4. Case Study
Mrs. Holmes is a 50-year-old woman who is employed in a large corporation. She travels a great deal. Her employer requires her to have a routine physical examination every two years. During a recent checkup, she was found to have elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Her blood pressure was also elevated.
When the physician performs a history, she finds that Mrs. Holmes eats on the run, exercises rarely, and smokes two packs of cigarettes a day. She is adopted and does not know her family history.
a. How would you apply the determinants of health to Mrs. Holmes case? Remember to focus on the determinants of health and not solutions or care plans.
b. What level of health care did Mrs. Holmes access and why?
c. How would you describe Mrs. Holmes’s health?
d. Identify at least three determinants (reasons) for her health.
5. “Health” is very complex and political, social and economic forces affect health. Respond to the following questions regarding determinants of health.
a. Is it possible to prioritize determinants of health?
b. When you last practiced, did you consider determinants of health when you interacted with patients? If yes, which determinants were considered?
c. How much can patients control? What determinants can a patient control?
d. How do we work with patients and clients to support the changes that are necessary for improved health?
e. To what degree can health care policies influence determinants of health?
Module 6 – The Canadian Health Care System: Provincial Delivery of Health Care
6. For the following two patients, discuss what resources are available in your province and what strategies you would consider in providing care or information. Use a problem-solving approach and discuss how you would respond to the patient’s concerns. Discuss the communication techniques you would use. Refer to the determinants of health in your response.
Case Study
Donna tells you that her husband has a gambling problem, and she thinks he is addicted to narcotics.
Case Study
The parents of a 4-year-old with asthma cannot afford the medication their doctor has prescribed. They both work but do not have drug insurance.
7. How are the concepts highlighted in these three modules different from your experience and education?
8. How does this difference challenge you?
9. What do you have to know or do differently to be successful in the Canadian health care system, culture, and context?
