Patient education is a staple procedure for healthcare providers, as they can save patients from poor health situations that can land them in hospital confinement. Although health workers survive through saving lives, having to see ill patients often is not something they want because it is ultimately something that can be prevented. If you are a professional in the healthcare industry, the 2020 flu season is an excellent opportunity to provide safety parameters and knowledge to patients.
The Flu is Severe, So Emphasize the Dangers
Often times, the flu is confused with common illnesses or just another period of being sick and not a fatal illness that may cost lives. They may feel like if they catch it, it will linger for a week or two, then slowly float back to normal. There are also medicines available that can reduce the severity of the symptoms, which puts confidence in people knowing that the flu is treatable via pharmaceutical methods. However, medical professionals say otherwise, as the high costs of medicines like Tamiflu are not worth it due to only being slightly effective.
The flu can be extremely fatal in children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems. Bearing this in mind, it is extremely important to start patient education through statistics on flu occurrences and fatalities released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to preliminary results and estimates, it was found that from October 2019 to January 2020, 14 million Americans were affected by the flu, while 6.5 million sought medical care to treat it. Additionally, there were up to 150,000 hospitalizations and around 12,000 deaths because of it.
If patients appear too casual about treating the flu as a threat, it would be great to remind them of proper demographics on the impact of the flu on the healthcare industry.
Explain How the Flu Spreads
Although it may seem like common knowledge that handwashing is the single most effective way to combat viruses and bacteria to prevent falling ill, it, unfortunately, is not. Hands and wrists must be scrubbed with anti-bacterial soap for at least 20 seconds before rinsing because flu viruses are normally spread through touch. It may also help to educate patients on diseases that have animal origins, such as African swine fever in pigs. Although they start with animals mostly, they can eventually spread to people in many ways, like tick bites and contact with human environments.
Keep in mind that when talking about the flu, it is also important to remind patients to practice safe techniques to avoid infecting other people. Should a facemask be unavailable, a good practice is to sneeze and cough into elbows rather than hands, or into a disposable tissue that can be safely discarded. This will prevent the hands from amassing bacteria that will rub off on doorknobs and other surfaces causing germs to spread.
It cannot be stressed enough that if a person is experiencing symptoms relative to the flu, it is advisable to stay home and try to avoid contact with others. The issue is that many individuals attempt to maximize their daily routines and tasks until they have no choice but to rest. Staying home to recover is the ideal way, as it prevents health from deteriorating and keeps others safe at the same time.
Remove the Shroud Around the Flu Shot
Influenza viruses are a prime target for most health experts, as they work yearly to provide a better and more effective vaccine each time. The fact remains that there are still many misconceptions about getting vaccinated for any kind of disease. A lot of news, both false and informative, is available on the internet. These kinds of healthcare articles may be damaging to the industry, and it is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to inform the public about the truth.
Conclusion
The flu is undoubtedly a threat to human lives, but the problem is that not enough people are aware of its implications. The job of the healthcare industry is to promote the safety of the population through asserting tried and tested health strengthening methods.
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