Losses and adaptation to chronic disease: The contribution of health professionals

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic diseases lead to significant changes in the daily life and in the quality of life of patients and their families. The contribution of the health care professionals in the adaptation procedure of patients in the new life with the disease, in the informed consent and in the compliance to the therapeutic process is impor-tant. Aim: The aim of this review study is to present the losses that are experienced by the patients with chronic diseases, as well as the protective and the aggravating parameters of adaptation to chronic diseases. Purpose of this study is also to present the contribution of healthcare professionals to decision making process and to informed consent, as well as their contribution in pain and anxiety management concerning an upcoming surgery of chronic patients. Methodology: A literature review was conducted in printed and electronic sources. Studies in English language were searched in the PubMed and Scopus databases, by using the key-words “chronic diseases”, “healthcare professionals”, “adaptation”, “informed consent”, “psychological interactions” and “preoperative stress”. Results: The literature review has shown that people with chronic diseases suffer from significant losses in physi-cal, mental, occupational and social aspect. The adaptation to chronic diseases is a multilateral, demanding and changing process. Patients’ personal and social life is redefined, by the adaptation of new data that are depending by the interpretation of the diseases’ pathogenesis. In addition, studies point out the need of patients’ informed consent in the therapeutic process and identify the particular psychosynthesis of the preoperative patients with a chronic disease, by presenting methods of familiarization with the surgical environment, that are optimize the surgical outcome. Conclusions: Health care professionals play a key role in therapeutic procedures of patients and their relatives, mainly through informed consent. Patients’ and their families’ proper education is a necessary adaptation process that optimize the therapeutic outcome. © 2020, Hellenic Nurses Association. All rights reserved.