Modeling Strategic Decisions - Essay Example

Modelling Strategic Decisions Resit Assignment Modeling Strategic Decisions Resit Assignment Titus Rock Manickam Order No. 236282 16 August 2008 Table of Contents Terms of Reference.3 Introduction3 The contents of a health questionnaire.5 Mental ailments.5 What is Depression...6 Discriminant Analysis Model7 Large scale application.8 Conclusion..9 Sources..10 Health Format in Excel (Sent separately) Modeling Strategic Decisions Resit Assignment Terms of Reference Health issues arising from factors as diverse as emotions, illness and debilitating habits have been classified and preserved for further study and observation by medical institutions. While this exercise has helped in large measure to treat groups of patients with identical medical issues, a specific group of people exist whose medical history and treatment are unique and static to the individual because no two individuals, even within the group, are alike nor have similar medical history although their symptoms may appear to be identical. Thus, the importance of individual medical records cannot be underestimated. They help the general medical practitioner close in on the right medicines and line of treatment. It helps in a very big way to find out a patient's medical problem and history by formulating the right set of questions. This goes a long way in profiling the patient's health status and drawing up the ideal life style, diet regimen and medical treatment. Of all ailments, depression is one disease which takes toll on mental health and can turn out to become a killer too, if not treated on time. Introduction Good health is the key to happiness. A healthy lifestyle leads to both good health and happiness. However, not everyone is aware of this simple truth. Tradition, culture and social acceptance causes an individual to follow dietary and customary norms all of which may not be ideally suitable. For instance, a large number of people consume liquor and narcotic substance like cigarettes fully aware these are not good for health. Also, thanks to technological advances, life has become so comfortable very few feel the need to tone up the physical body with adequate physical workout. Leave alone alcohol and smoking, diet consisting of fast food as also cholesterol-rich food, eatables containing high fat proportions and other ingredients intended to enhance and preserve taste but harmful to health are available across counters and even unwittingly prepared in homes, leave damaging effects on health that may not be immediately felt, but in the long term become health hazards. Consequently, sooner or later, the body gives way. The damage may not be visible. But internally, sedentary muscles and organs, disproportionate body fats, and intoxicants, wreck invisible disasters that make their presence felt in various forms of illness and ailments. In the circumstances, it is necessary to acquire the correct body profile and deal with the debilitating effects of degeneration and self-neglect. Often, it is difficult to consider a body profile in times when the body seems to be doing all right. But it is critically important to have thorough body check up done on a regular basis even when the going is good. The proverbial stitch in time saves nine! The ideal time to do a health check up is now. A thorough format requiring information about health issues and habits is a giant step towards conservation of good health. It is the precursor to the times of good health and happiness in the days and years ahead. The contents of a health questionnaire What are the contents of an ideal health questionnaire Naturally, the first thing that pops up in the mind is the specific health problem bothering you and me. It is quite plain that anyone with a specific problem will want to be rid of the problem and return to normalcy. There is no question about the need to be rid of the problem first. Nonetheless, a thorough analysis is necessary to get to the bottom of the problem. Such analysis lays threadbare the causes and effects of the complete health order and disorders including potentially threatening symptoms and fault lines as they exist within the patient's personal domain. Quite often the most difficult ailments to detect are the ones that victimize a person quickly after the first few attacks without any trace of evidence or warning. Once they take roots, they destabilize the body and mental structures from which at times the point of return to good health becomes difficult to reach. In public interest, health authorities must make it mandatory for citizens to undergo medical check up at regular intervals. Mental ailments Mental ailments are more common and wreck havoc in the life of a person who may be physically fit and normal otherwise. While physical illness and injuries are easier to diagnose and heal faster, mental and emotional disorders require the combined efforts of general practitioners, psychiatrists and neurologists. The questionnaire takes into account inherent underlying causes leading to mental stress and depressions. Emotional therapies take longer to diagnose and heal. For the purpose of record the questionnaire must address personal information such as name, age, gender, occupation, marital status, hobbies and extra curricular activities. The second line of questions will go deeper into personal traits and complexities and dig into personal and religious beliefs. Normally they are meant to extricate information about the person's habits and preferences. The third line of questions will go into health aspects including illness and ailments afflicting the person. What is Depression Depression is the biggest form of mental ailment. Women are two to three times more prone to depression problems than men. Science has not fully comprehended the causes for depression. Research studies about the brain have provided important facts and clues about the role and functions of various parts of the brain and its connection with blood cells and nerves. Part of the functions of blood cells and nerves are transmission of information from every nook and corner of the body to the brain. Medical scientists possess vital information about the brain and its various functions. However, they are still groping in the dark about many issues to do with depression. The cause of depression is as diverse and interlinked as genetic disorders to environmental incompatibility and physiological inconsistencies. Depression triggers and/or aggravates a host of other illness and ailments such as headache, heart problems, diabetes, digestive malfunctions, backaches, and even mood swings. (The Anatomy of Depression) An early diagnosis can play a strategic and useful role in warding off the causes and effects of depression through proper counseling and medical care. Discriminant Analysis Model The discriminant analysis model is a scientific method of using a patient's profile through observation of factors such as age, gender, marital status, occupation and income, health history and using the information to foresee the kind of ailment (in terms of depression) s/he is likely to face in the near future. This model performs this function through professional observation and treatment of similar symptoms and ailments over the years. The medical history of the patient of the immediate preceding one year is critical to draw analysis and prescribe medical treatment, dietary regimen and physical workouts. The analysis model goes into the type of illness and ailment and the type of treatment and dietary prescriptions/recommendations made by the medical practitioner. This model assumes significant importance in the current living conditions and individual work related stress, personal indulgences and environmental conditions. Its use has global potentials due to changing work place demands owing to fast evolving economic conditions. A specimen of the discriminant analysis model is shown in Appendix 1. Large scale application The discriminant analysis model is useful not only for individual cases but also for wide scale application to get the big picture of a given location in regard to its demography, general health of the population, specific recurrent ailments, periodic and long term diseases, the segment of population more prone to any specific disease, the identity of such diseases, and the line of treatment followed by most hospitals. It is specifically suited to medical examination and treatment carried out across a wide swathe of the population hailing from different social and economic background. The model divides the population in a single location on the basis of gender, background, occupation, income, and health history and slots them according to their age, gender, occupation, income, health history, etc. Its intrinsic need could be gauged from the prevalence of diseases like heart ailments, diabetes, blood pressure, all of which find common cause with depression. The discriminant analysis model helps understand health issues in a specific zone and its reach among the population strata. For example, in cities the world over diseases like heart disorders and diabetes are prevalent due to life styles, work related stress, and eating habits. These ailments begin to predominantly set in among aging population. In recent times, they have been making their presence felt among younger generation. With such vital statistics in possession, it becomes relatively easy to track causes and effect remedial measures. The model also serves to disseminate information on health related issues and recommend measures to the general population in the specific area. Conclusion Health issues are assuming disproportionate characteristics, thanks to advancing technologies, availability of means for more comfortable living standards at one extreme and the consequent disastrous extreme at the other end as a result of intolerably high levels of wastage and deteriorating living standards facing the very poor in third world countries. In such situations, health issues have to be addressed on war footing. The world has become a global village and issue like the greenhouse effect along with deteriorating polluting factors of air, water and soil threaten to make living conditions worse if large scale measures are not undertaken to restore natural environs as much as possible. People seek contentment and happiness. Everybody is entitled to these God given gifts. There are hospitals, health departments, dispensaries, health institutions devoted to the cause of human health and welfare. Nature has bestowed man with every means to achieve contentment. Perhaps man has overstepped nature in certain areas that need correction. Sources: David W. Stockburger, Discriminant Function Analysis, Multivariate Statistics: Concepts, Models and Applications, http://www.psychstat.missouristate.edu/multibook/mlt03.htm The Anatomy of Depression, Health Talk, http://www2.healthtalk.com/go/mental-health/depression/slideshow/the-anatomy-of-depression Benefits, The Coalition for Natural Health, http://www.naturalhealth.org/benefits/benefits.asp Read More