Please respond to discussion below:

Screening is the process of identifying the potential presence of a disease in individuals who have not yet shown any symptoms of it. By identifying diseases at an early stage, when treatment is often more effective, screening aims to stop related sickness or death. Examples of screening tests include urinalysis, Pap smears, mammograms, clinical breast examinations, and mammography (Nayak et al., 2021). Here I share my experience with disease screening and provide suggestions on handling individuals who are apprehensive about being tested for a specific condition.

         My experience has taught me that it is essential to get examined for disorders that might be fatal, such as congenital hypothyroidism and breast cancer, which can have severe and protracted effects if left untreated. A disease’s chances of being successfully treated increase if therapy starts before symptoms appear. For instance, if cancer cells are present in the cervix, it takes them more than ten years to spread. A pap smear may identify cancer at a pre-invasive stage, even without symptoms. “Level 0” is the name of this level. Treatment is likely more effective if the cancer has not progressed to other bodily regions.

         On the other hand, regardless of the stage of the illness at which treatment is begun, the prognosis for lung cancer remains dismal. It seems that therapy administered after the beginning of symptoms does not seem to extend a person’s life any longer than early identification and treatment. Lung cancer cannot be discovered in the early stages using the screening techniques that are now available. A significant fraction of the population under study must have the illness in its preclinical stage. It relates to the screening program’s expense relative to the number of occurrences it discovered and how well it forecasts the future. It is possible that some individuals will not gain anything by taking part in initiatives for diagnosing rare illnesses. It is feasible that this method will save the lives of numerous individuals. Priority should be given to less costly therapies for disorders that impact more individuals due to limited resources since they will benefit more people. Even when saving lives comes first, this is true.

         However, screening for illnesses with a low incidence rate may save money if the test cost is less than the cost of treating the condition if it is identified too late. For instance, phenylketonuria, often known as PKU, is a very uncommon illness that, if left untreated, may have terrible long-term effects. One kid in every 15,000 births has PKU, a highly uncommon birth abnormality (Raymaekers et al., 2020). If PKU is not treated, it may seriously harm the brain, but it can be avoided by making dietary modifications. Several states, including New York, mandate the PKU screening test for all infants due to its simplicity, dependability, and affordability (Martins et al., 2020). There needs to be a screening procedure you can trust. Suitable tests are affordable, simple to use, painless, safe, and acceptable to patients and healthcare professionals. They are also sensitive and specific enough. In order to complete all diagnostic testing, individuals with positive findings should also undergo the proper follow-up treatment.

         Patients can experience anxiety while undergoing certain illnesses’ diagnostic procedures. The nurse has to be ready to respond appropriately when anything like this occurs. Learning about the elements that lead to patient fear is one approach. Another argument for the patient’s behavior is that they were not adequately educated, which is only one of several causes for why they acted in this manner. In this situation, the physician must take the initiative to inform the patient of the importance of the examination and how it would advance their health. Another place to start is to imagine yourself in their situation (Nayak et al., 2021). Using this method, the nurse can pinpoint the primary source of the patient’s worry and treat it effectively. Putting yourself in the patient’s position may also help you treat a challenging case.

         In conclusion, regular frailty evaluations performed by nurses during admission may help detect geriatric hazards and challenges early. For various reasons, some individuals hesitate to undergo screening for specific medical disorders. Nurses must devise successful treatment plans for these patients, including giving patients the proper information.