, 2011). This will not only restrict the person from performing daily living activities, but also it will reduce his/her performance greatly. It will also affect his/her psychological and behavioral responses. He/she might not feel like talking to his/her closed ones or might not feel to go out and involve him/her in any kind of work. Patients do react to newly diagnose medical condition with different emotions, like: fear, anger, sadness and so on. Individuals have their own unique life experiences and individual ways of managing styles with traumatic conditions. Information plays a critical role in understanding individuals medical state, sense of prognosis, plus how current life management and treatment have an effect on an individual (Ransom et al., 2007). Care professionals are not counselors or psychotherapists not do they deliver mental health care to the patients. On the other hand, counseling patient without a proper training is harmful for the patient and risky too for the untrained personnel (Reynolds, Mrug Guion, 2013). Nevertheless, it is significant for the healthcare providers to have the capability to identify emotional reactions of the care consumers for various reasons. If previous case example is considered, it can be said that because of poor prognosis this patient might become psychologically more depressed that in turn can affect his/her physical and behavioral responses. Newly diagnosed individuals may express their emotions openly or may hide their feelings (Thomsen, Rydahl-Hansen Wagner, 2010). Whether it is suppressed feelings or expressed feelings, on communication of a medical diagnosis this definitely affect each and every patient. Individuals, who are struggling with sentiments, cannot listen and hence fail to interact productively. Individuals, who are obsessed with their sentiments, fail to listen and understand information. They cannot listen about the diagnosis and therefore cannot inquire about related questions. Healthcare professionals should definitely acknowledge an individuals psychological condition, or else the effort that the care providers will give for discussion will be wasted. Consequently, individuals become more confused and distraught and may misunderstand what is being conveyed. This is definitely frustrating and disturbing for both the pa rties. Social isolation or withdrawal can make survival more difficult. Comorbid mental illnesses, for example: panic disorder, schizophrenia, mood disorders and neurological illnesses can cause cognitive and behavioral disturbances, like: stroke, dementia, Parkinsons disease, and these disturbances complicate the process of effective coping (Smith, 2006). Acute illness, when perceived as life frightening can cause major demoralization, anxiety and depression which compromise resilience; such as: acute myocardial infarction. Factors associated with psychological infirmity are expected to be more powerful interpreters of poor life quality than physical indications. Russ et al. (2012) have suggested that individuals with neurological illnesses are prone to develop depression and anxiety than other persistent illnesses (Russ, Larson Halfon, 2012). Illness perception is considered as a key factor and can improve or deteriorate patient health condition and their quality of life. Despite the age factor, poor prognosis definitely affects physical, emotional, behavioral and cognitive responses of an individual who has currently diagnosed with a medical condition. It should be understood that poor prognosis are full of disadvantages, patient lose quality times for reflection and with family members and spend most time in hospitals or ICUs. Patients and their family members have authority to know and understand prognostic information and they have the capacity to take their own decisions that are appropriate for them. Various guidelines offer suggestions regarding disclosing poor prognosis. The guidelines should be properly implemented within the health care set ups. Responsible and experienced personal should be employed in order to proper review and monitoring of those guidelines and necessary steps should be taken if any kind of violation is reported. This type of approach will definitely reduce the possibility of poor diagnosis, develop patient well being and maintain good quality of life. References Gando, S. (2011). Low TAFI Activity Promotes Organ Dysfunction and a Poor Prognosis in Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Associated With Sepsis.CHEST,140(4_MeetingAbstracts), 434A. doi:10.1378/chest.1116728 Grenyer, B. (2013). Improved prognosis for borderline personality disorder.The Medical Journal Of Australia,198(9), 464-465. doi:10.5694/mja13.10470 Mack, J., Smith, T. (2012). Reasons Why Physicians Do Not Have Discussions About Poor Prognosis, Why It Matters, and What Can Be Improved.Journal Of Clinical Oncology,30(22), 2715-2717. doi:10.1200/jco.2012.42.4564 Ransom, E., Mocco, J., Komotar, R., Sahni, D., Chang, J., Hahn, D. et al. (2007). External ventricular drainage response in poor grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: effect on preoperative grading and prognosis.Neurocritical Care,6(3), 174-180. doi:10.1007/s12028-007-0019-7 Reynolds, N., Mrug, S., Guion, K. (2013). Spiritual Coping and Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescents With Chronic Illness: The Role of Cognitive Attributions, Age, and Disease Group.Journal Of Adolescent Health,52(5), 559-565. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.09.007 Russ, S., Larson, K., Halfon, N. (2012). A National Profile of Childhood Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder.PEDIATRICS,129(2), 256-264. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1371 Smith, A. (2006).The predictive contributions of spatial planning to adaptive and cognitive functioning in children diagnosed with brain tumors. Thomsen, T., Rydahl-Hansen, S., Wagner, L. (2010). A review of potential factors relevant to coping in patients with advanced cancer.Journal Of Clinical Nursing,19(23-24), 3410-3426. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2009.03154.x