Kleinman's Explanatory Model: A Case Study

There can be many reasons of why a person will classify the reason for their medical condition or illness. Some think it may be contributed to genetics, while others look to find blame on a particular thing that would have caused the chronic condition. Thomas is a Hispanic male, a grandfather, in his early 80’s, with a medical condition called Diabetes. As Thomas became the head of a growing household, he began to learn more about his condition, and began to pose questions on the impact that it would have on his family. Kleinan’s explanatory model, can be utilized for a variety of situations in which the healthcare professional needs to learn more about the patient and their culture. In using Kleinman’s model to question Thomas’s medical condition,

As Thomas is now an older gentleman, he has had to rely on his family to help take him to his appointments for routine exams. This, he feels, seems like a burden on his family. At times, he does not want to discuss what he is going through in order to avoid having his family worry or “have” to take care of him. In all this, Thomas states he has “hope” that there will soon be a cure or remedy for Diabetes. An article he passed through, encouraged the use of a natural supplement that will decrease blood glucose levels. Thomas states that he will try anything that states will help Diabetes, even if it is not a proven remedy, as he is encouraged that with the medical research today, that there will soon be a discovery that can eliminate

It can be simple for the healthcare professional, to diagnose someone with a medical condition like Diabetes or hypertension. It also seems that most healthcare professionals act in a manner to dispense reading materials, as well as the equipment, whether its medication, a blood pressure cuff, and so on, and “direct” the patient of what they need to do for self-care. Although, there are many other factors that are missing to understand what the person feels has contributed to their condition, which can psychologically impact the person. The nurse can learn from another’s perspective in how they look at their health, and the impact that it has, which can guide the nurse to an approach that is sensitive, and allows a better relationship between the patient, nurse, and physician. As the interview concluded with Thomas, the reality of his condition seemed to not make a large impact for him. He has dealt with this medical condition for years, and knows that there is nothing that he could do to eliminate it, besides the hope of a new treatment. The concern he has, was how his medical condition would affect his offspring and his grandchildren, questioning if they will ever get Diabetes. His concern for his families well-being is something that he directs his faith to, and states that he prays each night that they will live healthy without any medical