Introduction
Osteoporosis is a health condition that affects bones. Osteoporosis condition makes bones thinner and weaker. The thinness and weakness of the bone increase risks of fall that may cause a fracture since a mild stress can easily bend and break the bone. Bone fractures associated with Osteoporosis occurs in wrist, spine, and hips. The condition affects both male and female of all races, but Asian and White women above the age of menopause are at greater risks of acquiring the disease. According to Peña & Perez (2012), the disease affects more women than men. More than 40 million Americans have suffered from Osteoporosis or are at greater risks because of low bone mass. People at higher risks of Osteoporosis disease are women past the age of menopause, smokers, and those eating food with low nutrients (McGill, 2015). The following paper investigates the impact of stigma, the role of the family in Osteoporosis. Additionally, the paper discusses policies developed to support persons living with Osteoporosis and recommendations towards improving the health outcome for those people.
The impact of stigma on Osteoporosis health outcome
Osteoporosis victims and families suffer from the stigma that has a lot of impact on their health outcome. Women from Asian and European countries are more likely to be diagnosed with Osteoporosis. People suffering from Osteoporosis and their families’ experience the impact of stigma on the health outcome at different levels. These levels are the diagnosis, during initial engagement with treatment, and when the illness persists.
During diagnosis
The victim and family suffer from a lot of denial during the first diagnosis of the Osteoporosis disease. The stigma experienced during this level interferes with the subsequent health care practices on the patient. First, the patient develops fear and stays away from the community. Additionally, the family keeps the patient indoor and prevents them from doing minor activities such as walking or even doing household chores. The stigma leads to the victim missing hospital appointments and other medical programs intended to protect the disease from worsening. Eventually, the patient health condition deteriorates as a result of stigma.
During initial engagement with treatment
At the second stage of Osteoporosis, the patient and the family are still in the state of denial. The victim’s state of denial prevents them from explaining their problems to healthcare professionals making it hard to establish a better treatment plan. Additionally, the disease mostly affects minority populations such as Asian and European women. The lower social status given to such communities influences their health outcome during treatment stage of Osteoporosis, which is a primary source of stigma. Stigmatization may lead to the patient not following the treatment procedure offered by the physician because of cultural and social beliefs help by minority populations. Moreover, the patient stays indoors most of the times because of stigmatization. Hence, the treatment plan never works effectively on the patient leading to prolonged and severe cases.
When the illness persists
At this stage, the victim and the family reach the level of acceptance, but they still suffer from stigmatization. Stigmatization at this stage leads to anxiety where victims fear doing daily activities because their bones can easily fracture. Additionally, the patient suffers from depressive symptoms that may lead to poor appetite, or even having suicidal thoughts. The impact of stigma influences the victim’s health outcome because instead of the patient concentrating on how to leave healthy, they are busy thinking about how others see them and how they can die. National Osteoporosis Foundation (2016) argues that Osteoporosis patients must accept the condition and continue with their normal lives through active interaction with others to improve their health outcome.
Barriers faced by people diagnosed with Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis leads to many barriers to individuals suffering from the disease, their families, and health care systems taking care of Osteoporosis victims.
Lack of appropriate treatment procedures
One of the major barriers faced by patients with Osteoporosis is the lack of a proper treatment plan to successfully eradicate the problem from the patient. According to the National Report Card on Osteoporosis Care (2008), 38 percent out of the total 80 percent Osteoporosis fractures undergo adequate treatment. The above barrier appears because of poor risk reduction processes, lack of earlier diagnosis, and inappropriate treatment of Osteoporosis patients. Additionally, the health care system accepts there is a problem in offering access to BMD testing and medication for Osteoporosis patients.
Solution: Earlier diagnosis, engaging patients actively in prevention measures and reducing risks.
The health care sector should come up with a compulsory test for all vulnerable populations to ensure earlier detection of the disease. Earlier detection ensures the patients starts medication and exercise programs earlier to prevent the disease from reaching severe stages where treatment may be a problem. Additionally, reducing risks of acquiring the disease helps overcome the above barrier.
High cost of treatment
Osteoporosis affects middle-class populations and minority groups that have difficulties catering for the high cost of treating the disease. The barrier has a lot of impact on the patient because Osteoporosis is in the group of chronic diseases making the patient suffer for a longer period. Additionally, lack of cost-effective diagnosis and management programs creates a barrier towards people diagnosed with Osteoporosis.
Solution: Establishing a medical fund to cater for Osteoporosis victims
The government should establish a medical fund that caters for the medical cost of treating Osteoporosis patients. Populations with high vulnerability to the disease and ethnic minority communities should be given the priority to this fund.
Physician lack adequate Osteoporosis training to manage patients
Patients with Osteoporosis are much willing to do anything to get rid of the condition, but there is a big barrier since most physicians' lack adequate training on Osteoporosis management. Osteoporosis patients need regular exercises, which must be well conducted to prevent instances of the patient encountering a fracture. However, available physicians lack basic training skills and leave patients to practice alone reducing chances of cure (Al-Musa, Alassmi, Almoria, Alghamdi and Alfaifi, 2013).
Solution: The government to outsource qualified trainers and introduce training programs for available physicians.
The poor knowledge about Osteoporosis among physicians needs an extra attention to ensure the health care sector has all resources needed to treat and manage Osteoporosis patients. Improving education and training for physicians by bringing qualified trainers from other nations would help remove the barrier shortly.
Impact of family involvement in patient's disease outcome and the family
Family members play a critical role in helping a person diagnosed with a chronic disease overcome stigma and other barriers associated with the disease. The family should make several adjustments upon realizing one of them suffers from a chronic disease such as Osteoporosis. First, the family must plan on how to assist the victim whenever possible to help in the management of the disease. The family must dedicate more resources such as time, money, and love towards the victim to make them feel the love. Second, the family must adjust to the physician's directions on how to care for the victim such as giving medication, taking the victim for check-ups, and other observations as directed. Patients diagnosed with Osteoporosis needs a lot of extra care, and the family should be able to adjust to the new life to ensure the safety of the patient at all times. Finally, the family should adjust towards accepting the condition and move forward. Many families suffer from stigmatization for a very long time when one member is diagnosed with Osteoporosis, especially if the victim was the sole bread winner. Under such circumstances, the family should adjust to the present situation and continue working towards ensuring the victim receives all the help needed to keep them healthy.
Family members can be encouraged to give care to their loved ones diagnosed with chronic diseases such as Osteoporosis by taking them through extensive counseling and guidance in how to care for the patient. The introduction of counseling services helps increase the above patient-family relationship and makes the family understand the patient more; hence, improving care.
Health policy on Osteoporosis
The National Osteoporosis Initiative introduced the North American policy initiative aimed at educating the public on how to improve bone health from three perspectives, the individual, the health care professional, and the health system. The policy recommended an action plan for bone health and created agendas towards health promotion and disease prevention in the United States (International Osteoporosis Foundation, 2015). The North American Policy Initiative directly addresses the Osteoporosis illness because it concentrates on improving the bone health. The policy serves every American equally because although it originates from North America, it is implemented across all American States.
Conclusion and recommendations
Osteoporosis has affected many people and stigmatized many families. A sound management program towards ensuring Osteoporosis patients acquire well and cost-effective care are the first approaches towards reducing the disease prevalence. One of the best strategies for improving health outcome on Osteoporosis patients is the establishment of a self-management program. According to Souza, Mazeto, and Bocchi (2010), self-management of Osteoporosis helps patients and their families understand necessary tools and resources needed to treat and control the disease. Additionally, the government should come up with a program aimed at conducting regular checkups to the people, especially the vulnerable populations. The earlier diagnosis helps develop Osteoporosis management early and prevents major risks associated with the disease at later stages.
References
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