What are the social implications to diagnoses with a poor prognosis and low life expectancy? Ignore for a moment the fact that many conditions with a lower life expectancy (eg: Down’s Syndrome) have a number of health implications which in themselves have a huge socioeconomic impact. What are the implications of simply ‘dying early’?
A fellow pupil of mine at school had cystic fibrosis: an autosomal recessive genetic disease that affects respiratory function and digestion. There is no cure for CF and, although prognosis has improved due to screening (earlier diagnosis) and access to healthcare in the UK, the median life expectancy for someone with CF in the UK is still only 41. Statistics such as these are freely available and patients and their families are encouraged to discuss them with health care professionals.
What are the psychosocial implications of a diagnosis such as this on 1) the individual, 2) their family, 3) the friends they disclose their diagnosis too 4) the society they live in. It’s hard to imagine the psychological impact ‘dying early’ will have on the patient, family and friends. But what are the impacts on society? Could it have effects on a country’s workforce in numbers and motivation? Could it increase the burden on mental health, education and social services?
Extrapolating this idea further, will ‘dying early’ caused by the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions with poor prognosis (eg: poorly controlled diabetes) have social, cultural and economic implications?
