Health Assessment

It is a well-known fact that the notions of health and active lifestyle are crucial to human existence. When the body and the mind are in good working order, the human being is content and satisfied with his/her life. When the organism is free from diseases and pain, the human being is released from various inconveniences and discomfort. Only under the above mentioned circumstances, it is possible to realize ambitions, to act independently, and to find harmony and happiness. Of course, to maintain the permanent state of wellbeing, it is important to understand the inner processes, to grade their complexity, and to overcome their consequences. The ability to compare the obtained knowledge with the up-to-date standards is also vital. No doubt, health care workers are in charge of assisting their patients in such cases. For instance, the calling of the nurse is to promote health and help to identify the most advantageous options for patients. However, no one has withdrawn personal responsibility for one’s wellness. No matter what treatment methods and recommendations are if the patient neglects them. Thus, every conscious individual should be competent in defining and interpreting the concept of health.

Since antiquity, people have paid exceptional attention to their physical strength. The word ‘health’ originated from Old English ‘hoelth’ signifying a sound shape of the body (Awofeso, 2015). Later on, Hippocrates, a famous Greek physician, regarded health as something given from above, a reward (Awofeso, 2015). To his mind, the state of physical fitness depended upon three constituents: surrounding sanitation, hygiene, and wholesome nourishment (Awofeso, 2015). In those times, the worldview of humanity was closely interwoven with religious belief. Therefore, numerous communities perceived common ideas in different manners. For example, the spiritual definition of health by Prophet Mohammed narrated that the life of a human is in hands of the Lord. It is He who cures the sick and decides to live or to die (Awofeso, 2015). Apparently, these interpretations have become obsolete over time. Although one cannot use them for further investigation, they serve a foundation for current investigations.

The most accepted and wide-spread theory of health is suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2006). This theory was described and formulated in the Constitution of the WHO. In compliance with the Charter of the United Nations, health is a condition of full physical, mental, and social wellness. It is not just a state of void, disease, or weakness (WHO, 2006). Besides, the WHO declares a right to attain health to be a universal one for everyone, irrespective of their race, religious or political belief, profit or social status (WHO, 2006).

The international association determines the government of the country to be liable for provision of quality health care to other citizens. It underlines the necessity of cooperation between the population and the state. The Constitution was signed on 22 July 1946. The parties of the agreement are 61 states, which confirmed the document (WHO, 2006). All other nations are free to join the WHO any time. The only requirement is to put a signature on the Constitution. The principal objective of the World Health Organization is to achieve the highest level of health. It controls and coordinates the authorities, collaborates with the United Nations, provides material and technical aid and services, informs the public of health issues, encourages health promotion in diverse spheres, ensures maternal, child, mental, and other welfare, etc. (WHO, 2006).

From these statements, it is clear that health definition by the WHO was considered to be the most correct and appropriate for that historical period. In the context of the post-war period it was urgent as far as it incorporated three key approaches. They are the balance of physical, mental, and social components. The target of this version is general audience. It encompasses a large range of people excluding any discrimination. In addition, children’s health is emphasized in order to support early development of kids. However, the notion circulates among the inhabitants of participating countries. Finally, the WHO promotes health by all means, in accordance with its Constitution. It fulfills legal regulations and functions as a warrant of the quality of health. Nonetheless, its juridical force can move into the practical area. It means that if the government takes central subjects seriously, it will be able to put the words into action. It is an ideal scenario for health promotion in any state.

The WHO presented an extensive conception of health that rapidly spread across the world. It has become a common description for many years. In spite of its popularity, some of the scientists have recently criticized the WHO’s view on health. On the one hand, they reassure that the interpretation goes back to 1948; hence it does not fit the present-day realities (Huber et al., 2011). On the other hand, researchers disapprove the application of the word ‘complete’ to the state of well-being. They explain that the increase of chronic diseases over the decade made it possible for thousands of people to live with them till the end of life (Huber et al., 2011). Consequently, a big deal of humans does not correspond to this formulation of health. Thus, the majority of experts agree that WHO’s definition is out-of-date.

Due to the incompleteness of the definition suggested by the WHO, the necessity to create a modern interpretation of health arises. Machteld Huber et al. (2011) offer their alternative. In their article, the authors put forward the idea that health is the ability of the organism to adapt and self-manage. To confirm the hypothesis, they examine this definition in regard to physical, mental, and social health. According to physiological capabilities, a sound body is able to set protection against stress, eliminate probable hazards, and arrange a recovery. The mental health presupposes the power of a human being to fight against psychological trauma. It was proved that the improvement of emotional sphere results in physical fitness. After all, the writers define social health as a changing equilibrium of options and obstructions that are constantly subject to outward forces (Huber et al., 2011). The contextual meaning of this definition reveals its modernized and fresh design. The authors made an attempt to grasp a wider range of audience. Thus, they included people with disabilities and chronically ill people as those who could adjust to the changeable surroundings. Finally, a health promotion aspect is completely dependent upon the personality’s conscious and responsibility. It is mostly because this definition rests upon notions of adaptation and self-management.

Another group of experts developed a new vision of health in concordance with Meikirch Model. They relate health to the progressive condition represented by physical, mental, and social wellness that meets the needs of a human in correspondence with age, culture, and individual reliability. And vice versa, if the organism does not satisfy the listed above characteristics, it can be called a disease (Samal & Bircher, 2011). According to this conception, the state of health incorporates two vital components: inborn potential and personally acquired one. Biological abilities are genetically programmed and given to the human being from the very beginning of his or her life. There is a tendency toward their reduction from the birth till death. Conversely, a personally acquired potential integrates the learned capacities that a living being gathers throughout its existence. In contrast to biological disposition, they increase during lifetime.

Besides these two elements, Meikirch Model of health involves the following constituent parts: demands of life, age, culture, and consciousness (Samal & Bircher, 2011). To survive, everyone must maintain the most comfortable conditions for his or her inner structure. It signifies satisfaction of basic human needs: having enough amount of food, protecting one’s body against possible dangers, wearing clothes, etc. (Samal & Bircher, 2011). The vivid advantage of this definition lies in its matching to almost any context. The authors of the theory take into account such variables as maturity, ethos, and accountability. That is why they cover the broadest audience. These are people of varied life stages and nationalities, who are determined to care about their health in all facets. The promotional standpoint grounds on the person’s readiness to maintain quality way of existence. It is clear that this definition of health seems to be the most organized, precise, and deep.

It is possible to apply one of the definitions to the given scenario. Namely, it is a family, in which a child has recently suffered an acute disease, pneumonia, and a grandparent, who has a chronic illness, congestive heart failure. Taking into consideration health peculiarities of the household members, the most relevant concept of health is the one based on Meikirch Model. First and foremost, it is appropriate for both temporary and chronically sick. Secondly, the relatives belong to different age groups and this theory will help to determine their strengths and weaknesses. It is especially important to analyze their inborn and acquired potential. For example, child’s biological abilities must be accompanied with hygiene, steady diet, and physical training. Meanwhile, senior people lack natural capacities. Thus, they should develop learned skills, for they will support them in old age. Finally, Meikirch Model concentrates on health promotion as well. It aims at encouraging an individual to self-develop, to improve and search new opportunities. It teaches to accommodate to external circumstances, even if a person has health problems.

When the nurse has thoroughly studied medical cards of both patients, it was a high time to identify core strategies of health promotion. The central methods applied to this family can be as follows: keeping balanced diet and schedule, having regular exercises, maintaining a pleasing environment, learning stress-resistant techniques, imitating behaviors, and excluding negative social factors. No doubt, the source of good health is an adequate nutrition and continuous physical activity. The whole family should be involved in counting the ingredients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The intake of food and liquid must be timely, frequent, and light but nourishing. As far as the age and case history of household members vary, the nurse is to modify the fitness program, correspondently. It is significant not to overload a senior representative with congestive heart failure. The other aspect to be ensured is a safe surrounding. The main task is to eliminate pollution and sensory irritation and keep house in order (Samal & Bircher, 2011). Establishment of friendly relationships with neighbors, colleagues, or fellows will promote social health. A risky part of life is objection of human beings to various kinds of stress. Therefore, a nurse has to instruct the patents how to overcome dangerous situations, how to express feelings, and how to communicate with others (Oregon Health Authority, 2012). If it is a complex case, one may invite a professional psychotherapist, who will practice positive psychology or cognitive behavioral therapy (Samal & Bircher, 2011). The last but not the least is to instill skills of personal liability, self-development, and identification to the family. All in all the suggested approaches to health promotion will probably turn out to be effective because they embrace physical, mental, and social well-being.

Healthcare Disparities Solutions

With the growing impact of globalization, the traditional patterns of healthcare are changed fundamentally. The processes of developing healthcare policies and organizing healthcare delivery have become global and require appropriate changes and adjustments. The current paper examines the historical dynamics of the issues under consideration, specifies the relevant regulatory and moral aspects, as well as evaluates the relationships between healthcare productivity and economic costs. The paper confirms that it is necessary to ensure the proper availability of healthcare providers and minimize the average costs of services.

Historical Perspectives of Global Health Learning in Nursing

Global health learning aims at promoting knowledge and research for establishing equal health conditions for all people globally. Before the 19^th century, humanity faced global health issues several times; however, there was a lack of systematic approaches in the sphere of global health. In the 19^th century, serious cholera pandemics contributed to a higher coordination among healthcare specialists. In the middle of the 20^th century, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global healthcare organizations were established to promote global health learning with the major focus on developing countries (Seymour & Barrow, 2014). At the second half of the 20^th century, the problems related to AIDS/HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis occupied the central place in the world. At the beginning of the 21^st century, the major global health goals were clarified, and the international cooperation in this sphere was intensified.

Importance of Healthcare Disparities

Healthcare disparities refer to the substantial differences among population groups. They may be analyzed from different perspectives including individuals’ social and economic status, ethnicity, location, etc. In any case, healthcare disparities are highly significant nowadays, as they create substantial difficulties for generating sustainable improvements of healthcare delivery on a global scale. On the one hand, disadvantaged groups face the highest problems and risks. On the other hand, other population groups also cannot maximize their health protection. Therefore, there is an objective need for addressing the existing health disparities in a timely manner.

Existing institutions try to provide their solutions to the substantial disparities. From one perspective, they try to monitor the situation in different parts of the world in order to identify the major issues at earlier stages. From another perspective, they try to develop new organizational mechanisms for maximizing the overall efficiency of initiatives in all regions of the world. It is reasonable to promote social awareness of the problem as well as comprehension that the interests of all people involved are mutually complementary. Therefore, the interests and resources of various individuals and parties should be combined in a way to lead to sustainable solutions.

Healthy People 2020 and Other Regulatory Guidelines

As the global community and experts comprehend the seriousness of the existing situation and challenges, several detailed regulatory guidelines have been adopted. Healthy People 2020 is one of the most influential programs that aims at the global health promotion and disease prevention. In particular, it tries to achieve substantial improvements in the quality of life as well as eliminate the existing health disparities. It specifies the major health concerns faced by modern people as well as mentions several major factors that contribute to health disparities in the United States and other countries (Pappas-Rogich & King, 2014). Healthy People 2020 offers the general guidelines that may contribute to determining the rational responses and solutions in this regard.

There are also other healthcare initiatives, which promote global health issues. Currently, the major initiatives in the United States include Feed the Future, the President’s Malaria Initiative, and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (U.S. Global Health Programs, 2014). The U.S. government guarantees the long-term and adequate funding associated with all such programs. In general, the implemented global initiatives contribute to reducing the scope of the problem.

Moral Issues in Global Healthcare

As global healthcare affect the entire global population directly, numerous moral issues may be identified in this context. The first issue is the major priorities and the direction of efforts that should be selected by the global community. Some experts suggest that it is reasonable to focus on HIV/AIDS and other global health threats. Others believe it is necessary to minimize health disparities at any cost (Monteverde, 2016). Another potential solution may refer to focusing on preventing diseases and maintaining the general health standards of the global population.

Healthcare stakeholders also try to find the efficient system for arriving at the consensus at the global scale. As there are different advocacy groups, they tend to utilize their influence to promote the decision they consider appropriate. However, the needs of all parties involved as well as ultimate recipients of care are not always considered (Monteverde, 2016). Other moral issues include maximizing the general access to care, minimizing the corresponding costs, and ensuring the proper quality and rights protection.

Healthcare Productivity and Economic Costs

Healthcare productivity is a complex issue, as it requires efficient cooperation of physicians, insurers, nurses, and other professionals. The major goal of healthcare productivity is expanding the access to care to the maximum number of patients as well as reaching affordable costs for the majority of the population. Moreover, the major focus should be on patients’ needs rather than any metrics imposed by the current regulations (de Putter et al., 2016). The efficient mechanism should contribute to the growing healthcare productivity in different parts of the world and the close orientation to the health needs and preferences of the most disadvantaged groups.

The major problem in this context refers to the growing healthcare costs. Neither growing technological opportunities nor large-scale government programs allow reducing costs to the acceptable degree. The current level of national health expenditures is $9,523 per capita; and the percentage of national expenditures for hospital care equals to 32.1% (CDC, 2016). It is reasonable to intensify the cooperation between public and private sectors in this sphere as well as create the proper competitive environment for increasing the general innovative potential that may reduce costs in the long-run.

Our Benefits

01 English-Speaking Writers

02 24/7 Support

03 Free Essay Samples

04 Plagiarism-Free Papers

05 VIP Services

06 Affiliate Program

07 Free Revision

08 Confidentiality Guaranteed

Availability of Healthcare Providers

Despite the recent improvements in this regard, the availability of healthcare providers remains unsatisfactory. In particular, the substantial disparities in different regions of the world are present. In relation to ARNPs and RNs, the lowest availability is observed in Africa and East Asia where the rates of availability are below one nurse per 1,000 people. The availability of nurses and midwifery personnel in the United States is 9.8 nurses per 1,000 people, and it is a comparatively high degree (WHO, 2016a). Concerning physicians, the most problematic situation is in Africa where the availability rates are around 0.5 physicians per 1,000 people. Their availability in the United States is 2.5 physicians per 1,000 people, and it is an average level (WHO, 2016b). Thus, substantial measures regarding increasing healthcare personnel’s availability are needed even in developed countries.

Correspondingly, the scope of the problem is even more serious in the majority of developing countries, especially those from Africa. Therefore, the proper and effective interventions are needed for increasing the number of high-qualified personnel in these regions. Indeed, the international community should provide the governments of these countries with additional financial resources for implementing the necessary reforms (Monteverde, 2016). In addition, the organizational assistance with introducing the optimal system of health insurance may be required for facilitating the positive changes.

In general, the major objective is to shift the perspective of analysis from national governments to international community. The existing problems and concerns in different parts of the world should be evaluated objectively. All advocacy groups should be able to present their proposals and outline the major difficulties. The existing regulatory guidelines including Healthy People 2020 provide the specific criteria and tools for solving the most urgent issues. In this way, the international community can minimize the potential bias and implement the most rational and well-grounded measures.

Telehealth Nursing: Revolutionizing Remote Healthcare

In the time of universal domination of digital technologies and communications, it is impossible to imagine any kind of activity where the possibilities of people’s distant communication would not be used. Such methods, certainly, got wide recognition in the field of medicine.

• Telehealth nursing is rendering highly skilled help on a long distance with the use of modern means of communication and telecommunication. Experts are capable of rendering such assistance from any point of the world.
• Telehealth nursing is a complex concept for systems, services and activities in the field of health care, which can be transferred remotely by means of information and telecommunication technologies. Its purpose is to develop the world health care, gain control over the distribution of diseases as well as to promote education, management and research in the field of nursing.
• Telehealth nursing is an advanced modern branch. Moreover, telehealth nursing was formed on a joint of nursing, modern telecommunications and computer technologies. Thanks to achievements in these spheres, telehealth nursing is successfully applied to address the need of information exchange between experts. Therefore, it brings a lot of good results, increasing the quality and availability of qualified diagnostics and treatment of patients.

The global Internet and video equipment allow transferring almost instantly any data on a state of health in the best federal and foreign clinics. Not only text information, but also graphic, photo and video data of diagnostic researches and medical manipulations can be transferred. Thus, it is not necessary to go anywhere as the aid will come from the modern telehealth nursing, allowing people to receive consultations of highly skilled experts from remote clinics.

The achievement strategy “health for all” includes the increase in duration of life, alignment of the health care quality in one country with achievements in other countries and regions. This strategy aims at ensuring availability of primary medical and sanitary help and other elements of medical services and systems (ATA, 2012). One of the paramount policy problems in the field of telehealth nursing is the use of information and telecommunication technologies for the increase in the level of access and information exchange of the medical and educational contents in order to provide people with additional possibilities for maintenance and improvement of their own health. It also means providing doctors of any specifications with information and consultations from various medical organizations and experts. Therefore, “the telehealth nursing implementation is not an end in itself but a supportive application of the health care” (What is Telemedicine?, 2012).

Telehealth nursing can be used in understaffed medical centers and city, rural, and remote areas for the increase in quantity and quality of staff performance in the spheres of health protection, cure and care of patients. Thus, various countries can improve their work on control, prevention and treatment of diseases. Telehealth nursing can also promote advancement in such areas as organization of the health systems, provision of healthy food, water supply, hygiene of the population, and environment. The potential of telemedical technologies for separate groups of the population, such as children and their mothers, teenagers, elderly, and disabled people living in remote regions, is especially great. It is supposed that telehealth nursing will have a considerable impact on healthy lifestyle implementation, improvement of the process of education, and especially, illiteracy elimination by the use of means of multimedia. Moreover, telemedical technologies provide unique possibilities for distance learning and professional development of medical workers.

It considered as a unilateral process but assumes the exchange of information for the purpose of letting the scientific knowledge as well as experience of the personnel on places to grow. It should promote health improvement of the population at the international, nation
Telemedical interaction is noal and local levels. The experience of some developed countries shows that the implementation of telemedical technologies could increase health efficiency and comfort, as well as reduce the expenses related to the use of human, technical and financial resources (ATA, 2012). However, it is necessary to pay special attention to how to provide an appropriate realization of these advantages in the developing countries in compliance with their paramount requirements.

Experience of implementation of telemedical projects worldwide enables to allocate the following advantages of telehealth nursing: a) remote control of chronic patients reduces the time of their staying in clinic; b) effective use of telemedical systems leads to general reduction of the waiting time in health systems; c) information and telecommunication technologies will help to overcome the isolation of seriously ill patients and disabled people; d) these technologies allow certain patients to exchange personal experience and give the chance to consider various opinions on the health system, additionally, such technologies can make medical information available for public purposes (at home, at schools and in medical centers), as well as for those who did not receive it due to medical care earlier (in suburban and rural areas); f) the society can use information and telecommunication technologies for creating special networks of “self-help” and providing medical information, which stimulates people to their own health assurance (Castelli, 2012).

Additionally, the availability of means of multimedia (visual, text, audio, graphic) is able to overcome illiteracy of users and to help them with a choice of the way to exchange information interesting to them. Telehealth nursing allows the bigger number of people to be diagnosed and surveyed in local clinics without going to large medical centers in the cities. Ensuring universal medical services became technically possible for the first time. Also, telecommunications can promote the provision of medical education, information and medical care to the population living in remote areas. The doctors-specialists will not be limited by distances and geographical boundaries. Medical experts who were earlier in isolation in remote areas can continue training in the specialty and even have practice — telehealth nursing gives them a chance of receiving experience and new knowledge. To add, scarce resources, such as expensive equipment and experts, can be used for servicing a considerably bigger number of patients. Plus, telehealth nursing offers a global distribution of skills and knowledge just as access to the international databanks on various medical specialties becomes possible throughout the whole world. It ensures that a medical certificate becomes available to everyone. Also, telehealth nursing may lead to improvements in the sphere of public health care, ranging from the increase in information provided to the decrease in mortality from diseases.

Telehealth nursing provides possibilities of consultation quality improvement and improvement of final diagnosing owing to the use of advanced equipment to boost the assistance quality. In telehealth nursing, the reduction of expenses can be achieved by providing medical care to some patients at home instead of hospitalization, which will lead to the reduction of expenses on patients’ transportation and medical experts’ trips. In telehealth nursing, recommendations of qualified experts can be transferred to a mobile telemedical aid station in case of emergency situations and accidents, as well as to similar stations found on vessels, planes or ambulance cars.

Experience has proved that telehealth nursing helps to improve the activity of medical institutions, assists in solving the problems of lack of staff and in reducing the cost of medical staff training in regions. What is more, telehealth nursing has proved that it can well provide a joint support to the doctors working in remote and isolated areas, having increased a work appeal for them. Thus, a well-planned strategy in the field of telehealth nursing will open a wider access to medical care and promote the improvement of the population health, as well as improvement of the overall quality of medical care.

The purpose of the consultation with the use of telehealth nursing can be to specify a diagnosis, select an optimum tactics of treatment; control the condition of a patient after treatment, operation or specific therapy, especially, if they have been carried out in a foreign clinic; obtain the conclusion on the examination, carried out earlier; as well as provide a preliminary consultation before going to an internal consultation, treatment or operation in clinics of other countries.

The factors, which constrain the implementation of telehealth nursing  in rural and remote areas are lack of information; absence of training options and professional development possibilities; shortage of resources; considerable turnover of staff; lack of necessary infrastructure (power supply, servicing and so on); lastly, restrictions in the use of means of communication.

However, approaching creatively to the solution of these problems in each case, workers in healthcare of developing countries can overcome them. Cooperation and support from the workers of the Ministries of Communications and governmental bodies are especially important here.

Telehealth nursing is an exclusive possibility of a new millennium. It is especially relevant in a promptly changing world with its “double burden” of old and recurring diseases, which are widespread in many developing countries. Telehealth nursing can serve as a powerful lever of growth and development for developing countries, opening “an access to huge volumes of new development, information and ideas” (What is Telemedicine?, 2012). Schools, clinics and libraries have an opportunity to maintain close interaction and exchange of information in the field of health care. Many scientists consider that telehealth nursing can become the key tool in the achievement of the general goal — “health for all” in the 21^st century.

Conclusion

The effective solution for the major health-related problems is possible only if the global coordination in this sphere is established. The historical development of global health learning contributes to the growing potential for initiating effective interventions at the international level. The significance of health disparities is very high, as they constitute the major obstacle to the sustainable improvement of general health standards in different parts of the world. In order to address the existing disparities and other related issues, a set of regulatory guidelines have been implemented. Healthy People 2020 is one of the major initiatives in this field as it outlines the key strategic directions for coordinating efforts of various governments and non-government organizations at the global level. There are also various moral issues in global healthcare-related to ensuring the proper quality and determining the key strategic directions of community’s efforts. The observed dynamics of healthcare productivity is positive but insufficient for providing the adequate access to care for individuals due to high healthcare costs. The innovative solutions in the sphere of international collaboration may assist with increasing availability of healthcare providers in different parts of the world.

From these observations, one may conclude that the notion of health is quite ambiguous. However, health care specialists are constantly working to find the most actual definition. Currently, they admit that health depends not only upon one’s physical state, but upon the ability to take care of oneself as well. Consequently, the need to design modern means for health promotion appeared. It will allow to raise the quality of life, improve emotional and biological condition, and assist in public integration.