Therapeutic strategies are plans that determine the best treatment options fora patient’s conditions and specific needs. They are a joint effort designed by a patient’s entire team, including doctors, surgeons, therapists, and the patient’s caregivers. Each plan should be unique to the patient, as every patient has different needs and responds to treatments in different ways. The strategies also factor in the patient’s financial status or insurance plan to ensure that the patient has access to the recommended therapies.
Numerous different conditions, from depression to cancer, can benefit from therapeutic strategies. Even short-term conditions, such as acute respiratory diseases or surgical procedures, should involve some type of modified overall therapeutic plan to help the patient return to optimum physical health. While the strategies are designed by the medical staff involved, it is important that the patient and caregivers are also included because they will be responsible for follow through.
Patients’ primary care physicians usually oversee therapeutic strategies, because they are most familiar with the details regarding the condition. They outline the basics for the plan, including diagnoses, medications, and other prescribed treatments. The doctors are responsible for making major adjustments to the plans, including implementing new treatment methods as required.
Although doctors are responsible for the major decisions regarding therapeutic strategies, nurses play a significant role in ensuring that the strategies are working and implementing ways to help the patient adjust. A detailed nursing care plan that includes goals and interventions should be part of the therapeutic plan. Nurses often spend the most time with patients and can more easily monitor the effectiveness of each type of therapy. They are also more aware of whether or not the patients are following through with prescribed medications or medical advice.
Other types of therapists also cooperate with the medical team to determine the best therapeutic strategies. For example, if the patient suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and requires the services of a respiratory therapist, that therapist will add valuable input to the overall plan. Mental health therapists are often involved in cases involving depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders, while physical therapists are including in plans that require physical rehabilitation.
While the medical staff forms the groundwork for therapeutic strategies, the plans cannot be efficiently implemented without input from the patients and those responsible for their care. Therapeutic plans are useless if the patient is unable or unwilling to follow through on the treatments outlined. Plans designed for children in school should also include the child’s teachers and school administrators. By working together with everyone involved in the patient’s life, the entire team has the best chance of developing a strategy that is most beneficial to the patient.
