HNA isn’t a term that you commonly hear thrown around in our day-to-day lives, but in the case of cancer patients in clinics, this term holds an extremely important meaning. An HNA (standing for Holistic Needs Assessment), is a set of questions that take special care to target any concerns a patient may have about their sickness, diagnosis, or treatments. This video gives a run-down on what exactly is entailed in an HNA and gives an excellent example of a patient coming in for cancer treatments.
Cancer can be a traumatic and scary diagnosis for anybody, and doctors are there to help. HNAs ask questions in regards to emotional, spiritual, and mental health so your doctor knows what best to say to encourage and support you through treatments.
Treatments may be changed or updated to take the patient’s situation into account. Financial struggles are often a big source of stress in patients, and an HNA can help the doctor and patient connect better in an understanding of the situation. HNAs are an excellent example of how holistic care is being more integrated in treatments around the world.
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