Question

Describe two (2) benefits and two (2) risks of hormone therapy?

Do the benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risk? Provide rationale with evidence based data from the literature.

What is one potential alternative to hormone therapy for this patient? Provide rationale to explain how this alternative may be beneficial for this patient.  

Describe how you will incorporate the QSEN pre-licensure Patient Centered Care competency into assisting this patient to make an informed decision on the most appropriate plan of care for her.

Answer 1

BENEFITS OF HORMONE THERAPY:-

1. The changes that occur during menopause have adverse effects on women, placing them an increased risk of artherosclerosis, angina and coronary artery disease. The HORMONE THERAPY is beneficial in reducing theses symptoms and helpful in prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
2. Improvement in urogenital symptoms: The hormone therapy helps in improving the symptoms related to vaginal atrophy. Topical oestrogen is effective in improving urinary symptoms in menopausal women.

RISKS OF HORMONE THERAPY:-

1. Women who used hormone therapy are at a risk of thromboembolic phenomena along with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
2. Endometrial biopsy is indicated for women who use this therapy and have a irregular bleeding.
3. Risk of BREAST CANCER is increased in women on this treatment.
4. Osterogen only Hormone therapy substantially increase the risk of endometrial cancer in women.

Do the benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risk? Hormone Therapy is mainly used in women to treat the menopausal symptoms. It has more risks than benefits such as heart disease, breast cancer, stroke and blood clots. Thus, its risks overweighs the benefits and it has also a risk of developing endometrial and ovarian cancer. So hormone therapy has more risks and benefits.

Alternative to hormone therapy:-  Natural alternative methods can be used by the women in the replacement of Hormone Therapy to reduce the health risks. These methids include diet, vitamins and exercise.

• menopause may cause the risk of osteoporosis so it can treated with vitamin D and calcium.
• Problematic hot flashes can be treated with venlafaxine, paroxetine, gabapentin and clonidine.
• Vitamin B in doses of less than 200mg has been found to relieve some distressing menopausal symptoms.
• Natural estrogens and progestrones are used to treat the symptoms.

QSEN pre-licensure Patient Centered Care competencies:-  The main goal is to provide quality care to the patient with proper skills and safety.

Main competencies used in patient care is as follows:

• PATIENT CENTERED CARE:- Recognize patient, his preferences, needs and values and provide compasionate and coordinated care.
• TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION:- Work in collaboration with other team members to provide quality care and to make effective care plan for the patient.
• EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE:- Integrate the evidences with clinical expert team to provide optimal care.
• QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: Improve the quality and quantity of the care provided to the patient by continuously improving the practice standards within the organization.
• SAFETY:- Minimize the risk of harm to patient and the health care providers by effectiveness and indiviual performance.
• INFORMATICS: Use information and technology to share and increase the knowledge of the care provider amd to reduce the error and support decision making.