Someone said it so correctly that there is nothing more beautiful than good health and a bad memory. Good health is not achieved by just wishing. One has to work really hard to achieve his ideal body and become free from the risk of dangerous illnesses.
The health risk is the chance that a person might carry a certain disease within a certain course of time.
What is health risk assessment??
Health risk assessment is the assessment of a person which helps to have an idea of the possible risk of developing or not developing any chronic disease.
Health risk assessment is not a casual term of methodology. Health risk assessment also abbreviated as HRA is a method recommended by the center for disease control. It is a very systematic approach to the patient where he is assessed for all the possible risks.
Importance of Health risk assessment
Health risk assessment is done for a number of important purposes.
It is done to know the general status of a person at present.
Health risk assessment is done to identify the risks and devise methods to prevent the risk in the form of diet, lifestyle, or any other possible form.
Risk assessment is also done for research purposes to know the association of risk factors with certain diseases.
Health risk assessment form
The health risk assessment form as already mentioned is filled in a very meticulous way and is aimed to get a good idea of a man’s current health and most importantly, his future possible health.
- The first portion is the general introductory portion of the patient where his identity is established.
- The second portion of the health risk assessment form consists of medical history. Any history or chronic medical illness like hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, or any other respiratory or systemic disease is mentioned here if found positive. History of cancer in the past is also inquired.
- History of blood and products transfusion, drug history, history of allergies to any food, drug, season, or substance, and history of depression, bipolar disorder, stroke, and cardiac diseases is also written in the medical history.
- If the person being assessed is a female, gender-specific history is also asked like the history of Pap smear, breast examination or cancer, cervical cancer, or any other gynecological history all mentioned in this portion for a female patient.
- General overall well-being is asked about the patient’s own feelings about his health. How does he feel about himself, if he is on therapy for some mental or physical state?
- Nutritional status is also inquired. This also can be used to correlate with the look and build of the patient and is used for further management and follow-up.
- Lifestyle is one of the very important aspects of health risk assessment because this is the main reason that defines risk and possesses the power to change it.
- The lifestyle questionnaire includes a history of smoking, alcoholism, or drug abuse. His eating habits and exercise routine also come in the lifestyle and also the social relations and his relationship with his family and peers which indirectly but effectively affects one’s health.
