Essay Sample on Health Risk Appraisal Tool

Health Risk Appraisal tool is important as it enables the health care professionals in identifying lifestyle predispositions, choices, and other factors which can contribute to the health issues of a member (ArmijoOlivo et al., 2012). The tools do more than identifying the members at risk for the common diseases. The process helps a company helping the members partner with the healthcare professionals in implementing and designing a complete health plan that is based on the needs of an individual. The HRA includes sophisticated branching logic and it identifies the readiness to change, risk factors, and productivity.

The HRA that I completed is in form of a questionnaire. It helps in providing people with an evaluation of their quality of life and health risks (Ivanov & Blue, 2008). The HRA helps in collecting in collecting information from people while identifying the risk factors and it offers individualized feedback in promoting and links having one intervention in promoting health, sustaining function, and preventing a disease.

The tool played an important role in helping me identify physical activity, general health, nutrition, safety, emotional awareness, social and environmental wellness, mental wellness, intellectual wellness, occupational wellness, and values, spirituality, and beliefs. Through the assessment, I was able to identify what is required for the various items in the assessment and what a good health entails. The questions in the form were also straightforward which gave me an easy time when responding to them. I also identified the mistakes that I do in my daily life, for instance, I love using the elevators instead of walking once in a while to do some exercise.

The assessment was also beneficial as it helped me control and recognize the health hazards that may exist at my workplace. Through the assessment, I can create awareness among my co-workers and friends and use it as a training tool. The assessment can help a person to be more proactive than being reactive. In most cases, individuals the incidents that occur to the health of an individual are because of negligence and the mistakes people make (ArmijoOlivo et al., 2012). However, when one ensures that he or she is physically fit, friendly, and eat well suffering from the common diseases will be rare. Therefore, the assessment played an important role in enhancing the nutrition, mental wellness, intellectual wellness, occupational wellness, and values, spirituality, and beliefs of a person.

Although the assessment helped, it was supposed to have a risk score or calculation, and some type of feedback like face to face talk with a health advisor or even an automatic online report for one to know what he or she can do after the assessment (Ivanov & Blue, 2008). A good HRA incorporates the three elements. Even if the HRA had different sections and items it should have included items like demographic characteristics that include age and sex, family and personal medical history. Another item that should have been included is physiological data which includes height, cholesterol, height, and blood pressure.

The questionnaire was supposed to have a part that identifies the health problems of an individual and if they need immediate attention. Even though it had a section asking the general health of an individual with regards to tobacco products, breasts, testes, dentist, and skin. A good assessment should assess the health status, approximate level of health risk, inform an individual in offering feedback to the participants in motivating behavior change to help reduce health risks (Ricci, 2006).

References

ArmijoOlivo, S., Stiles, C. R., Hagen, N. A., Biondo, P. D., & Cummings, G. G. (2012). Assessment of study quality for systematic reviews: a comparison of the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool: methodological research. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 18(1), 12-18.

Ivanov, L. L., & Blue, C. L. (2008). Public health nursing: Leadership, policy, & practice. Australia: Delmar Cengage Delmar.

Ricci, P. F. (2006). Environmental and Health Risk Assessment and Management: Principles and Practices. Dordrecht: Springer.