Introduction
Any patient requires care from medical staff at a hospital. However, patients also need support from their relatives because it positively influences the recovery process. Because of this, family members must know what has occurred to their beloved to be able to help in some cases after the discharge. Therefore, a healthcare professional should be able to explain the peculiarities of a patient’s condition and treatment in simple words so that a patient and their relatives can completely understand the information conveyed.
Main body
Communication between medical staff and a patient’s relatives must be professional and maximally intelligible. The current situation shows that the relatives of patients complain about the quality of communication with the healthcare personnel (Anderson et al., 2019). Although a high focus on this type of communication concerns end-of-life care, finding a common language is still vital beyond terminal cases. While medical terminology allows medical professionals to communicate clearly and quickly, a healthcare worker should have the proper skills and capabilities to build an honest conversation, which will facilitate family-making regarding post-treatment care at home (Jones & Cavanagh, 2018; Anderson et al., 2019). Moreover, it is crucial to remember that the information and communication needs of relatives differ from those of patients (Anderson et al., 2019). Thus, family members need more information on the patient’s condition and treatment because they should know how to assist their beloved in extreme cases before professional help comes.
The explanation regarding Mrs. Williams’ condition and her hospital stay should be as follows: “Your mother was hospitalized because she had difficulty swallowing and partial loss of language. In addition, Mrs. Williams suffered from weakness in one side of her body, which occurred after the ischemic stroke, a condition occurring when a brain does not receive sufficient blood. Moreover, the patient has a history of constant high blood pressure.
After the hospitalization, your mother underwent a range of specific procedures to improve her condition. She was administered the Alteplase infusion, a medication for treating ischemic stroke. The patient also received Mannitol, a drug that helps remove excess fluid from the body. Mrs. Williams was also transferred to the intensive care unit on the first day of the hospitalization. On the second day, she experienced significantly decreased blood pressure along with nausea and vomiting. Given this, the healthcare staff opted for Reglan infusion, a medication that could help relieve the symptoms. After five hours, Mrs. Williams received Aggrenox within the framework of transient ischemic stroke prophylaxis.
No changes occurred on the third day, and it was possible to begin physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Your mother positively responded to the complex therapy, and a discharge plan was developed. She could move with a walker and assistance. Although there were no neurological difficulties, Mrs. Williams still needs rehabilitation, including the complex therapy mentioned. She should also have a follow-up visit to the neurologist one week after discharge.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, medical professionals should always be ready and able to explain the patient’s condition and treatment course to family members. It is essential to convey the information in the most intelligible manner because relatives will base their decision-making on further post-treatment care of their beloved. The present example of Mrs. Williams’ hospitalization history shows that it is possible to change medical terminology into simple words understandable to her son. When communicating with the patient’s relatives, a healthcare professional must inform them about the patient’s condition, the treatment performed, and post-treatment care.
References
Anderson, R. J., Bloch, S., Armstrong, M., Stone, P. C., Low, J. T. S. (2019). Communication between healthcare professionals and relatives of patients approaching the end-of-life: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. Palliative Medicine, 33(8), 926-941. Web.
Jones, S. L., & Cavanagh, A. (2018). Acquiring medical language. McGraw-Hill Education.