W#6 Health Assessment (replies)

(My initial Post)

Reflect on the focus area or system(s) for the week.

· What challenges might you anticipate in completing this assessment?

· What differences might you anticipate when assessing patients across the lifespan?

· Share findings from scholarly resources that help in the performance of this assessment.

What challenges might you anticipate in completing this assessment? HEENT/Neck areas of physical examination can be termed as major sources of assessment and diagnostic information for conditions affecting a broad array of systems. For example, diabetes usually manifests through blurry vision, while infections may manifest through headaches, watery eyes, and even loss of smell. This shows the importance of HEENT in diagnosing a myriad of conditions. One of the common challenges that can be anticipated in HEENT examination is deeply rooted in the fact that assessment information from this section usually infers to health conditions in other areas. For example, loss of smell or taste may signal neurological problems as well as infections affecting the oral and respiratory surfaces/structures. As such, a single finding can translate into many possibilities; an aspect that complicates the HEENT assessment. The other challenge comes from the fact that HEENT assessment requires effective communication skills from the patient (Dains, Baumann, & Scheibel, 2016). In some circumstances, patients may have impaired communication skills, therefore, resulting in increased difficulty in carrying out a sound HEENT physical examination. What differences might you anticipate when assessing patients across the lifespan? Age-specific features have different implications when it comes to undertaking HEENT assessment. A typical example touches on the pediatric population such as children below the age of 12 months with under-developed sensory and communication capabilities. Equally, across the lifespan, people usually develop conditions that can affect HEENT assessment. For example, age-related alterations, as well as mental disorders, affect perceptual and sensory capabilities, as such; taking away the vital aspect of patients’ cooperation as far as carrying out a physical assessment on these areas is concerned. Share findings from scholarly resources that help in the performance of this assessment. Indubitably, these challenges cannot interfere with an effective HEENT assessment, if there is a deliberate use of the evidence-based practice. For example, according to Bickley (2017) one should approach such a complex assessment area with an open mind, and ready to consider multiple possibilities. It is also important to rely on additional assessment approaches such as subjective assessment (Review of Systems) to supplement the information gained from the HEENT’s and neck physical examination. This can help in eliminating any assessment challenges and doubts. References Bickley, L. (2017). Bates' Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking (12th ed.). New York: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Dains, J.E., Baumann, L.C., & Scheibel, P. (2016). Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis in Primary Care (5th ed.) Boston: Elsevier.