INDIVIDUAL HEALTH PROMOTION PLAN

INDIVIDUAL HEALTH PROMOTION PLAN

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Individual Health Promotion Plan

CASE SCENARIO

            Thomas is a six-year-old. He had slight hearing loss due to episodes of otitis media when he was younger and his teacher is worried that he is not interacting well with his peers. He has recently had episodes of earache and tonsillitis. He had an appointment with an ENT specialist who advised that he does not need surgery at the moment. He advised that a discussion should ensue between the nursery school teacher and the health visitor on how Thomas can be assisted to fully achieve his potential.

Introduction

            Health promotion is the process of providing knowledge and education on a given disease by creating awareness of the pathology to the public. The World Health Organization defines health promotion as the process through which people can increase control over illnesses and improve their overall health status (Larouche & Potvin, 2013). In this case, health promotion is on otitis media. Health promotion has many facets that make it implementable and achievable. For instance, in the case of otitis media, the plan should encompass prevention strategies, primary health care, and secondary health care strategies that can be used in handling the pathology at different stages.

            In the preventive phase, the plan can focus on addressing the social factors or determinants of health that play a critical role in the development of the otitis media. The plan can equally come up with community-based education on the disease that is in line with the cultural practices of the community (Barker et al., 2015). It is equally essential to coordinate the plan of the health promotion strategy to be in line with other pathologies that may have the same etiology as the targeted disease.

            In the primary health care segment, the plan should create mechanisms that are used in early and accurate diagnosis of the disease with proper therapeutic interventions. This may equally include continuous reviews and evaluation of the different episodes of the disease and providing interventions such as hearing aids that improve the patient’s quality of life (Larouche & Potvin, 2013). It can equally involve developmental rehabilitation and integration of the patients at the community level. Secondary health care requires specialized treatment that may include ENT surgery processes (Larouche & Potvin, 2013).

            Many people have the traditional belief that health means the absence of any disease. This view has impeded the promotion of preventative measures that can be used to avert an outbreak or development of a given pathology (Robb & Williamson, 2016). However, health should encompass the physical components of a human's well-being. This has enabled the development and use of the biopsychosocial approach in the management of different pathologies (Barker et al., 2015). Biological factors that can lead to the development of diseases include genetics, hormones, and toxins among others.

            The psychological factors are explanations that are based on the psychological well-being of an individual such as stress or depression (Robb & Williamson, 2016). The social factors are traced to an individual's social level such as housing or relationships that they have with people.  In summary, a health promotion plan on otitis media should focus on the assessment of social and biological factors that may trigger the diseases, and provide an elaborate plan on the diagnosis and treatment procedures that can be used in the management of the disease with clear implementation strategies and create a method on how the therapeutic processes can be evaluated (Robb & Williamson, 2016).

Discussion

            Otitis media is an inflammation of the ear with fluid accumulating behind the eardrum. It can be triggered by either bacterial or viral infections in the ear. Bacterial infection has the potential to develop into bacterial meningitis which can expose the affected child to extreme danger (Robb & Williamson, 2016). Symptoms that present themselves when one suffers from this pathology include constant pain in the affected ear, fever, cough and vomiting, irritability, loss of appetite, and diminishing ability to perceive sound among others (Thompson et al., 2008).

            The risk factors associated with otitis media include exposure to the smoking of cigarettes, poor economic status, premature birth, crowded housing, poor nutrition, and the existence of upper urinary infection among others (Thompson et al., 2008). Thomas has several needs that need to be addressed in individual health promotion plans. He has had earaches for a while. This means that he has been enduring pain for some time. Pain has a psychological effect on the affected person. It captures human attention and deviates focus from activities such as learning with a mental preoccupation with the magnitude and possible management of the pain.

            Thomas is equally reported to have developed tonsillitis. This pathology comes with symptoms like a sore throat that makes it difficult to swallow food, bowel complications, and loss of appetite that affects the nutrition of the affected individual (Bird et al.,2014). Thomas has equally been reported not to be interacting with his peers. This form of social withdrawal can be equated to psychological duress that he experiences. This can result probably due to pain from the earaches and tonsillitis that makes it difficult for him to shift his attention to social interaction.

            Thomas is equally indicated to have developed a slight hearing loss. Partial hearing can hurt Thomas's social interaction and academic progress (Hansen et al., 2011).  He may have withdrawn from social interaction with his peers because he does not get what they say to him at once; the peers may be forced to speak repeatedly to him with a loud voice. This can be subject to ridicule and discrimination that lowers his self-esteem leading to withdrawal from peer groups. 

            The earaches can equally be too much for him to bear leading to absence from school. This can negatively impact his academic progress in school. Being affected by hearing loss can equally mean that Thomas has or develops poor communication skills that collectively contribute to developmental delays (Hansen et al., 2011). It is possible that Thomas’ hearing problem affects his attention or concentration in class, contributes to his emotional expressions, and troubles his social interaction and social behavior.

            To develop a health promotion plan that can be used to enhance individual health promotion, the assessment of their needs must be done to act as a guiding template for the formulation of the plan. However, it is important to note that Thomas lives among his peers and therefore even if he is the sole target, the teacher and the visiting clinician must formulate ways of creating awareness of the disease among the students and general school population (Hansen et al., 2011). The students equally come from the community from which there are social factors that can trigger otitis media.

            It is therefore essential that the plan begins by focusing on the community as a whole. When a community is empowered with the knowledge of how to handle the possible social problems that can trigger this pathology, likely, many students will likely not be affected by the pathology just as Thomas has been troubled by Larouche & Potvin, 2013). These health promotion strategies at the community level should adopt a model that obeys the cultural beliefs and traditions of the community (Larouche & Potvin, 2013). The programs must be formulated in a way that is easy to implement and evaluate the progress.

Community-based health promotion plan

            In the respective homes, the mothers play a critical role in the caregiving and development of a child. This is equally the same to the caregivers who more often than not are females. This group can, therefore, play a critical role in the preventive phase of this health promotion plan (Larouche & Potvin, 2013). The mothers can be enlightened on the different aspects of otitis media.T these include the potential causes which include social and biological factors, the presenting signs and symptoms of the pathology, and the expected therapeutic interventions when they take the children to the hospital. For instance, mothers must be encouraged to exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months and keep them away from smoking environments (Larouche & Potvin, 2013). This can be critical in preventing the adverse effects of the pathology when it occurs.

            Early treatment increases the chances of a complete cure and avoidance of adverse situations like a complete loss of hearing due to late recognition and treatment. This program can be implemented by training a few intermediaries and empowering them to move into the communities and inform the general public (Robb & Williamson, 2016). The trained community-based workers must work toward eliminating the possible barriers to access to quality medical care on otitis media. This can be done by encouraging the health activities around the prenatal, infant, and maternal needs of the families to incorporate the pathology as one of its major points of focus.

            It is equally important that screening programs are initiated and implemented at the community level to aid in detecting the pathology early enough to be contained (Larouche & Potvin, 2013). The screening process can equally act as a tool for mapping the most prone areas and the prevalence of the pathology in the community. Apart from organizing public medical awareness camps, home visits must be coordinated and implemented by health professionals to promote preventive measures at the familial level (Robb & Williamson, 2016). Effective implementation and evaluation strategies with adequate follow-up plans must be used to make the initiatives a success. Pneumococcal Vaccination against influenza can be done at the local level more so during pregnancy to reduce the risks of the pathology occurring (Thompson et al., 2008. This initiative should be holistic.

Health promotion at the individual level

Interventions and education on the partial hearing loss problem

            The main aim of health promotion at this level is to ensure that the affected person is relieved of the signs and symptoms of the pathology. This aids in preventing further complications or eradicating the pathology. For Thomas, he said to developed partial hearing loss. The probable cause of this is the accumulation of fluid in the ear space caused by the infection (Hansen et al., 2011). To mitigate this, he should be provided with providing him with a hearing aid that amplifies sounds from different objects including human beings. However, this must be done by an audiologist who reviews the patient and provides him with an appropriate device (Robb & Williamson, 2016). Apart from the amplification, the listening device plays a critical role in the mitigation of problems such as loss of balance and poor communication among others.

            These aids are easy to fix and can be easily used in a class, at home, or in a clinical setup. The patient must be keenly observed so that it can be noted if he is developing any form of resistance to the listening aid so that measures can be taken to embed it in him(Robb & Williamson, 2016). It is to evaluate whether a listening device is working or not. The nurse should train the teacher or the caregiver on how to remove and fix the device. The nurse or physician can run a test on the student by initiating communication with him without the device. Difficulties experienced by the student should be noted in a comparison drawn when he is not using the listening devices.

            In this process, the teacher must be informed on how to assist the affected kid in maintaining personal hygiene. The teacher should be informed that nasal discharges carry germs such as viruses and bacteria that have the potential to cause harm to the students (Robb & Williamson, 2016). Thomas is reported to have tonsillitis, and it is therefore likely that he may have nasal discharge. He should, therefore, be trained on how to cover his mouth or nose when he coughs or sneezes. Just like him, the other students should be informed of the importance of washing their hands to keep their hands off the discharges that may be coming from the nose (Hansen et al., 2011). The success of the implementation of the use of hearing aids can be evaluated based on the child's ability to effectively communicate with the other people around him. The disadvantage that can emanate from the use of these aids is that the underlying problem may not be adequately given attention (Hansen et al., 2011). A perception can be created by the caregivers that they offer a good solution to the problem. They should, therefore, be advised the condition is treatable by the use of appropriate therapeutic interventions and that this is just a temporary measure.

Psychological support

            Thomas has withdrawn himself from participating in social activities with his peers. This can mean that he is developing mental health problems or he is keeping off because he cannot effectively communicate with them. This calls for psychological support from the nurse, the teacher, and fellow students. Providing psychological support aids in restoring self-esteem and gives him the confidence to interact with others (Barker et al., 2015). This can be effective in situations where he can be alienating himself due to ridicule and discrimination he gets from his peers due to his condition.

            This form of therapy equally enables him to adapt communication skills that he can use to communicate with his peers as his situation progressively improves. Psychological support equally plays a critical role in stimulating and building appropriate emotional and behavioral patterns (Barker et al., 2015). Thomas can be psychologically assisted assuring him that his condition will get better soon. Being a child, he can be involved in games that make him interact with his peers so that he embraces them.

            Thomas' classmates should equally be trained on how to communicate with him and accommodate him within their cycles. This cycle should equally be communicated to the parents to ensure that he gets a psychologically conducive environment at home and school (Barker et al., 2015). The evaluation of the success or failure of this form of therapy on a child is easily recognizable. For instance, if the affected child continues to exhibit the characteristics that show he is in a desolate state, then it means the initiative is failing.

Education and Management of pain (ear aches)

            The presence of earaches is an indication that Thomas is undergoing pain. The nurses should, therefore, ensure that he gets analgesics that are appropriately prescribed by a qualified practitioner (Hansen et al., 2011). He must be informed of the importance of the medication before it is given to him. This gives him the courage and the motivation to adhere to the prescription schedule. The teacher and the child should be informed of the importance of completing his medication.

            It is equally important for the teacher to be trained on how to monitor or observe Thomas’s progress once he takes the painkillers. This is important because if there is constant pain after taking painkillers then this can be an indication of a worsening situation and it is only important that appropriate medical attention is sought (Robb & Williamson, 2016). The positive outcomes of this process can be easily evaluated by the teacher at school. The teacher can monitor the child’s response to the medication by observing his emotional output and periodically asking him how he feels.

            To promote the healing of the pathology, antibiotics should be used to contain the disease. However, it is important to be careful because the patient can develop resistance to the drugs. It is therefore important that progressive evaluation is done to test the effectiveness of the drugs used (Thompson et al., 2008). In the process of managing tonsillitis and its effects, several therapeutic interventions can be rendered at home and school.

            One such intervention is to ensure that Thomas gets clean adequate water for fluid therapy. This ensures that his throat is moist and prevents the possibility of dehydration (Bird et al., 2014). He can equally be given warm salty water to gargle to soothe the sore throat that comes with tonsillitis (Peluchi et al., 2012). He should equally be assisted in terms of nutrition by providing foods or beverages such as warm water with honey to aid in soothing the throat.  Thomas should equally be advised to keep away from irritants such as dust or smoke that can irritate the throat. It is important to determine the cause of the pathology so that he can be put on appropriate medication. For instance, if it is caused by bacteria, penicillin can be used as antibiotic therapy for a specified period (Peluchi et al., 2012) Thomas must be encouraged to rest and sleep to refresh himself and gain energy.

Conclusion

            Individual health promotion is important just as health promotion to the general public. It is important that as the therapeutic focus is given to the individual, the preventive measures at the community level should not be ignored. This ensures that the social factors that contribute to the emergence of the pathology are reduced or eliminated. The net effects of such initiatives are notable in the reduction of the prevalence of a given disease. Individual health promotion should be a holistic approach that encompasses all the needs of a given individual. It is important that even as a therapeutic intervention is given, education should be provided to the patient and the people around him to promote knowledge of the disease to the general public.

References

Barker, V., Gumley, A., Schwannauer, M. and Lawrie, S.M., 2015. An integrated biopsychosocial model of childhood maltreatment and psychosis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 206(3), pp.177-180.

Bird, J.H., Biggs, T.C. and King, E.V., 2014. Controversies in the management of acute tonsillitis: an evidence‐based review. Clinical Otolaryngology, 39(6), pp.368-374.

Hansen, M.P., Jarbol, D.E., Gahrn-Hansen, B., dePont Christensen, R., Munck, A., Ellegaard Trankjær Ryborg, C. and Bjerrum, L., 2011. Treatment of acute otitis media in general practice: quality variations across countries. Family practice, 29(1), pp.63-68.

Larouche, A. and Potvin, L., 2013. Stimulating innovative research in health promotion. Global health promotion, 20(2), pp.64-69.

Pelucchi, C., Grigoryan, L., Galeone, C., Esposito, S., Huovinen, P., Little, P. and Verheij, T., 2012. Guideline for the management of acute sore throat. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 18, pp.1-28.

Robb, P.J. and Williamson, I., 2016. Otitis media with effusion in children: current management. Pediatrics and Child Health, 26(1), pp.9-14.

Thompson, P.L., Gilbert, R.E., Long, P.F., Saxena, S., Sharland, M. and Wong, I.C.K., 2008. Has UK guidance affected general practitioner antibiotic prescribing for otitis media in children? Journal of Public Health, 30(4), pp.479-486.

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