MRS100 Professional Fundamentals For the Radiation Practitioner

What is the basic definition of health, and what is the definition of disability? Explain how these might affect the role of the medical radiation science practitioner.

Answer:

Introduction  

Health of a person is defined as a state of being mentally, physically, socially and spiritually sound in his living environment and possessing the ability to demonstrate his full potential (Sharma, 2016). While disability is a developmental condition including physical or mental state that prevents a person to engage in his daily activities. It is to remember that disability is not simply a health condition but rather a complicated phenomenon between the person’s ability and his living environment (Goodley, 2016). Medical radiation science practitioners are health professionals who execute diagnosis of the patients by using various forms of radiation. The report deals with the affect of health and disability on the role of a medical radiation science practitioner. The report further elaborates on the methodology and the attitude of the radiation practitioner when dealing with a patient who has special needs.

Discussion

In the field of healthcare, the radiation practitioners are required to provide proper care and respect to their patients at all time without any prejudice. There is a certain level of difference when the practitioner is dealing with a patient with oncological symptoms and a disabled patient with oncological symptoms. The approach to the diagnosis, attitude and experience of the practitioner are the determining factors when dealing with either kind of patients. For any patient, the practitioner should ensure that he gives suitable radiation treatment based on clinical need and not provide any unnecessary services. He should encourage the patients to share with him his clinical problems and discuss with him the possible measures that need to be taken. When dealing with disabled patients, the practitioner should pay particular attention to communication. There should be an element of extra alertness because any misunderstood information may lead to incorrect diagnosis. He should be aware that the patient might be at a greater risk in terms of developing any side effect of radiation therapy. With his knowledge of human anatomy, the practitioner should position the patient accordingly during the chemotherapy and apply radioactive criteria to evaluate the images (Moore et al., 2016). He should ensure that a height adjustable table be provided to the disabled patient. During certain examinations, it is difficult for a spastic patient to lie still; so the practitioner should support him with pillows or wedges to ensure no movement occurs. During mammography examination, a patient is typically needed to stand up. For patients with mobility problem, they might need to sit on a chair with locking wheels and an adjustable back. In addition, during weight measurement the practitioner should have a large scale to fit the wheelchair and strong enough to bear the weight of both patient and wheelchair.  

Adequate training of the radiation practitioner is very crucial, since he should be well aware as how to deal with disabled patients and to modify his techniques to fit the patients’ needs. Post radiation therapy of the patient, the radiation practitioner should inform the patients about the dos and don’ts that they should follow. He should offer them guidance on diet and physical activity so that they can progress towards a healthy lifestyle (Silverman, Kurtz & Draper, 2016).

Conclusion 

A healthy relationship between a patient and a medical practitioner is very important for the correct diagnosis of the patient. This includes effective communication and adapting oneself to cater to the patients’ needs. A disabled patient has to be handled much more skilfully by the practitioner and he has to ensure that he has the suitable medical equipment for the diagnosis. He should avoid discrimination of patients at all costs and realize it is duty to promote the well-being of his patients.

References

Goodley, D. (2016). Disability studies: An interdisciplinary introduction. Sage.

Moore, G., Durstine, J. L., Painter, P., & American College of Sports Medicine. (2016). ACSM's Exercise Management for Persons With Chronic Diseases and Disabilities, 4E. Human Kinetics.

Sharma, M. (2016). Theoretical foundations of health education and health promotion. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. 

Silverman, J., Kurtz, S., & Draper, J. (2016). Skills for communicating with patients. CRC Press.