Health Care Processes

• Healthcare process is a deliberate activity whereby the practice

of a Health Worker is performed in a systematic manner. Throughout
the process the practitioner uses a comprehensive knowledge base to
assess the clients’ health status to make judicious judgments and
statements of health problems and to plan, implement and evaluate
appropriate action
A.Overview of the Components

There are five components of healthcare processes. These are interactive and
sequential, and each component has several phases. Components are cyclical;
that is the components of the nursing process follow a logical sequence, but
more than one component maybe involved at any one time.
The different components of healthcare processes includes:
1.Assessment
2.Diagnosis
3.Planning
4.Implementation
5.Evaluation
B. Purposes of Healthcare Processes

The main purpose of healthcare is to provide a systematic methodology for health worker practice. The
healthworkers’ role and functions are defined and the health care processes enhance communication,
collaboration and synchronization of health team members.

• Other purposes of the healthcare processes are:

• 1.To facilitate documentation of data, diagnosis, plans, client responses and evaluation.
• 2.To evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of care
• 3.To give directions, guidance, and planning to healthcare
• 4.To provide for continuity of care and to reduce omissions
• 5.To individualize client participation in care
• 6.To promote creativity and flexibility in health care practices.
C.Characteristics of Healthcare Processes
• 1.The system is open and flexible to meet the unique needs of client, family, group, or community.
• 2.It is cyclic and dynamic. Because all steps are interrelated, there is no absolute beginning or end.
• 3.It is client centered; It individualizes the approach to each client’s particular needs.
• 4.It is interpersonal and collaborative. It requires the health care worker to communicate directly and
consistently with clients to meet their needs.
• 5.It is planned.
• 6.It is goal directed.
• 7.It permits creativity for the healthcare worker and client in devising ways to solve the stated health
problems.
• 8.It emphasizes feedback, which leads either to reassessment of the problem or to revision of the care
plan.
• 9.It is universally applicable. The healthcare process is used as a framework for care in all types of
healthcare settings, with clients of all age groups.
APPLICATION OF HEALTHCARE PROCESSES TO INDIVIDUAL
PATIENTS

• General Considerations
Caring for the individuals working with more than the client and his or
her isolated health concerns. The client’s family and significant others,
beliefs and background all influence the patients and subsequent care.
The patient’s perception of health concerns and related responses,
reasons for seeking health care, and expectations of achieving optimum
health are essential data in the health care assessment. Data reflecting
the client’s biographical status and biophysical, psychological, socio-
cultural, and spiritual health are needed to ensure multifocal approach
to care.
Health workers use their empirical and personal knowledge, experience
and judgment for determining the type of data to obtain during the
assessment. Data to be collected should be relevant to generate
diagnoses for independent health actions.
Pharmaceutical Care Plan

Pharmaceutical Care is the responsible provision of drug therapy for

the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient’s
quality of life. Outcomes are:

• 1.Cure of the disease

• 2.Elimination or reduction of symptoms
• 3.Arresting or slowing disease processes
• 4.Prevention of a disease or symptomatology
Pharmaceutical care is provided to ensure patient’s benefit and quality
of care. The fundamental relationship is beneficial exchange in which
the patient grants authority to the provider and the provider gives
confidence and commitment to the patient.
The Pharmaceutical Care Process

This process is governed by the pharmacist’s cognitive and behavioral

actions. This should be thought of as a cycle that is repeated in any step
of care. A database (baseline data) must be prepared and updated for
new information. Evaluation of information influences the modification
and implementation of pharmaceutical care plan.
• 1.Determining the Patient’s Health Care Needs

To determine the patient’s need, the pharmacist must be able to gather

information from, about, and for use with the patient. Information
must be compiled from different sources and integrated to form a
database.
1.1. Gather background information
Sources of Information for Patient Database
• a.Patient encounter
• This is the first opportunity for the care provider to form a relationship with the patient. This is
critical to the future direction of pharmacist-patient relationship. The patient must detect the
therapeutic core qualities of a clinician: respect (described as unconditional positive regard),
genuineness (congruence) and empathy.

• Patient interview
• Physical assessment of patient
• b.Patient’s medical chart or profile
• c.Review of laboratory tests results
• d.Other healthcare professionals caring for the patient
• Family members and caregivers who are not healthcare professionals.
1.2.Apply clinical reasoning

• a.Develop the problem list

• Medication with no medical condition

• Medical condition for which there is no medication prescribed
• Medication prescribed inappropriately for a patient’s medical condition.
• Inappropriate dose, dosage form, schedule, route of administration
• Therapeutic duplication
• Prescribing of medications to which the patient is allergic
• Actual or potential adverse drug event
• Actual or potential clinically significant drug-drug, drug-disease, drug-nutrient and drug-laboratory test
interaction
• Interference with medical therapy by social or recreational drug use.
•  Problems arising from the financial impact of medication therapy on
the patient.
• Lack of understanding of the medication therapy by the patient.
• Failure of the patient to adhere to the medication regimen.

b.Determine therapeutic options

2.Designing the Patient’s Care Plan

• a.Specify goals
• b.Design pharmacotherapeutic regimen
• c.Design monitoring plan
• d.Determine the amount of support necessary
3.Implementing the Patient Care Plan

• a.Recommend the regimen

• b.Initiate care and monitoring plan
4. Assessing the Patient’s Response to Care

• a.Evaluate the results/outcomes from the implementation of the plan

• b.Redesigning the patient care plan based upon patient progress and
outcomes
• c.Document changes, progress and outcomes as needed
END