Must Include health believe model
The outcomes of prescribing are affected by both inequalities in health and beliefs about health. The ways in which people respond to illness, its management or maintaining their health are influenced by their beliefs, access to health services, wider influences on health and the response of health practitioners. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2021) reflects these broader considerations for prescribing within its Prescribing Competency Framework:
2.9 Considers the wider perspective including the public health issues related to medicines and their use and promoting health.
3.2 Considers and respects patient diversity, background, personal values and beliefs about their health, treatment and medicines, supporting the values of equality and inclusivity and developing cultural competence.
3.4 Assesses adherence in a non-judgemental way; understands the reasons for non-adherence and how best to support the patient/carer.
You may choose to focus your assignment on health beliefs….
- How might the patient’s health beliefs influence your prescribing practice? Do the health belief models/theories explain all of your patient behaviours/beliefs? What is the influence of media?
- How might your beliefs or values influence your future prescribing practice? For example, are there situations where you may feel that your personal values may make you unwilling to initiate or continue a treatment with a particular therapy? How about diagnostic over-shadowing? Do you feel culturally competent?
- Based on these considerations, what strategies will you take to your future prescribing practice to ensure you explore and work with patient beliefs? Are there consultation models to help structure your interactions?
Or you may consider focusing more on health inequalities…..
- What are the specific health inequalities impacting on your patient group? For example, health/digital literacy, discrimination, stereotyping, access (what about the patients that do not access your service), poverty, housing, education, language?
- What is the impact of health inequalities on prescribing decision making? For example, are there variations in prescribing in your speciality that reflect cultural differences, variation in access to care, inequalities, privilege? Has the reduction in prescribing over the counter medications impacted on your patients?
- Based on these considerations, what strategies will you take to your future prescribing practice to ensure you consider health inequalities and work inclusively? Are there consultation models to help structure your interactions? Does social prescribing have any potential? Do you feel culturally competent? What is the impact of unconscious bias? Do you need to work closely with particular providers across sectors?