Health-illness continuum and its relevance to patient care

The Health-Illness Continuum and Its Relevance to Patient Care
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The Health-Illness Continuum and Its Relevance to Patient Care
It is crucial for health care providers to consider the health-illness continuum inpatient care because their primary reason is to achieve optimum health for their patients. The health-illness continuum entails a graphical representation relating to people's wellbeing, including the body (illness), emotional and mental (Smarta, 2015). There are situations where people are physically fit and not showing any signs of disease, but they are depressed, stressed, or suffering from anxiety. Such people are unhappy and might consistently complain of not feeling well despite not showing sickness symptoms, thus affecting their wellness. This essay examines the health-illness continuum and its relevance to inpatient care. It describes the health-illness continuum, gives a personal reflection on illness and health, and finally highlights the resources and other resources available in improving wellness.
Human Experience on The Health-Illness Continuum
The health-illness continuum consists of a graphical two-sided arrow that indicates the levels and the degree of wellness and illness. The arrow to the right shows the extent of wellness, while the left side shows the degree of illness in a person. Wellness is relative, as different people interpret it differently. The health-illness continuum also sees wellness as dynamic and static as it must move the patient to greater and better welfare and health. The state of wellness is broad and challenging sometimes. A person living with a disability can have a positive mindset and vision than a physically fit person with a negative mindset. The former would fall on the right side of the continuum, while the latter falls on the left side since he is depressed and unhappy. A positive mindset, unlike a negative outlook, influences mental and emotional growth. This perspective is critical in treating patients with hope as it aids emotional and cognitive development, which is fundamental in recovery.
Figure 1: The health-illness continuum. (source: Slideshare)
A Personal Reflection on Illness and Health
Everybody has a unique reflection on health and illness, depending on their state of living. Understanding where we lie on the continuum scale is crucial in informing our conditions and finally working to gain wellness. Basing on the health-illness continuum, my ...