Advanced Nursing
Availability of health information in various websites is one of trending technological advancements in the medical field. Technology has promoted health awareness concerning assessment, diagnosis, and management of health conditions among individuals who can access the internet. Equally, online health information has also negatively impacted the healthcare sector. Some information available are unreliable and there is a greater risk of misinterpretation leading to raised anxiety and fear in an individual (Gass, 2016). Misunderstanding can lead to misdiagnosis and this has an impact on the treatment choices made. This might be the case with my neighbor.
The online health risk assessment tools should be pointers to the state of health of an individual (Amante, 2015). In case of any health risk indication, there is need to visit a healthcare facility. A qualified healthcare provider should be able to make the right diagnosis by eliminating differential diagnoses, counsel on the suitable available treatment options before making decisions on the way forward. With my neighbor, I will give her time to explain the factors that make her think he/she is at risk. By understanding her findings, I will have a ground to base my discussions on.
To win her trust I’ll agree with her that it was a wise step for one to assess their health status and even seek clarification. I will make her to understand that being at risk does not mean one is suffering from the condition. Instead, it should be an alarm for one to take more precautions by being screened and avoiding further exposure to the risk factors. Instead of confirming or disputing her findings, I will explicitly explain to her on the risk factors associated with breast cancer. I will make her understand the significance of visiting a health care facility with screening tools and treatments. There she can be referred for further check-ups and treatment in case need be. Lastly, I will explain indications of various treatment options available to treat breast cancer to make her understand mastectomy is not indicated for people a risk. Through the total understanding of her state of health, she may be settled to make right decisions.
References.
Amante, D. J., Hogan, T. P., Pagoto, S. L., English, T. M., & Lapane, K. L. (2015). Access to
care and use of the Internet to search for health information: results from the US
National Health Interview Survey. Journal of medical Internet research, 17(4).
Gass, M. A. (2016). Risks and Benefits of Self-Diagnosis Using the Internet
