Collaborative Care for Mentally Ill Patients
Added on 2020-03-04
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Running head: MEDICINE AND HEALTHMedicine and HealthName of the Student:Name of the University:Author Note:
1MEDICINE AND HEALTHREFLECTIVE PRACTICETHEME- Improving healthcare and health service delivery to vulnerable patients-whatneeds to be done and what can I do in my personal practice as a doctor?1.a.The issue of palliative care has long been identified in the healthcare sector forprovision of specialized and multidisciplinary medical and nursing care for the peopleafflicted by life limiting conditions. Provision of adequate and optimal healthcareservice to the distressed patients with the aim of ameliorating the symptoms, pain,physical discomfort and mental agony is achieved through this service meant for theterminally ill patients. Enhancement of quality of life for both the patient as well as itsfamily is the primary objective of the healthcare professionals who are entrusted withthe duty of offering the disease management interventions to tackle the relevantconditions. However, it is particularly challenging for the clinicians and healthcarepersonnel to undertake suitable care strategies for those who are brimming withmental health issues apart from suffering from physical ailments. Potentiallythreatening mental health conditions like that of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia,delirium and others affect the concerned individuals thereby delimiting their day today activities apart from posing risks of developing other threatening situations. Theaccess to palliative care of these mentally ill patients is often compromised incontrast to the patients with physical illness due to limited access and lack ofawareness about their situations among the common mass. This paper will thereforestrive to explain the conditions relevant to mentally ill patients in palliative care at theclinical setting within Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH).b.Vulnerability in terms of healthcare service provision and access to healthcare isexpressed by the mentally ill patients in palliative care due to presence of certain
2MEDICINE AND HEALTHintrinsic and extrinsic factors. This may be largely attributed to the limitations due tolack of awareness and knowledge about mental illness among the healthcareprofessionals because of dearth of experience in tackling patients with mental illnesswithin the palliative care framework in comparison to those who suffer from onlyphysical illness (Hendrie et al., 2013). Moreover the nature of the mental illness suchas that of suicidal thoughts or self harm intentions as observed among the patientsalso pose challenges in combating the condition effectively. Reluctance of the patientas well as its family towards the reception of palliative care facilities also posehindrance to access to healthcare apart from the discrimination and stigma attachedto mental illness. The end of life treatment options through palliative care frameworkmay be problematic owing to the nature of mental illness in the concerned patientsas they are more likely to less approach the clinicians for mitigation of their ensuingcondition and adverse symptoms. Exacerbation of their condition due to acutemental health issues also appears problematic to streamline access to properhealthcare facility (Bachmann, Michaelsen & Vatne, 2016). c.Currently Palliative Care and Supportive Care Service at RBWH cater to themultiple needs related to the physical, social, spiritual, psychological and culturalaspects of the vulnerable population of patients who are thwarted by potentially lifethreatening conditions. It is essentially carried out through a collaborative frameworkwhereby the internal referrals by the general physicians for the patients admitted atthe hospital entitle them to receive palliative care. At the moment there is no scope oftreatment provision through outpatient service. The issue of the mentally ill patientsto be eligible for receiving palliative treatment care is now overlooked in the clinicalsetting. Meanwhile, palliative care for patients diagnosed with cancer is of superiorquality and the situation relevant to non-cancer patients are not taken into muchconsideration right now.
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