Articles: disease.
-
Although environment is a core concept in nursing, it has had little theoretical or empirical attention, especially related to healing. This article explores the following aspects of the meaning of healing as they relate to environment as place: (a) healing is grounded in suffering; (b) healing is active and requires presence of the patient and the nurse; and (c) healing is private, spiritual, and profound. Home is explored as a place for healing. The article explores implications for the study of meaning of home, when home is not a place for healing, and future directions for theory and research.
-
Comparative Study
Characterizing the epidemiological transition in Mexico: national and subnational burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors.
Rates of diseases and injuries and the effects of their risk factors can have substantial subnational heterogeneity, especially in middle-income countries like Mexico. Subnational analysis of the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors can improve characterization of the epidemiological transition and identify policy priorities. ⋯ Mexico is at an advanced stage in the epidemiologic transition, with the majority of the disease and injury burden from noncommunicable diseases. A unique characteristic of the epidemiological transition in Mexico is that overweight and obesity, high blood glucose, and alcohol use are responsible for larger burden of disease than other noncommunicable disease risks such as tobacco smoking. The Southern region is least advanced in the epidemiological transition and suffers from the largest burden of ill health in all disease and injury groups.
-
The Biopsychosocial Model aims to integrate the biological, psychological and social components of illness, but integration is difficult in practice, particularly when patients consult with medically unexplained physical symptoms or functional illness. ⋯ We propose a classification of illness that includes orthogonal dimensions of pathology and dysfunction to support a broadly based clinical approach to patients; adoption of which may lead to fewer inappropriate investigations and secondary care referrals and greater use of cognitive behavioural techniques, particularly when managing functional illness.
-
In India, health services are funded largely through out-of-pocket spendings (OOPS). We carried out this study to collect data on the cost of an illness episode and parameters affecting cost in five locations in India. ⋯ Interventions to reduce the cost of illness should be context-specific, as there is no "one-size-fits-all" model to establish the cost of healthcare for the entire sub-continent. Aggregated expenses, rather than only hospitalizations, can cause catastrophic consequences of illness.