Paper Example on Assessing Health Risk for Patients

Introduction

Occupational and environmental exposures affect patients' health conditions without their knowledge or due to other economic conditions. Lack of English knowledge, low wages, and ignorance of environmental cleanliness are some of the factors that place people to these exposures. Health practitioners are carrying out an exposure history to determine current or past exposure to reduce adverse health effects on their patients. Clinicians' study the environment around their patients be it at home, work, or school determining chemical substances they are exposed to that can affect their health. Established chemicals like lead, benzene, or solvents may have immediate temporal effects or long termed delayed effects on patient's health status.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

One of my patients by the name George was not aware that his environment could affect his health. So, a well-organized environmental history interview with him determined all potential exposure agents he comes in contact with either at home or work without knowing. A detailed I PREPARE Assessment tool was the guide to this interview. The tool was effective since it helped discover health effects of the occupational and environmental exposures on my patient, thus eliminating or reducing them. The following components of the tool made up my findings on George:

I-Investigate Potential Exposures

George stays alone in his apartment and only visited by the girlfriend on weekends. Back at his parent's home, they have a farm, and he frequently visits and interacts with. He works in an ICT company as a software engineer. George sneezes a lot when his girlfriend is in the house, possibly due to creams and perfume-sprays she uses. When he visits his parent's farm, his chest feels congested when close to herbicides. At work, he always feels dizzy when continuously starring at computer monitors the condition which improves when he goes home after work. He likes taking fast foods, specifically chips packed in plastic bags, which sometimes results in a bloated stomach.

From the findings, my patient's both work and home environment is toxic to his health. His body is reacting to chemicals causing discomforts that result in health problems. His congested chest hurts his respiration health. The patient was recommended to make lifestyle changes in household items, especially cosmetics used by the girlfriend, which cause discomforts to his normal health.

P-Present Work

My patient is currently a software engineer in an ICT Company located within New York. The nature of work he does expose him to radiation emissions from computer CPUs. Besides his eyes itch from day-long exposure to computer lights, which is affecting his eyesight. The other employees also experience itching eyes effect. George ascertained that the company has put up safety and precaution conditions to protect employees from hazardous health exposures. This includes monitor protectors and radiation countering fans. He was asked to be cautious with his work environment. For instance, his sitting position might have a long term health effect. Also, the room lighting may be the cause of their itching eyes; therefore, a balance between natural light and computer lights should be achieved.

R-Residence

George stays in the recently constructed modern apartment which has lead paint on the walls. He hasn't done much in remodeling the house except adding some natural flowers around the house. He stores chemicals in the house, mainly, dry-cleaning agents, mothballs, and water treatment agents. He drinks bottled water purchased from retail stores, which have additives that disrupts the natural nutrients. From my patient's residential setting, it is advisable to have good ventilation in the house to diffuse the odor of the chemical with fresh air. The natural plant flowers is a positive take but their number should be moderated, especially at night because they compete for oxygen too.

E-Environment

The surroundings of my patient is a busy city life as his apartment is located within the streets of New York. The main environmental concerns he faces are the automobile fumes emitted and unjust waste disposal method in the neighborhood. There is no centralized dumpsite for waste collection; hence neighbors leave there waste at their doorsteps which sometimes take before they are picked up. Noise pollution from hooting cars is also a concern to my patient's health since it tempers with his hearing ability. Time-off prescription from busy city life with mindful relaxation in his native home was best for George's mental health. They should write to the city health officer about establishing a centralized garbage collection to avoid littering waste which pollutes the environment.

P-Past Work

Previously, George was working as a hardware technician moving around people's homes to repair damaged electronic devices like television sets. Though his work involved a lot of movements, he has never worked in a military position or engaged in a physical kind of work that might result in occupational distress. He has volunteered with an NGO to distribute stationeries to needy schools around the country an activity he engaged in for six months. The patient's exposure from previous work possesses less threat to his health problems.

A-Activities

The patient and his girlfriend go fishing on weekends as a relaxation activity. Sometimes they visit their parent's home and participate in farming activities like feeding the horses and spray them to control pests where they use protective garments. He does not agree using the traditional healing methods to any sickness but instead goes to the hospital for treatments when unwell. George also takes vocations with his girlfriend to new places when on leave from work. Therefore my patient has proven less damage from the activities he engages in and also takes time out as a remedy strategy from the normal life.

R-Referrals and Resources

From the interview, we determined that he could seek the services of the Environmental Protection Agency, Local Health Department, and Environmental Agency Poison Control Center, all based in New York. Material Safety Data Sheet was availed to him as a guide to regulating and eliminating exposures at the workplace. He is to contact the Environmental Protection Agency on waste management at his residence. He is to seek further education at the Local Health Department on poison control from the chemicals in his household.

E-Educate

Pamphlets on hazardous environmental health practices were provided to my patient. They provide a guideline on how to engage with the environment in a friendly manner without risking his or the health of those around him. We agreed on follow up session twice a month running for six months, to review his progress in environmental exposure healthy practices.

Summary

The interview was smoothly conducted as expected. The client fully and freely engaged with me, which was very impressive in my take. Mr. George came in contact with chemicals without his knowledge as he was mindful of the results than the components of the product. The interview was an eye-opener for him to be aware of his environmental exposures hence averting future health-related problems.

My client was educated; therefore, low income and non-English speaking was not the reason for his health vulnerability to occupational and environmental exposures. The main reasons determined were self-ignorance, unavoidable circumstances, and lack of skilled knowledge in handling chemicals.