Health Belief Model - Essay Example

"Health Belief Model" is a wonderful example of a paper on the health system. The course of an individual’s actions depends on the individual’s perception of the ultimate benefits and the hindrances that are related to the behavior on health status. The health belief model has six constructs. The original tenets developed of the health belief model are the first four constructs. The remaining two constructs were added later as more research done on the health belief model evolved (Champion & Skinner, 2008).

The constructs include

Perceived susceptibility- it refers to an individual’s subjective perception of the risks involved in acquiring an illness.

Perceived severity- this refers to the feelings on the seriousness of a person contracting the disease. A person’s feelings of an individual’s vulnerability to a given disease do vary a lot.

Perceived benefits- this refers to an individual’s perception of several actions that are available to the reduction of the threat of disease.

Perceived barriers- refer to an individual’s feelings on the obstacles to performing an action on the health that is recommended.

Cue to action- this is regarded as the stimulus needed to trigger any decision-making process so that any recommended action of health can be accepted and adopted.

Self-efficacy- refers to the level of an individual’s confidence and trust in the ability to perform a health behavior successfully.

Application of health belief model on a patient with diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels. The effect of the disease may be acute or chronic, and many organs might be involved (Janz NK, Champion VL, 2002).

Patient’s Knowledge of Present illness

The patient can explain the illness that he or she has: “I have been having diabetes for the past ten years”. The patient must have the knowledge of the condition that is suffering from and the necessary steps that are required of him or her to follow to bring desired changes.
Wants to know

The patient should show acceptance to his or her illness as the source of suffering that has been developing in him due to inheritance, but his lifestyle and eating habits have significantly contributed to the illness.

Patient’s beliefs about the illness

The patient must be able to believe that the only source of illness comes from the family tree in terms of genetic predisposition and not from any other source such as possessions and black magic. This understanding of the existence of God through belief and that no other thing of a supernatural power has contributed to his or her condition may fasten his or her acceptance and thereby improve health action behaviors.

Does the patient have a social support network?

Support is an important aspect of this model so that the patient can be able to adopt the behaviors needed, and it can come from friends and family.

Has the patient’s accepted his present condition?

“I know, Diabetes is incurable” But, why I’m getting ulcers frequently.”
“ I want to get discharged soon; will I be discharged next week?” the patient must have accepted what is going on in his life so that the health model can be used appropriately. Without this acceptance, it will be hard for the patient to adopt new behaviors.

How does he cope with problems? As explained by the patient?

The patient accepts the status of his condition as a diabetic patient, and he or she understands the importance of medication adherence and modification of lifestyle. Because the patient has several servants at home, there are no difficulties for him or her to carrying out her or his daily activities.

Anxiety

The patient looks worried about the developing foot ulcer that is not healing. He or she has fluctuating blood sugar between normal and high values. The patient is planning to follow all the instructions regarding the ulcer.

Concern

Yes, the patient is worried whether the developing ulcer will respond to the treatment. The patient’s fear is that six months ago when there was an ulcer on the two figures of the toe it prompted amputation. The patient was advised on below-knee amputation but decided to get a discharge so that the leg could be saved.

How the patient has adapted to illness?

The patient was going to survive very well since he or she takes good care of his or her business.

 

 

 

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