Community Assessment and Care Planning in Medication Compliance Essay

Community Assessment and Care Planning in Medication Compliance - Essay Example The assessment of the adverse side-effects of psychiatric drugs shall also be discussed in this paper. These issues are discussed in the hope of coming up with improved quality of life and improved treatment and interventions for mentally ill patients. The assessment of mental health patient is seen from the initial admission or consultation of the patient. From the initial visit, which includes recording the agreement of the patient to Mental Health Care Service, history-taking, mental state examination, assessing associated risks and any co-morbidities, and the formulation of the diagnosis, there are various issues and concerns that may manifest (Thomas, 2006). Assessment is vital to patient diagnosis and treatment. Good assessment makes for good medical practice because it is the jumping off point to further investigations on patient symptoms and manifestations. It is also the basis for suitable and prompt action and referral. These decisions in patient care would not be properly made if not for good assessment. Assessment of the mental health patient is vital in the course of their illness because â€Å"people with mental illnesses are likely to have their physical health needs poorly managed and are less likely to have their blood pressure, cholesterol, urine†¦checked† (Colbeck, 2008). The assessment of the mental health patient is not wholly focused on the initial examination of the patient. The assessment of the adverse effects of psychiatric medications is also crucial in caring for mentally ill patients. The CNS Forum (2004) discusses various tools of assessing the neuroleptic effects of psychiatric drugs being used by different clinicians and mental health caregivers. These tools are briefly described forthwith. First, is the Simpson-Angus Scale which is used to assess extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS). It is based on the observations made by the mental health professional.