Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
NUR 550 Topic 6 Discussion Questions
DQ 1
Evaluate a clinical preventative intervention designed to promote health and wellness for populations. Summarize the intervention and explain whether it has been successful. You will use the clinical preventative intervention you select for DQ2. Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
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DQ 2
Discuss how to integrate appropriate information and communication technologies for the clinical preventative intervention in DQ 1 to improve nursing practice and care delivery for individuals and populations.
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Topic 7 Discussions
DQ3
Identify two major policy issues that affect the current state of health care delivery and population health equity in the United States (may be state or federal). What impact do these population health policies and initiatives have on advanced nursing practice? Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
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DQ4
Select an effective current health policy that focuses on or affects population health. What components of this policy make it effective? Conduct research on its history and the factors that influenced its development.
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Topic 8 Discussions
DQ 5
Discuss the role of translational research in advancing equitable access to health care and preventative services and policies based on population health. Provide an example of a local health care policy that has been recently enacted and or is awaiting legislative passage that has been influenced by research.
( 1 reference) Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
DQ6
As an advanced registered nurse, discuss your future role in advocating for equitable population health services and policies. Do you anticipate any challenges or barriers to \”population advocacy\”? How would you meet these challenges?
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Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies Sample Answers
Overview of Quality Improvement in Healthcare
Healthcare organizations have a systematic framework that they use to improve care delivery to patients. These frameworks are a series of processes that are measurable and can be analyzed, improved, and controlled. Quality improvement in healthcare is critical because it enhances patient outcomes, reduces the patient’s per capita cost of care, and improves the health of populations while enhancing provider experience. A prominent approach used by healthcare givers in improving the quality of care is through redesigning primary care through focusing on patient-centered care. Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
Topic 6 Answers
DQ1: A Clinical Preventative Intervention Designed to Promote Health and Wellness for Populations
The clinical preventative intervention chosen is immunization/vaccination. Immunization is a clinical preventative strategy aimed at protecting populations from acquiring infectious diseases by vaccinating them. Vaccines have an effective rate of between 90-100% even though they may never work all the time (Thomson, et al., 2019).
Routine screening of diseases and scheduled immunizations help in reducing disabilities and death in populations. These two clinical services help in detecting and preventing illnesses and diseases. For example, dangerous illnesses and diseases such as polio, Flu, Tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, Measles, and Whopping cough among others have been successfully contained through vaccination. Some of these diseases, for example polio, are highly contagious and can quickly decimate populations.
References
- Thomson, K., Hillier-Brown, F., Walton, N., Bilaj, M., Bambra, C., & Todd, A. (2019). The effects of community pharmacy-delivered public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: a review of reviews. Preventive Medicine, 124, 98-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.04.003
DQ2: Integrating Appropriate Information and Communication Technologies for the Clinical Preventative Intervention in DQ 1
Healthcare organizations and the government must work in collaboration in ensuring an effective immunization process for communities. Populations must be made aware of serious illnesses/diseases that pose a threat to their lives. This awareness can be done by disseminating information to communities by way of social media advertisements, community meetings, and using technologies such as mobile phones.
Through their cellphones, people can get messages educating them about potential illnesses and diseases and how they can protect themselves from these diseases by a simple act of vaccination (Guignard et al., 2019). Similarly, government and healthcare partners can use social media which is highly popular to communicate with people about the merits of protecting themselves from acquiring dangerous diseases and illnesses by getting immunized. Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
References
- Guignard, A., Praet, N., Jusot, V., Bakker, M., & Baril, L. (2019). Introducing new vaccines in low-and middle-income countries: challenges and approaches. Expert Review Of Vaccines, 18(2), 119-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2019.1574224
Topic 7 Answers
DQ3: Two Major Policy Issues That Affect the State Of Health Care Delivery and Population Health Equity in the United States
- Health insurance- In America today, over 90% of Americans have a health insurance plan. Half of this figure gets their health coverage from their employers, a third derives their health insurance from government programs such as Medicaid while the remaining percentage gets their health coverage from individual markets. Health insurance is a critical health policy in America because it reduces the cost of healthcare to the American population.
- Quality and Access to Healthcare- Americans can choose from public or private healthcare depending on their economic situation. The individual economic situation of every American determines the type of care they get (Daniel, Bornstein, & Kane, 2018). Wealthy people in America have access to quality healthcare because they can afford to pay even for expensive procedures. The poor and minority groups such as African Americans do not have equal access to quality health compared to wealthy Americans. This disparity in the quality of health impacts negatively the delivery of health care. Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
References
Daniel, H., Bornstein, S. S., & Kane, G. C. (2018). Addressing social determinants to improve patient care and promote health equity: an American College of Physicians position paper. Annals of Internal Medicine, 168(8), 577-578.
https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0197
DQ4: A Health Policy That Focuses On or Affects Population Health
Education and income are the greatest predictors of health. Generally, educated people are more self-aware of their health and wellbeing compared to un-educated people (Islam, 2019). Thus, educated people take a great interest in bettering their health by adopting healthy living habits. People with stable jobs or high income can afford to pay for their healthcare whereas people with financial difficulties such as the jobless or low income-earners have do not have access to quality healthcare. Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
References
Islam, M. M. (2019). Social determinants of health and related inequalities: confusion and implications. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00011
Topic 8 Answers
DQ5: The Role of Translational Research in Advancing Equitable Access to Health Care
Translational research is critical in healthcare because it reduces healthcare disparities. In this context, translational research takes a pragmatic approach in enquiring and finding solutions to health problems by involving every member of society irrespective of their social and economic status (Hackenberg, 2018). In essence, translational research aims to bridge the gap in the disparity to equitable access to healthcare because it uses the partnership approach which ensures that different groups of participants are used in research notwithstanding their political stand, social and economic status. An example of a local health care policy that has been recently enacted and or is awaiting legislative passage that has been influenced by translational research is the study of cancer therapy. Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
References
Hackenberg, T. D. (2018). Token reinforcement: Translational research and application. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(2), 393-435. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.439
DQ6: The Role of a Nurse in Advocating For Equitable Population Health Services and Policies.
As an RN-Registered Nurse, one of my roles is to advocate for equitable health services to everyone. One critical way that nurses use to improve equality in health is through advocating for policy changes. To begin with, I would start by educating and reminding my fellow nurses that everyone deserves to access quality healthcare. This means that care should be given equitably irrespective of a person’s race or color (Murray, 2017 Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies).
Secondly, nurses can advocate for an end to the health disparities by demanding an end to racial segregation. For example, in America today, cities like Baltimore are highly segregated and resources are allocated according to racial divisions. Hospitals in white-dominated areas are allocated more resources compared to healthcare facilities in black-dominated areas. This practice leads to inequalities in health. As a nurse, I would continuously advocate for the government to adopt equal distribution of resources to all public health facilities irrespective of which communities they serve. Discussions: Quality Improvement Initiatives and Clinical Prevention Intervention and Health Policies
References
Murray, T. A. (2018). Overview and summary: Addressing social determinants of health: Progress and opportunities. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(3). https://www.doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No03ManOS