Chapter 4: Screening for Medical Conditions and Adverse Drug Reactions 5 Contact Hours
By: Bradley W. Stockert, PT, PHD Learning objectives
After completing this course, the learner will be able to: Compare traditional and contemporary terminologies for differential diagnosis. Discuss components of the initial evaluation in screening patients for medical conditions. Course overview The purpose of this course is to train physical and occupational therapists and physical and occupational therapy assistants (referred to collectively in this course as therapists ) in how to identify clusters of clinical findings that suggest an adverse drug reaction or the presence of serious medical pathology beyond the scope of practice for a therapist, regardless of the practice setting. This course is designed for therapists with limited background or training in screening techniques who are Implicit bias in healthcare Implicit bias significantly affects how healthcare professionals perceive and make treatment decisions, ultimately resulting in disparities in health outcomes. These biases, often unconscious and unintentional, can shape behavior and produce differences in medical care along various lines, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic status. Healthcare disparities stemming from implicit bias can manifest in several ways. For example, a healthcare provider might unconsciously give less attention to a patient or make assumptions about their medical needs based on race, gender, or age. The unconscious assumptions can lead to delayed or inadequate care, misdiagnoses, or inappropriate treatments, all of which can adversely impact health outcomes. Addressing
Identify the components of a review of physiological systems, including general and specific health questions. Describe the key concepts in screening patients for cancer, including identifying risk factors. Describe the most common prescription and over-the- counter medications and associated adverse drug reactions. interested in learning how to screen patients for serious medical pathology and adverse drug reactions. This course offers the participant an opportunity to learn how to: 1. Take a more efficient and effective history. 2. Determine a patient’s risk factor profile. 3. Respond when the patient answers “yes” to one or more general health questions. implicit bias in healthcare is crucial for achieving equity in medical treatment. Strategies to combat these biases involve education and awareness programs for healthcare professionals. These programs help individuals recognize and acknowledge their biases, fostering a more empathetic and unbiased approach to patient care. Additionally, implementing policies and procedures prioritizing equitable treatment for all patients can play a pivotal role in reducing healthcare disparities. Ultimately, confronting implicit bias in healthcare is essential to creating a more just and equitable healthcare system where everyone receives fair and equal treatment regardless of their background or characteristics.
INTRODUCTION
The course begins by defining the term differential diagnosis as identifying a cluster of signs and symptoms that requires therapists to determine whether the best intervention is within their scope of practice or if the situation warrants communication with the patient’s physician or other healthcare team member. The process of determining a differential diagnosis is based upon many factors, including risk factor assessment, recognition of presenting signs and symptoms as typical/atypical, and a review of physiological systems. A discussion of symptom investigation is included and used as a basis for determining the presence of atypical signs and symptoms that require further assessment. Common symptoms of visceral diseases are presented and compared to typical symptoms related to a mechanical disorder in the musculoskeletal disorder. Adjunct (associated) symptoms are the secondary complaints that are often viewed as separate from the patient’s chief complaint. Adjunct symptoms can help the therapist screen for the presence of a comorbid condition, occult disease, and/or an adverse drug reaction that may have a direct impact on the intervention plan for the patient. Adjunct symptoms of significance may include any affirmative answer to the general health questions, but may also include many other symptomatic complaints such as a throbbing sensation, trouble sleeping, difficulty swallowing, epigastric pain, heart palpitations, sudden change in vision or hearing, bowel/ bladder incontinence, shortness of breath, or a new headache.
The therapist should also be alert to the presence of any skin rash or the report of any blood in the stool, urine, vomit, or sputum (American Physical Therapy Association [APTA], 2014; Goodman, Heich, & Lazaro, 2018). Specific information is provided to help the learner understand how to screen patients with a personal or family history of cancer. Risk factors, comorbidities, demographics, and social habits can be used to determine which patients have an elevated risk of cancer. This information is combined with the patient’s description of his or her symptoms to determine if the patient’s current symptomatic complaints are consistent with a mechanical problem or if the findings warrant the need for communication with the patient’s physician or another healthcare team member. The top 20 prescription drugs and most common over-the- counter medications in the United States are presented and discussed in relation to common diseases and comorbidities found in outpatient clinical settings. An adverse drug reaction is defined as an unintended consequence of taking a medication. Screening questions for assessing potential adverse drug reactions are provided. Information gained from the screening questions is combined with the patient’s signs, symptomatic complaints, and medical history to determine the potential presence of an adverse drug reaction. This intermediate level course will help the learner develop his or her ability to take an effective history and to use techniques to screen patients for the presence of clusters of clinical findings
EliteLearning.com/Physical-Therapy
Book Code: PTOH1324
Page 80
Powered by FlippingBook