A Descriptive Study of the Patient Orientation Program Given at Veterans Administration Hospital, Castle Point, New York January 2, 1949—December 31, 1949
Abstract
Chronic disease is a problem of ever-increasing importance. The problem involves the patient, his doctor, associated medical services, and the community. The factor of long-term illness in chronic disease has reflected on the ability of the sick person to make full use of his capacities as an individual. Physical resources are weakened by the illness. The chronicity and long-term nature of the illness often deteriorates his psychological resources. The physical and psychological enervation present a serious problem to those who have the responsibility of returning the individual to successful living. Background of the Study. The nature and implications of chronic disease offer a challenge to the patients and physicians. The patients cannot begin to achieve concrete results in rehabilitation unless they desire help in their illness. They may lack understanding of the nature and implications in their disease. They may have misconceptions about their innate capacities to reach some degree of rehabilitation. They may have negative attitudes induced by the shock of diagnosis, during which their physicians have interpreted the meaning of the illness in terms of chronicity and need for long-term treatment. The patients may fail to accept their total or partial invalidism due to the stresses of the economic and social situations and their personality weaknesses. Essentially they may lack the motivation to begin constructive progress in meeting the problem of their illness.
Subject Area
Social work|Social studies education|Health care management
Recommended Citation
Tillman, William Peter, "A Descriptive Study of the Patient Orientation Program Given at Veterans Administration Hospital, Castle Point, New York January 2, 1949—December 31, 1949" (1950). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30724991.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30724991
