Critique your last physical assessment on the basis of health promotion, health prevention,
and comfort for you as the patient. Write a 750-1,000-word paper that addresses the
following questions:
1) Did the provider evaluate lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise?
2) Did the provider explain the side effects of your medication?
3) Was there an agreement on the plan of care?
4) What was the environment like? Welcoming, comfortable, dirty, clean?
5) Did the provider answer your questions and perform a complete health history?
6) Was the physical assessment complete and correct? (Did the provider listen to your lung
sounds through clothing?)
7) Did the provider see you in your street clothes or in a patient gown?
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines. An abstract is required.
Thoroughly presents complete information on the physical environment of the health care
facility related to comfort and welcome. Describes in-depth and with supporting evidence.
Thoroughly presents complete information on staff including the provider. Describes in-
depth and with supporting evidence the comfort of the client (you).
Clearly and comprehensively describes the assessment regarding health promotion, health
prevention, and accuracy and completeness of the visit. Descriptions are in-depth and
supported by evidence
Thoroughly presents complete information on the closure of the encounter. Explains
possible side effects, medications, tests, and follow-up requirements that were suggested.
Describes in-depth and with supporting evidence
Thesis and/or main claim are comprehensive. The essence of the paper is contained within
the thesis. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear
Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling
manner. All sources are authoritative.
Evaluation of lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise
The last physical examination was carried out at the community health centre whereby it
was a usual physical health physical assessment to ensure health promotion, health prevention,
and knowing individual health status (Evans, 2008). The physical assessment procedures within
the health centre are designed in a way that ensures patients comfort so that the patients are
encouraged to continuously go for health check-ups. The health provider evaluated the personal
lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise issues to ensure that the physical assessment revolved around all
the life aspects in order to promote good health even behavior wise. The lifestyle, nutrition, and
Critique of last physical assessment 2
exercise issues were assessed through gathering detailed information about the past medical
history, and patterns of living through interviewing. A twenty minutes interview was done by the
health provider in order to determine the eating and exercise methods that the patient used to
keep fit and promote good health and prevent diseases (Evans, 2008). This was necessary
because there are very many diseases that are currently being related to the lifestyles and
behaviors and exercises that people are engaging in their everyday lives. The health care
provider also examined various medical records in order to determine whether the patient has
had any lifestyle related illnesses in the past (Bickley, & Szilagyi, 2012). After examining the
lifestyle, nutrition and exercise activities that the patient engages in, the health care provider
concluded that the patient is at a very high risk of getting breast cancer and therefore
recommended for some forms of behavioral medication. It was necessary to carry out these kinds
of examination because one of the necessities of frequent physical examinations is to have your
health status checked even when one is feeling healthy (Magee, 2008). Through the physical
assessments, the health care providers screen for diseases, assess risk of future medical
complications, encourage a healthy lifestyle, update vaccines, and give health care support to the
patient in case of an illness.
The recommended medication included a diet guide which advised on how the patient
was supposed to feed and this included avoidance of some foods, daily exercises and change of
some lifestyle behaviors. These behavioral forms of medications did not have any major side
effects because they did not involve any form of medication (Magee, 2008). The side effects
would include inadequacy in some nutrients in the body due to the avoidance of some foods and
this could call for supplementation so as to ensure that the health of the patient is not further
compromised. The other side effects would include weight loss and maybe some complications
Critique of last physical assessment 3
such as chest problems dude to some physical activities such as running (Evans, 2008).
However, the medical provider argued that these could be avoided by ensuring that the patient is
closely monitored because this would give her a chance to report any health complications that
resulted from the medication. The agreement on the plan of care included regular health check-
ups that included breast cancer screening (Bickley, & Szilagyi, 2012). The recommended diet
was to be reviewed every month after a close examination of the health condition of the patient.
The health provider also made weekly follow-ups on the exercises that he had recommended for
the patient. This ensured that the patient continued with the recommendations regularly so as to
promote good health and prevent diseases. The health care provider also insisted on the change
in lifestyle, nutrition and exercise because it does not only serve the prevention of development
of breast cancer but it also ensures general body health (Evans, 2008).
The environment was welcoming and comfortable. Cleanliness and hygiene was of a very
high standard with the health care providers ensuring that the equipments for assessment were in
good condition and there was a proper means of waste disposal to ensure cleanliness. The
medical staffs were also friendly and welcoming (Evans, 2008). The medical examination room
had proper ventilation and lighting to ensure that the patient does not feel uncomfortable and also
to facilitate a proper process of examination. The health provider also engaged in a small talk
with the patient to keep the patient at ease and make the process easier. This is because the
patient will be free to share with the health practitioner when they are relaxed and results of tests
are more accurate when the patient is relaxed (Bickley, & Szilagyi, 2012). The heath provider
answered the questions of the patient in a very proper way through an interactive communication
that ensured that the patient understood the answers and reactions of the health care provider.
The patient asked a good number of questions concerning both health and for personal benefits
Critique of last physical assessment 4
in their personal life (Evans, 2008). The provider was able to answer questions concerning the
patient’s health because they had a complete and detailed health history and therefore they could
understand the health conditions of the patient pretty well. The complete history included
interviewing the patient about several issues concerning their health and a more reliable source
of health history was the medical records from where the provider was able to know how the
heath conditions of the patient were like in the past years and presently (Magee, 2008).
The physical assessment conducted by the health care provider was complete and it
involved the following; inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation (Magee, 2008). The
assessment also included collecting information about the patient’s medical history and lifestyle,
carrying out laboratory tests and screening for diseases and interviewing. The physical
assessment was complete and correct because the provider used the right equipments and carried
out the procedures in the right way. For example, the provider ensured that he did not listen to
the lungs through clothing so as to ensure he got the correct results (Bickley, & Szilagyi, 2012).
The provider ensured he observed the patient’s appearance, general health, behavior and measure
weight and height. This included checking for the pulse, breathing rate, body temperature and
blood pressure. The results are also recorded for these examinations. The provider then carries
out an examination on the skin, head, eyes, ears, nose and sinuses, mouth and pharynx, neck,
breasts and armpits, information about the nervous system can also be checked and the internal
organs are also examined (Bickley, & Szilagyi, 2012).
The provider ensured that the patient changed from their street clothes into the patient
gown so that all the tests and examinations can be carried out properly (Bickley, & Szilagyi,
2012). This is a medical requirement when examination procedures are being carried out in
order to ensure that hygiene is maintained and prevent cross infection because the patient gown
Critique of last physical assessment 5
is disinfected. This is also important so as to ensure patient’s comfort during examination and an
additional sheet was also provided to the patient to cover up herself. It is also much easier for the
provider to carryout examinations and accuracy is guaranteed (Bickley, & Szilagyi, 2012). If
tests were to be carried out with the patient dresses in their street clothing then this would tamper
with the results leading to wrong medication. The complete and correct physical examination
ensures that the health status of the patient is checked, good health is promoted, health
prevention, and comfort of the patient is also checked which promotes a good relationship
between the patient and the health care provider (Magee, 2008).
References
Bickley, L., & Szilagyi, P. G. (2012). Bates’ guide to physical examination and history-taking.
Wolters Kluwer Health.
Evans, R. C. (2008). Illustrated orthopedic physical assessment. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Magee, D. J. (2008). Orthopaedic physical assessment. Elsevier Health Sciences.