Adherence To Health Care Case Study

Antivirals are the treatment for HIV and presently there is no known cure. Treatment most often involves combinations of different drugs to avoid creating strains of the virus that are immune to single drug treatments (Mayo Clinic, 2013). The number of CD4 or T cells monitors treatment response. The viral load should be undetectable while undergoing antiviral therapy. The count is checked when treatment starts and usually monitored every 3-6 months. Even if someone has an undetectable viral load, the spreading of HIV is still a possibility.

The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome denotes a spectrum of conditions that are caused by the HIV virus. Infection with this disease does not result in the instant occurrence of the related signs and symptoms. However, an individual is likely to experience flu-like symptoms after he or she is infected with it. Eventually, the person experiences a prolonged period of apparent health with no visible signs. On progression, the infection adversely interferes with the immune system of the individual. The weakening of the body’s defense system increases the risk of recurrence of common infections and opportunistic illnesses that

(Patton 47) AIDs is a very complex retrovirus that replicates in an individual’s DNA. It becomes a part of the genetic code and houses itself in a cell, primarily the T-4 cell. (Patton 47) It is not a living organism like bacteria or a parasite so it is incurable and cannot be treated by using antibiotics like other sexual transmitted infections (STIs) like Syphilis or Gonorrhea. A virus cannot be cured, so doctors treat HIV infected individuals with immune suppression to keep the virus from spreading throughout the body. Drugs created in the 21st century such as Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PReP) protect individuals who practice high-risk behavior or have a dangerously low functioning immune system from getting the virus. Research in the 1980s was very scarce and underfunded for AIDs medicines however.

There have been 4,043 reported diagnosed cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection (HIV) per 100,000 populations. Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks a specific white blood cell called T- helper cells which are used to fight off infection. As the virus destroys the t- helper cells, it replicates, destroying the immune system of the individual. Individuals who have the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection will have to constantly take medication to suppress the spread of the disease. If left untreated it will become very difficult for the individual’s body to fight off the virus resulting in death.

The population is plagued by many chronic diseases, most of which is maintain by medications. Medication noncompliance whether by choice or inconsistent use, leads to exacerbations and lengthy hospital stays. These hospital stays get costly and detract from revenue generation and increases loss of productivity. One way to decrease hospital admissions is through the use of mHealth tools to help patients become more responsible and consistent with medication use.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if not treated (About HIV/AIDS, n.d). Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot fully rid itself of HIV completely, even with treatment. Simply put, once you contract HIV, you have it for life. This disease attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system stave off infections. When left to its own devices, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to

What is HIV? It is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS if not treated. The Kaiser Family Foundation (2008), states that HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight off infections. If left untreated, it reduces the number of T-Cells in the body, making the person more likely to get other infections. Also noted is the fact that HIV destroys so many of these cells that it renders the body helpless in fighting off the infections, while it takes advantage of the weaker immune system. This occurrence is part of the

ART involves taking a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV regimen) every day, exactly as prescribed.

In my personal opinion, patient compliance is the measurement of acceptance to the treatment provided by their healthcare professionals. A patient compliance or noncompliance can be factored by many variables, such as patient’s understanding of their treatment, their diagnosis, their cultural, background and personal beliefs or even their own research of their diagnosis. According to The Patients’ Adherence article, “Nonadherence carries a huge economic budget. Yearly expenditure for the consequences of nonadherence have been estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of US dollars. Estimates of hospitalization costs due to medication nonadherence are as high as $13,35 billion annually in the US alone.” (Martin, Williams, Haskard, & DiMattero,

Non-adherence has adverse implications in regards to a variety of clinical conditions. Cardiovascular disease is a serious healthcare issue and accounts for approximately 1 million deaths annually in the United States. In addition, approximately 5.7 million people in the United States suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. According to Iuga & McGuire (2010), non-adherence among patients with cardiovascular disease stands at about 50% and causes adverse progression in the intensity of cardiovascular-related complications. Non-adherence among patients with cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. Medication is the primary form of treatment for patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Treatment development focused on limiting the virus' ability to transcribe and replicate copies of itself within the host cell. Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme coded by the virus RNA. Reverse transcriptase (RT) allows the RNA to make a functioning DNA copy that is inserted into the host cell DNA and begin manufacturing copies of new viral RNA identical to the strands in the initial viron. RT is found only in retroviruses and focus on AIDS treatment has been on inhibiting the function of RT in HIV action within a host cell( Furman, P. A. Fyfe, J. A. St.Clair, M. H.; Wenhold, J. Rideout, J. L., Broder, S., Mitsuya, H.; Barry, D. W. 1985).

Adherence to pharmacotherapy is the basis of treatment success of chronic illnesses. The association between advance practice nurses and their patients as it relates to successfully managing their health care regime is important on many levels. One basic viewpoint is that of failure in adherence to medication will impact optimum health and affect wellbeing. According to Jimmy and Jose (2011) The prescription of medication is necessary to treat an assortment of medical problems to ensure treatment success. According to Brown and Bussell (2011) and Hovstadius and Petersson (2011) Roughly 50 percent of patients do not take their medication as prescribed. As per the World Health Organization (2003), "the extent to which a person behaves, that is, taking medication, diet recommendations related to suggestions from a health care provider" is known as adherence.

Adherence to a treatment is one of the most important things that patients can do to restore their health. The reason for non-adherence might be due to a variety of factors, perhaps in this scenario the treatment is very long and complex. But, the consequences for the lack of adherence will be a load not only to the patient, but also to health care providers, and to society. Health care providers are regularly faced with dilemma, therefore it is important for them to be aware of their value system and be dedicated to it.

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. A member of a group of viruses called retroviruses, HIV infects human cells and uses the energy and nutrients provided by those cells to grow and reproduce. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off certain infections, known as "opportunistic infections," and other illnesses that take advantage of a weakened immune system. When a person is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and lives and multiplies primarily in the white blood cells. These are the immune cells that normally protect us from disease.

The emergence of drug-resistant strains of human immunodeficiency virus( HIV) and treatment failure can result from non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). (Michel Morin;2000)