Reflective Essay
Introduction
The project aimed at creating awareness to the patients through structured educational program. The program entailed increasing the patient knowledge on the background of cardiovascular diseases and causative agents. Through evaluation of the patients, I was able to gauge their weak points and strong point on the subject matter. I then explained cardiovascular risk factors while citing applicable control measures on the same to the participants. Knowledge evaluation on the subject matter was carried out before and after the training. The tools used for knowledge evaluation were questionnaires and clinical measurement such as Basal Metabolic Index of the patient. The reason behind this was to create room for comparison on the effect of the program to the patient. Follow up activities facilitated effective application of the theoretical information learned in the study.
The project was successful in that the patients adopted most of the methods I gave them for controlling the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Results of the project revealed increase in information and knowledge on the subject matter of cardiovascular risk factors can have a positive impact on people’s health. Majority of the patients’ performed well after the program as reflected by the questionnaire total marks. The program mainly advocated for healthy living. The aim behind healthy living was to reduce cholesterol and fats which predispose victim to hypertension, obesity and heart complications. Information on the subject matter was passed to the patients through the training module.
The Educational Program and Real Life Experience
Many patients have little information on the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This was driving force behind this study in which I was determined to pass the information using the most applicable way of teaching. The test provided a clear platform to gauge the patients understanding on the issue. The clinical test performed indicated high rate of risk factors to cardiovascular occurrence. Despite being the teacher in this study, I found most of the materials I was teaching being relevant to me because I am also exposed to many cardiovascular disease risk factors.
My lifestyle entailed eating junk foods and little physical exercises apart from walking to school. This led to an increase in weight and abnormal breathing rhythms when performing of strenuous exercise. The experience gained from this study as helped me transform my life for the better by preempting the major cardiovascular disease risk factors from my life. In addition, the experience of my elderly parents, both of whom have cardiovascular problems was an eye opener. Looking back to their life helped me appreciate the seriousness of having a healthy lifestyle in preventing cardiovascular disease. The data used in teaching strongly related obesity and poor nutrition to cardiovascular diseases. While my parents were not obese in their younger years, they were not physically active and could have been much healthier with weight loss.
It is the prospect of improving someone’s health through sharing of knowledge that encouraged me to undertake this program. Besides collecting relevant materials and information to teach the participants, it was important to used strong words to warn the participants of the dangers of cardiovascular diseases. In one occasion, I stated that one has the obligation to decide to live healthy or dig his own grave. It is the urge to win the course that propelled me. The theoretical part of the training changed my perceptions. I came to realize later that theoretical and practical application of the subject matter were two different things. It was easier for the participants to understand what I was teaching, but to apply the same in real life situation was different. The process of changing lifestyle took some time as opposed to change of eating habit. The recommended changes included eating habit by eating more vegetables, high fiber food and fruits and physical exercises such as jogging. The health benefits of this program are immense. Regular exercise and healthy diet improves breathing rhythms and makes the body more flexible.
Recruiting participants for the study was very easy especially after I explained to the participants what the study is about. This allowed the participants to give informed consent which is very important from an ethical point of view. In total 25 participants were recruited and given a pre-teaching test that focused on their knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors and ways to protect themselves from these risks. In addition, measurements on BMI, blood pressure and concentration of fats in blood were taken to estimate the health of the participants. Later, I conducted the teaching by use of informational leaflets and open forums where we would engage in discussion with the participants. All the participants were given equal information. After a month, I conducted the follow up study by using a similar questionnaire to the first one to evaluate the participant’s knowledge and ease of application of the acquired information in real life. On comparison of the results before and after the program, I was overwhelmed because most participants now had a good knowledge of cardiovascular disease risk factors and could protects themselves.. All the patients improved in reducing the risk factors significantly within a month. The participants were ready to adopt healthy life styles such as improved diet and regular physical exercise to reduce their exposure to cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Application
Practical application enhanced real life experience which improves health status. The open forum discussion allowed me to mingle with the participants more freely where we shared the challenges of trying to avoid some risk factors for the cardiovascular disease. These challenges are caused by lifestyle changes whereby a person has to stop doing some things they enjoyed such as smoking and alcohol and take on more strenuous exercises such as jogging. I also advised the participants to be visiting doctors regularly for physical examinations as good physical health is one of the best ways to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity. The participants also found novel ways of incorporating the knowledge the acquired into their everyday life. One participant had decided to be walking to the grocery store three days a week to buy food and cooking it herself rather than eat takeaway junk foods. This is a two pronged approach as it achieves physical exercise through regular walks and good diet by avoiding junk food. The participants learned from this program that healthy living is vital to controlling the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The risk factors were as a result of poor eating habits and lack of exercises.
Future Goals
The project will involve incorporation of key stakeholders in decision making and proposed changes. All these stakeholders must be well informed about the risks associated with the cardiovascular diseases. It is paramount for the stakeholders embrace alternative techniques such as prevention rather than wait for cardiovascular events to happen then they try a cure. Patients need to understand the benefits of changing their lifestyles to incorporate healthy living. In addition, there is need for the stakeholders to feel part of the change rather than perceive it as changes favoring or imposed by the health care institutions for their own benefits. Unity is vital to the success of the program. This is why even as a pharmacist I was willing to take an educational role to spread word on how to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors.
In addition, proper education should be provided to the patients. Short plan goals such as campaigns to create awareness, assisting the patients and follow-up activities should be implemented. Long term activities will include starting up medical facilities in various areas to curb the cardiovascular diseases through treating the risk factors at early stage of development. Majority of the stakeholders lack opportunity to acquire information on the subject matter due to its complexity. The main objective of the educational program is to enhance management of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases to the vulnerable groups of people. I managed to teach the participant’s n how to reduce their exposure to this risk factors through adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Conclusion
Pharmacists hold a unique position that can allow them to effectively educate patients on risk factors of various diseases. This stems from their traditional role of educating patients on drug use. In this study, I educated 25 participants on the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. The study achieved positive results in terms of increased awareness of the risk factors related to cardiovascular disease and how to minimize them. But for me as the pharmacist educator, my success was seeing most participants taking practical steps such as diet change and exercises to minimize their exposure to cardio vascular disease risk factors.
