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NUR 550 Practical Interventions To Improve Access, Quality, And Cost-effectiveness Of Care

NUR 550 Practical Interventions To Improve Access, Quality, And Cost-effectiveness Of Care

With population health needs varying profoundly and impacting diverse populations differently, it is important to have practical interventions to improve access, quality, and cost-effectiveness of care. Such policies are usually structured in a way that addresses specific population needs (McKenzie et al., 2021). Generally, S.Res. 254 proposals are based on the premise that COVID-19 has affected many lives adversely, with mental pressures rising over time. Accordingly, the policy obliges the Senate to support awareness month to fight stigmatization associates with mental health. Other focus areas include emphasizing scientific findings regarding mental health recovery and declaring mental health a national priority. These interventions will reduce the toll on mental well-being due to COVID-19 and ensure that mental health patients receive the attention and care they deserve.

Christian values are essential to embody in all aspects of life. While GCU utilizes these values as a foundational component for educational standards, these should also be standard for how students are influenced in their academic performance as well. Academic dishonesty, which is the opposite of academic integrity, plagues all academic levels. There are several reasons why I think students are tempted into dishonesty including pressure for success, lack of understanding about what constitutes plagiarism, and not fully understanding the entire process of academia. Integrity is the intrinsic belief to do the right thing even when no one is watching and is an essential value of the Christian doctrine. When students believe and practice integrity, they will be able to apply this outside of the classroom and to other aspects of life. If students are engaging in academic dishonesty, this may be suggestive of a lack of integrity outside of the classroom as well. Lack of integrity is one example of the brokenness seen in society today. It shows a desire for success regardless of the means to get there or if there was any actual self-growth in the achievement of success. Having an educational infrastructure based on Christian values will not only foster academic success but will support students to apply these values beyond the classroom and become a part of their daily lives.

As the policy states, the population of focus is people with mental health problems. S.Res. 254 addresses the need for both adults and children. This population struggle with mental health well-being and are vulnerable to substance abuse (Carbonell et al., 2020). Given this, their problems and vulnerability to other health issues and complications increase proportionately. Vaccari et al. (2020) further found that people with mental health problems are highly stigmatized since their conditions are not sufficiently understood. They need support as much as possible. Loades et al. (2020) also noted that people with mental health problems are victims of social isolation and psychological stress. Awareness programs and prioritizing their needs will reduce the overall impact of COVID-19 and related problems.

Affordability and access to health care services have been real concerns affecting population health. Cost-effectiveness is a reliable indicator of feasible policies and programs. The policy focuses on preventing the gradual increase in mental health issues, implying that it will be instrumental in reducing the financial burden associated with treating mental health problems. Baumgartner et al. (2020) found that the annual spending towards mental health in the United States is over $200 billion annually. Awareness reduces this cost and the overall illness burden in hospitals and families. Importantly, increased awareness will ensure that resources used for mental health treatment and services can be used in other ways, such as promoting healthy eating.

Despite populations varying in terms of needs, geographical locations, and socioeconomic status, all people deserve health care services when needed and in the manner needed. Health care equity is primarily about delivering health care services fairly and properly and not according to patient or population group characteristics (Brown et al., 2019; Butler, 2021). Recognizing mental well-being as important as others health aspects such as physical health is a practical way of promoting health care equity since it ensures that mental health is not treated differently. As a result, mental health patients can receive the deserved services when needed. In the same case, the policy also obliges the Senate to ensure access to appropriate services of care and continuously support the overall quality of life for people with mental illnesses.

Although outcomes vary, health care policies should be financially sound. Their overall benefits should outdo the costs after a cost-benefit analysis. One of the ways making the policy financially sound is its application of affordable strategies at the organizational and public levels. Health care organizations can apply the same strategies that the policy proposes to advance mental health care. With the primary goal being to raise awareness, different media can be used, and the information can be broadcasted. Also, informing the public will be instrumental in supporting people with mental health problems in communities at little or considerable cost. Eventually, policy implementation becomes sustainable, and the gains profound.

Description:

Select a current or proposed health care policy that is designed to provide equitable health care for a diverse population. Create a 12-15-slide PowerPoint presentation discussing the health care policy and how it improves a specific population’s access to quality, cost-effective health care. Create speaker notes of 100-250 words for each slide. Include additional slides for the title and references.

Include the following in your presentation:

1. Describe the policy selected.
2. Discuss the diverse population that will be affected by this policy.

  • Increase opportunities for physical activity
  • Prevent weight gain to reduce chances for developing obesity
  • Reduce exposure to obesity risk factors such as increased screen time
  • Boost children’s knowledge on obesity prevention and healthy living
  • Apply evidence-based interventions in health promotion

Health care policies are formulated and implemented to achieve different health outcomes. The primary objective of the proposed policy is to increase opportunities for physical activity. Generally, not all learning institutions have the necessary facilities to promote physical activity. Also, school activities are highly demanding, hence the need for interventions outside the school setting to promote children’s health and well-being. By occupying children differently, after-school physical activities and weight management programs reduce exposure to obesity risk factors such as increased screen time. Increasing children’s knowledge also allows them to make correct decisions regarding food and physical activities. Overall, the policy promotes the application of evidence-based interventions in health promotion.

3. Explain how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population.

4. Discuss why the policy is financially sound and explain how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors. Provide rationale to support your explanation.
5. Describe what state, federal, global health policies, or goals the policy is related to and explain the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population.
6. Discuss advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected.
7. Discuss the professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective.

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You are required to cite eight peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.

Refer to the resource, “Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations,” located in the Student Success Center, for additional guidance on completing this assignment in the appropriate style.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

Topic 8 DQ 1

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.

Topic 8 DQ 2

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?

Re: Topic 8 DQ 2

Population advocacy is the ability to advocate for the whole population, this includes the poor and vulnerable in all walks of life, this is not just advocation for a select group- it is the ability to advocate for the social, economically disadvantages populations (Williams et al., 2018). Any person can be poor and vulnerable at any point in their life. The role of a nurse is to not only advocate for the individual patient but also to be involves as a nurse to advocate for the health of a population. Advocacy is an important and difficult part of an advanced practices nurse, part of these are difficulties are advocating for a vulnerable population, without a culture supporting it, such as trying to advocate for a homeless community to get housing when there may be a culture of the community is to remain in their homeless community. Overcoming these difficulties of the nurse is to look at the question differently, and to have a “think out of the box” mentality(Poghosyan & Carthon, 2017). An advanced practice nurse advocates for a population by looking at the greater good. This can be done through asking the question of how to protect the community or even start with small all the parts the community through individualized plans and forming a standard of practice that helps the community. Advance practice nurses can develop their ability to advocate for patients and can enhance this skill through becoming involved, exploring their resources to help through education to come possible.

Poghosyan, L., & Carthon, J. (2017). The untapped potential of the nurse practitioner workforce in reducing health disparities. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice18(2), 84–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527154417721189

Williams, S. D., PhD, MPH, APRN, Philips, J. M., PhD, RN, CENP, FAAN, & Koyama, K., MSN, RN, PHN, CNS. (2018). Nurse Advocacy: Adopting a Health in All Policies Approach. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing23(31), 1–12. https://doi.org/DOI:10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No03Man01

Re: Topic 8 DQ 1

Translational research identifies gaps in healthcare and allows researchers the opportunity to develop evidence based research which can then transition into evidence based practice with a goal to ultimately improve patient outcomes. New York State sGovernor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on february 16th 2021 allowed AAdvanced care providers the ability to distribute identification cards for individuals suffering with Chrons, colitis, or requirmeing ostomy care. This bill was passed to aid individuals who are suffering with Chrons and colitis. This Bill gives those individuals access to employee restroom facilities at businesses open to the public for the sale of goods and services. Meaning, customers or employees meeting criteria for a Chrons and Colitis identification card are allowed to request the use of the employee restroom whether they are an employee, paying customer, or not. This is a milestone for individuals suffering with chrons and requires the use of an ostomy. Ostomy care requires continuous care, and allows for the opportunity to provide care, and change/manage ostomy sites appropriately and within a timely manner. Translational research was able to identify the lack of availability to restrooms for these individuals. A study conducted by Popove et al., identified the emotional, physical and psychological struggles individuals face while living with these healthcare conditions, including arranging special accommodations with school and work for frequent restroom access and clinic appointments (Popev et al., 2021). While Chrons and Colitis are not as commonly spoken about in a public setting, the passing of this bill can hopefully provide comfort to those struggling and support that these struggles are being identified.

NY state Senate Bill S870. NY State Senate. (2021, February 16). https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s870.

Popov, J., Farbod, Y., Chauhan, U., Kalantar, M., Hill, L., Armstrong, D., … & Kaasalainen, S. (2021). Patients’ Experiences and Challenges in Living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Qualitative Approach. Clinical and experimental gastroenterology14, 123.

Benchmark Information

This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies:

MBA-MSN; MSN-Nursing Education; MSN Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-Adult-Gerontology; MSN Family Nurse Practitioner; MSN-Health Informatics; MSN-Health Care Quality and Patient Safety; MSN-Leadership in Health Care Systems; MSN-Public Health Nursing

2.1 : Examine financially sound health care policy that incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors.

2.2 : Determine advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for diverse populations.

4.2 : Integrate appropriate state, federal, and global health policies and goals into the design of equitable health care for populations.

4.3 : Examine the professional and moral obligation of master’s-prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective.

Course Code Class Code Assignment Title Total Points
NUR-550 NUR-550-O503 Benchmark – Diverse Population Health Policy Analysis 100.0

Criteria Percentage Unsatisfactory (0.00%) Less Than Satisfactory (80.00%) Satisfactory (88.00%) Good (92.00%) Excellent (100.00%)
Content 100.0%
Description of Policy Designed to Provide Equitable Health Care 5.0% The policy is not described. The policy is only partially described. The policy is summarized. Some aspects are unclear or inaccurate. The policy is adequately described. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. The policy is clearly and accurately described.

Diverse Population Affected by Policy 10.0% Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is not presented. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is presented but is incomplete. It is unclear how the population will be affected by this policy. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is general. More information and support are needed. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is adequate. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is thorough. The narrative is well-supported and insightful.

Policy Design (Cost-effectiveness and health care equity) 10.0% Explanation of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is not presented. Discussion of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is incomplete. Discussion of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is general. More information and support are needed. Discussion of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is adequate. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. A thorough explanation for how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is clearly presented. NUR 550 Benchmark – Diverse Population Health Policy Analysis Assignment

“Evaluation of Financial Soundness of Policy; Incorporation of Nursing Perspective; and Relevant Ethical, Legal, and Political Factors
(C2.1)” 10.0% A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is not presented. A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is incomplete. A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is general. Some rationale is offered for support. More information and support are needed. A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is adequate. Adequate rationale is provided for support. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. A thorough discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is clearly presented, and strong rationale is offered for support.

“Integration of State, Federal, and Global Health Policies and Goals in Design of Equitable Care
(C4.2)” 10.0% The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are not discussed. The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are only partially discussed The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are summarized. Some aspects are unclear or inaccurate. The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are adequately discussed. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are thoroughly explained. The narrative is accurate and well-supported.

“Advocacy Strategies for Improving Access, Quality, and Cost-Effective Health Care
(C2.2)” 10.0% Advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are not discussed. Advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are incomplete. General advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are summarized. More information and support are needed. Advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are discussed. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. Well-developed advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are discussed.

“Examination of Responsibilities of Master’s Prepared Nurses
(C4.3)” 10.0% The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are not discussed. The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are only partially discussed. The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are summarized. Some aspects are unclear. Rationale or support is needed. The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are adequately discussed. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. “Well-developed advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are discussed.
The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are thoroughly discussed. The narrative is insightful and well supported.”

Presentation of Content 15.0% The content lacks a clear point of view and logical sequence of information. Includes little persuasive information. Sequencing of ideas is unclear. The content is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose. Includes some persuasive information. The presentation slides are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization or in their relationships to each other. The content is written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information exhibiting a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness. Includes persuasive information from reliable sources. The content is written clearly and concisely. Ideas universally progress and relate to each other. The project includes motivating questions and advanced organizers. The project gives the audience a clear sense of the main idea.

Layout 10.0% The layout is cluttered, confusing, and does not use spacing, headings, and subheadings to enhance the readability. The text is extremely difficult to read with long blocks of text, small point size for fonts, and inappropriate contrasting colors. Poor use of headings, subheadings, indentations, or bold formatting is evident. The layout shows some structure, but appears cluttered and busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or a distracting background. Overall readability is difficult due to lengthy paragraphs, too many different fonts, dark or busy background, overuse of bold, or lack of appropriate indentations of text. The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space appropriately. Sometimes the fonts are easy to read, but in a few places the use of fonts, italics, bold, long paragraphs, color, or busy background detracts and does not enhance readability. The layout background and text complement each other and enable the content to be easily read. The fonts are easy to read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text. The layout is visually pleasing and contributes to the overall message with appropriate use of headings, subheadings, and white space. Text is appropriate in length for the target audience and to the point. The background and colors enhance the readability of the text.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use) 5.0% Slide errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Slides are largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. Writer is clearly in control of standard, written, academic English.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style) 5.0% Sources are not documented. Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors. Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present. Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct. Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.

Course Code Class Code Assignment Title Total Points
NUR-550 NUR-550-O503 Benchmark – Diverse Population Health Policy Analysis 100.0

Criteria Percentage Unsatisfactory (0.00%) Less Than Satisfactory (80.00%) Satisfactory (88.00%) Good (92.00%) Excellent (100.00%)
Content 100.0%
Description of Policy Designed to Provide Equitable Health Care 5.0% The policy is not described. The policy is only partially described. The policy is summarized. Some aspects are unclear or inaccurate. The policy is adequately described. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. The policy is clearly and accurately described.

Diverse Population Affected by Policy 10.0% Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is not presented. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is presented but is incomplete. It is unclear how the population will be affected by this policy. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is general. More information and support are needed. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is adequate. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. Discussion of how a diverse population is affected by this policy is thorough. The narrative is well-supported and insightful.

Policy Design (Cost-effectiveness and health care equity) 10.0% Explanation of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is not presented. Discussion of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is incomplete. Discussion of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is general. More information and support are needed. Discussion of how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is adequate. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. A thorough explanation for how the policy is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the diverse population is clearly presented.

“Evaluation of Financial Soundness of Policy; Incorporation of Nursing Perspective; and Relevant Ethical, Legal, and Political Factors
(C2.1)” 10.0% A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is not presented. A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is incomplete. A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is general. Some rationale is offered for support. More information and support are needed. A discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is adequate. Adequate rationale is provided for support. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. A thorough discussion of why the policy is financially sound and how the policy incorporates the nursing perspective and relevant ethical, legal, and political factors is clearly presented, and strong rationale is offered for support.

“Integration of State, Federal, and Global Health Policies and Goals in Design of Equitable Care
(C4.2)” 10.0% The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are not discussed. The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are only partially discussed The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are summarized. Some aspects are unclear or inaccurate. The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are adequately discussed. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. The state, federal, and global health policies or goals the policy is related to and the degree to which each helps achieve equitable health care for the diverse population are thoroughly explained. The narrative is accurate and well-supported.

“Advocacy Strategies for Improving Access, Quality, and Cost-Effective Health Care
(C2.2)” 10.0% Advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are not discussed. Advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are incomplete. General advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are summarized. More information and support are needed. Advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are discussed. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. Well-developed advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are discussed. NUR 550 Benchmark – Diverse Population Health Policy Analysis Assignment Essays

“Examination of Responsibilities of Master’s Prepared Nurses
(C4.3)” 10.0% The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are not discussed. The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are only partially discussed. The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are summarized. Some aspects are unclear. Rationale or support is needed. The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are adequately discussed. Some detail is needed for clarity or accuracy. “Well-developed advocacy strategies for improving access, quality, and cost-effective health care for the diverse population selected are discussed.
The professional and moral obligation of master’s prepared nurses to respect human dignity and advance the common good through working to promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations from a Christian perspective are thoroughly discussed. The narrative is insightful and well supported.”

Presentation of Content 15.0% The content lacks a clear point of view and logical sequence of information. Includes little persuasive information. Sequencing of ideas is unclear. The content is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose. Includes some persuasive information. The presentation slides are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization or in their relationships to each other. The content is written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information exhibiting a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness. Includes persuasive information from reliable sources. The content is written clearly and concisely. Ideas universally progress and relate to each other. The project includes motivating questions and advanced organizers. The project gives the audience a clear sense of the main idea. NUR 550 Benchmark – Diverse Population Health Policy Analysis Assignment Essays

Layout 10.0% The layout is cluttered, confusing, and does not use spacing, headings, and subheadings to enhance the readability. The text is extremely difficult to read with long blocks of text, small point size for fonts, and inappropriate contrasting colors. Poor use of headings, subheadings, indentations, or bold formatting is evident. The layout shows some structure, but appears cluttered and busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or a distracting background. Overall readability is difficult due to lengthy paragraphs, too many different fonts, dark or busy background, overuse of bold, or lack of appropriate indentations of text. The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space appropriately. Sometimes the fonts are easy to read, but in a few places the use of fonts, italics, bold, long paragraphs, color, or busy background detracts and does not enhance readability. The layout background and text complement each other and enable the content to be easily read. The fonts are easy to read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text. The layout is visually pleasing and contributes to the overall message with appropriate use of headings, subheadings, and white space. Text is appropriate in length for the target audience and to the point. The background and colors enhance the readability of the text.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use) 5.0% Slide errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Slides are largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. Writer is clearly in control of standard, written, academic English.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style) 5.0% Sources are not documented. Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors. Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present. Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct. Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.

APA Writing Checklist

Use this document as a checklist for each paper you will write throughout your GCU graduate program. Follow specific instructions indicated in the assignment and use this checklist to help ensure correct grammar and APA formatting. Refer to the APA resources available in the GCU Library and Student Success Center.

☐ APA paper template (located in the Student Success Center/Writing Center) is utilized for the correct format of the paper. APA style is applied, and format is correct throughout.

☐  The title page is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.

☐ The introduction is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.

☐ Topic is well defined.

☐ Strong thesis statement is included in the introduction of the paper.

☐ The thesis statement is consistently threaded throughout the paper and included in the conclusion.

☐ Paragraph development: Each paragraph has an introductory statement, two or three sentences as the body of the paragraph, and a transition sentence to facilitate the flow of information. The sections of the main body are organized to reflect the main points of the author. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.

☐ All sources are cited. APA style and format are correctly applied and are free from error.

☐ Sources are completely and correctly documented on a References page, as appropriate to assignment and APA style, and format is free of error.

Scholarly Resources: Scholarly resources are written with a focus on a specific subject discipline and usually written by an expert in the same subject field. Scholarly resources are written for an academic audience.

Examples of Scholarly Resources include: Academic journals, books written by experts in a field, and formally published encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Peer-Reviewed Journals: Peer-reviewed journals are evaluated prior to publication by experts in the journal’s subject discipline. This process ensures that the articles published within the journal are academically rigorous and meet the required expectations of an article in that subject discipline.

Empirical Journal Article: This type of scholarly resource is a subset of scholarly articles that reports the original finding of an observational or experimental research study. Common aspects found within an empirical article include: literature review, methodology, results, and discussion.

Adapted from “Evaluating Resources: Defining Scholarly Resources,” located in Research Guides in the GCU Library.

☐ The writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English. Utilize writing resources such as Grammarly, LopesWrite report, and ThinkingStorm to check your writing.

There exist different healthcare policies meant to enhance the delivery of quality healthcare. Some of the current healthcare policies include Affordable Care Policy, Medicare program, Medicaid, Children’s health insurance program, Patient Safety, and Quality Improvement Act. The main purpose of healthcare policies and procedures is to facilitate standardization in healthcare operational activities. Healthcare policies are critical or essential in providing correct procedures to be followed when dealing with issues as well as activities that are important to health and safety. The Affordable Care Act is one of the major current healthcare policies that has transformed the healthcare industry. The Affordable Care Act was passed and signed into law in the year 2010 (Barr, 2016). The policy aimed at providing affordable health insurance coverage to the entire American population. Affordable Care Policy was also created to protect healthcare consumers from costly private insurance companies and would sometimes put restrictions on the healthcare services for the patients. Over the years, millions of Americans have been able to benefit from the Affordable Care policy. Millions of Americans have experienced a significant reduction in healthcare costs. Before the implementation of the Affordable Care Policy, poor Americans could not get effective insurance coverage.  The purpose of the paper is therefore to examine the ACA and its attendant cost-effectiveness, relationship to other policies and advocacy strategies.

How the Affordable Care Policy Was Designed to Improve Cost-Effectiveness

And Health Care Equity for the Population

The Affordable Care Act was designed to enhance healthcare equity. The affordable Care policy was mainly designed to significantly reduce the differences in health outcomes among ethnic, racial, as well as primary language groups (Eichten, 2018). In other words, the policy was meant to address disparities in healthcare delivery and enhance the provision of healthcare to all the population irrespective of the level of income. The major goals of the Affordable Care Act included a reduction in healthcare costs, expansion of healthcare coverage, general improvement in healthcare quality, and population health. These factors were incorporated to reduce health disparities. With the reduced costs and expansion of coverage, ACA was meant to achieve healthcare equity for all the population. Different provisions of the Affordable Care Act directly impact insurers who have been forced to expand the number of people under the cover as well as the conditions under coverage.

To expand healthcare coverage and ensure reduced costs, Affordable Care Act created marketplaces called exchanges where people from different social-economic statuses could purchase health insurance and define their financial aid or assistance eligibility. There are three major types of marketplaces in ACA (Glied & Jackson, 2017). These marketplaces include state-based marketplaces, federal-based marketplaces, as well as state-partnership marketplaces. Since its inception in the healthcare industry, millions of Americans have been able to obtain medical services at a reduced cost. Also, the treatment of some diseases has been fully covered by Obamacare.

Financial Sustainability

Affordable Care Policy is financially sound. Before implementation, it was estimated that Obamacare would reduce the national debt by $140 billion. Also, it was established that the whole policy cost $940 billion considering all the factors that were to be included (Laureate Education, 2018). After the analysis, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office established the policy was effective given its ability to reduce the national budget. Also, The Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act passed Obama taxes as well as budget cuts in different areas, which generally generated more funds for implementing ACA. Given the effective balance of the budget, there were more funds available to offset the cost of the plan. Affordable Care policy accounts for relevant ethical, legal, and political factors as well as nursing perspectives. All these considerations need to be put in place during the implementation. Specifically, the policy advocates for quality healthcare delivery, application of research and evidence-based practices in the treatment processes, as well as dignity and racial sensitivity in the treatment processes. Through continuous legislations, the policy account for the political factors as well as nursing perspectives. All these issues ought to be considered in the implementation process.

Significance of Affordable Care Policy

The Affordable Care Act is related to different state, federal, and global health policies or goals that have been created over the years. In particular, the Affordable Care policy is related to the Global Health Policy (GHP). Global Health Policy mainly facilitates the allocation of resources in different nations and organizations to ensure access to quality healthcare services. Global Health Policy was formulated to address health challenges for the interdependent nations, sectors, and regions with multiple cultures and races, various levels of development, coexistent values, and a variety of capacities. In other words, Global Health Policy was formulated to address disparities when it comes to the management of population health. Similarly, the Affordable Care Policy was formulated to address disparities in the healthcare delivery processes. Also, both the Affordable Care policy and Global Health Policy aimed to improve healthcare delivery quality through research and innovation (Béland et al., 2019). The two organizations are more concerned with the qualification of healthcare professionals. During the formulation of ACA and GHP, there were considerations of different challenges in the healthcare systems, including costs and emerging diseases. Affordable Care Act is also related to the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA), a federal policy passed in the year 2005. Just like PSQIA, the Affordable Care Policy was meant to protect both patients and healthcare workers who are likely to report unsafe conditions. Affordable Care Policy was meant to address the goals of GHP and PSQIA through the allocation of enough resources and an increase in access to healthcare systems.

Advocacy Strategies

To ensure that the entire population benefit from the Affordable Care Policy, there is the need to create awareness and inform potential patients and healthcare professionals about the policy’s benefits. Giving patients a voice by informing them about their rights to healthcare services ensures that they can benefit from ACA. Besides, educating patients on the healthcare insurance policies will enable them to understand the requirements in the Affordable Care Policy and how they can benefit from it. In most cases, patients lack knowledge about different insurance policies, especially how they can draw benefits from them (Scott & Scott, 2020). From a Christian perspective, nurses have the responsibility of creating awareness geared towards ensuring quality health outcomes. Also, there is the need for patients from all races to have just and affordable healthcare services. An advanced registered nurse’s professional and moral obligation to advocate for and promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations. When it comes to the provision of quality care geared towards preventing diseases, nurses need to act as advocates to ensure equal treatment and benefits for all. Therefore, through advocacy, patients or different populations will be able to benefit from the Affordable Care Policy.

Conclusion

The Affordable Care Act is one of the major current healthcare policies that has transformed the healthcare industry. The Affordable Care Act was passed and signed into law in the year 2010. Affordable Care policy was mainly designed to significantly reduce the differences in health outcomes among ethnic, racial, as well as primary language groups. In other words, Affordable Care Act was meant to address disparities in healthcare delivery and enhance the provision of healthcare to all the population irrespective of the level of income. Affordable Care Policy is financially sound. Before implementation, it was estimated that Obamacare would reduce the national debt by $140 billion. To ensure that the entire population benefit from the Affordable Care Policy, there is the need to create awareness and inform potential patients and healthcare professionals about the policy’s benefits.

References

Barr, D. A. (2016). Introduction to US Health Policy: the organization, financing, and delivery of health care in America. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Béland, D., Rocco, P., & Waddan, A. (2019). Policy feedback and the politics of the Affordable Care Act. Policy Studies Journal47(2), 395-422. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/psj.12286

Eichten, Z. (2018). Poison Pills: How Subtle Differences in Processes, Public Opinion, and Leadership Doomed the American Health Care Act and Passed the Affordable Care Act. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/honors_thesis/56/

Glied, S., & Jackson, A. (2017). The future of the Affordable Care Act and insurance coverage. American journal of public health107(4), 538-540. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303665

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Introduction to Health Policy and Law with Joel Teitelbaum [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Scott, S. M., & Scott, P. A. (2020). Nursing, advocacy and public policy. Nursing Ethics, 0969733020961823. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0969733020961823