Week 2 db response

My assigned patient is a 16-year-old Caucasian female who is accompanied by her grandmother. According to the grandmother, the patient has been acting strange, antisocial, and refusing to do things she once enjoyed. The grandmother is concerned that the patient may be using drugs, given the fact that her mother is an incarcerated, drug addict. The patient is obese and does not make any eye contact as the provider enters the rooms.

Some specific socioeconomic factors associated with the patient from the information provided includes her being a teenager and family influences of drug use. Being a teenager is when a child starts to become independent, make their own decisions, and figure out who they are. Often times these decisions are influenced by family, peers, and the environment they are in. According to Janicijevic et al. (2017), “Socioeconomic environment in which young people were raised as children predicts their behavior in young adulthood.” Some specific lifestyle factors associated with the patient includes an unhealthy weight probably related to a lack of exercise as the patient is antisocial, an unhealthy diet, mental well-being, and possible drug use. The patient’s spiritual and cultural factors will have to be thoroughly assessed during the interview. As indicated by Kisilowska et al. (2018), “It is worth noting that contrary to common opinion, often inspired by poor usage of digital collections, cultural information needs are essential for young users.”

When interacting with the patient, some issues I would need to be sensitive to as a provider includes discussing drug use, weight, and behavior change. Discussing these topics can be embarrassing for the patient, difficult to discuss, and can trigger emotions. While all of these topics can be personal, talking about them can begin a supportive and open conversation. As indicated by Hoopes et al. (2017), “Although the impact of provider communication on health outcomes for adolescents is unknown, there is evidence that communication affects their health care experience.”

 

Six targeted questions I would ask the patient to help build her health history and to assess her health risks includes:

How would you describe yourself?
What makes a good friend?
What is the most challenging part of your life right now?
What is something you wish adults understood about kids?
How is it being around your grandmother?
What do you look forward to most each day?