NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 1 Discussion
Organizations Influencing Health Policy
Read over the list of Key Organizations on the NICHSR website.
Using the website above, select an organization from each of the three categories:
Federal Agencies,
Association and Organizations,
International Organizations, Associations
that has a role in influencing health policy. For each of your three chosen sites, describe the organization’s chief purpose and give one example of a policy it has influenced. (Hint: visit the organization’s website.)
Reference:
HSRIC. (n.d.). Key organizations. NIH, National Library of Medicine.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 2 Discussion
Value-based Healthcare
Consider the information from your readings and videos about incentives for improving quality while lowering healthcare costs. What are the potential benefits and risks of a value-based system? Consider this discussion with regard to patient care, provider incentives, and the overall financial impact of our healthcare system. Give at least one example of how a patient may be helped or harmed under a value-based system.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 3 Discussion
Evidence-Based Healthcare
Select two of the High-Burden Health Conditions targeted by the CDC in the 6/18 Initiative, and discuss the Evidence-Based Interventions for each. For one of the interventions, identify at least two stakeholders you would partner with to implement the strategy in your community.
Reference:
CDC.org. (October 4, 2018). CDC’s 6/18 Initiative. CDC
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 4 Discussion
Stakeholders and Policy
Question:
Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have an interest in health policy based on their positions, circumstances, beliefs, and values.
To prepare for this semester’s graded assignments, Discussions, Legislative Testimony, Fact Sheet, and Health Policy Paper, reflect on which health policy issue is of greatest interest to you and what you may want to focus your work on for this semester. Some broad examples (not all-inclusive) include
Transitional care
Wellness/health promotion
Women’s health
Health/disease screening
Comfort care/end of life
Long-term care
Disaster preparedness
Nutrition/obesity
Physical fitness
Aging in place
Reproductive health
Advanced practice professional issues (e.g., safe staffing, scope of practice/reimbursement)
Disease prevention
Palliative care
Nursing and other healthcare professional’s workforce issues
Disease management
Nurse-managed or school-based health centers
Health literacy
Immunizations
Workplace safety
Mental health/substance abuse
Patient centered medical home
Care coordination
Team-based care
Neonatal issues (NICU)
Pediatric and adolescent issues (access to care, obesity, physical activity, nutrition, school, etc.)
Title VIII funding—Nursing workforce development
Issues specific to the PPACA: health insurance marketplace/exchanges, value-based care, accountable care organizations, workforce issues, etc.
Meaningful use
Health information technologies (EHR, etc.)
Health disparities
Death with dignity
Healthcare quality
Healthcare safety
TeleHealth
Acute and chronic pain prevention and management; opioids
Is health care a right?
For this discussion, select a topic from the above health policy issues (or another one of your interest) and provide an example of an interest group with a stake in the issue you selected. In your initial post, briefly state (200 words) their mission or primary goals related to a health policy matter.
Then select another health policy issue from the list above (or another one of your interest); identify an individual stakeholder in the interest, and briefly describe what you would expect from their position.
Your post should include one APA-referenced, peer-reviewed source.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 6 Discussion
Cost-control Strategies
In your initial post , give one example of a cost-control strategy and describe how that strategy may affect access or quality in healthcare service.
Discuss the different examples posted by your cohorts.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 7 Discussion
Advanced Practice
Select one advanced practice nursing policy (federal or state) and describe how the policy improves or creates a barrier to healthcare access. Support the policy (with evidence) or describe what you would change (with evidence).
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 8 Discussion
DQ1 Health care and Disabilities
After reviewing the website from the WHO about disabilities, including the infographic Better health for people with disabilities:
Discuss why the “Why is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Important" actually important.
Suggest a health policy to address one of the WHO-identified disabilities in health care.
Visit your state’s website on long-term care: Describe one long-term service available and how individuals can access help. (See Vermont page as an example: Green Mountain Care.)
DQ2 Testimony Part 1 - Peer-Reviewed Articles
For this discussion:
Each team member will post their chosen Policy/Issue and identify their stakeholder.
Each team member will provide full citations and links to the their peer reviewed article that addresses the topics/arguments on the policy issue.
Classmates should review the articles, before viewing the testimony video in next weeks discussion, to be informed and able to engage in the online discussion next week.
When looking for a posted article, review Kreitzberg Libraries Breaking Down an Article Citation to help with searching out peer reviewed articles. Students can use the Chat in the library link for help in linking to articles.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 9 Discussion
Testimony Part 2 – Presentation
For this discussion:
Post the testimony videos prepared by you to this discussion board. Refer to instructions on How To Record a Video Discussion.
Each student should independently prepare and post a three minute video testimony addressing the topic and articulating the stakeholder view he or she is representing. The student presenter should be clearly visible in the video. Please dress appropriately for recording the video, and choose a background that is not distracting.
Classmates should review testimony and ask a question of the stakeholder about his or her position or the health policy issue.
Each stakeholder should select four questions and respond with evidence and citations.
Remember that the team presented its research articles last week in Week 08 Discussion: Testimony Part 1 - Peer-Reviewed Articles. Refer to those articles and the Testimony when developing your questions and responses.
When looking for a posted article, review Kreitzberg Libraries Breaking Down an Article Citation to help with searching out peer reviewed articles. Students can use the Chat in the library link for help in linking to articles.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 10 Discussion
Global Perspectives
For this week’s discussion, choose one of the following options for your initial post:
Select one of countries in the video "Sick around the world". Briefly describe one key element of that country's healthcare system, and state why you believe it would or would not be beneficial in improving access and quality or lowering costs in the United States healthcare system.
Discuss how access to education affects health outcomes.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 11 Discussion
Health Care Quality
Visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Select one of the achievable measures from Diseases and Conditions.
Identify:
one area where nationally we are at benchmark.
one area where we are close to benchmark.
one area where we are far from benchmark.
On the area where we are far from benchmark, suggest a policy to move us closer to Quality.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 5 Assignment
Health Policy Analysis Paper Topic
This week you will submit the topic for your Health Policy Analysis Paper.
Submit your topic selection here for instructor’s approval and feedback. Your instructor will help you make sure your topic is not too broad or too narrow for your final paper.
For detailed instructions, please refer to the Health Policy Analysis Paper Overview. Your topic submission is part of your Health Analysis Paper overall grade.
To Submit Your Assignment:
Select the Add Submissions button.
Drag or upload your file to the File Picker.
Select Save Changes.
Select Submit for Grade.
Health Policy Analysis Paper Overview
Policy analysis is a key method for making recommendations and influencing policymakers. The analysis provides informed advice and includes a recommendation for policy and an action plan for change. The arguments should be well constructed, persuasive, and evidence based.
Your paper should be in APA format and 5 to 7 pages long, not including the cover and reference pages. It must include evidence from at least 5 peer-reviewed articles within the last 5 years.
Include the following in your paper:
Problem Statement: Describe the problem, and state why it is important. You may set up the problem in the form of a question to include the criteria for solving the problem.
Example: How can we increase uptake of the flu vaccine among the elderly population?
Policy Background: Describe the problem in context including policy efforts to date.
Policy Landscape: Who are the key stakeholders? Describe the research and the evidence. Consider social, political, economic, and practical factors.
Policy Options: Discuss the various options to consider. What are the pros and cons? What organizations may be aligned with one option or another? Discuss the trade-offs,
risks, and benefits.
Policy Recommendation: Articulate a best policy. Support the recommendation with facts, and describe why it is the best policy in view of any trade-offs.
The final assignment is due in week 11; however, you need to submit your topic for instructor approval earlier in the seminar.
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 6 Assignment
FACT Sheet
This week, you will submit your completed Fact sheet assignment.
Remember the Fact Sheet Examples that you read about last week.
Fact sheets usually fall into one of two categories:
General information dissemination
Information for advocacy
The primary audiences for fact sheets relating to health policy issues include congressional staffers, policy makers, reporters, and the public. The main function of a fact sheet is to break down complicated information into accessible and easily understandable parts. To facilitate comprehension and ease of reading, individual sections of the fact sheet are frequently captioned.
Directions
For this assignment, you will find an active or proposed piece of state or federal legislation affecting some aspect of health care. You will then become an active participant and?advocate for or against the legislation and develop an advocacy tool (sometimes referred to as a fact sheet). This means you must understand the intent and implication of the bill to effectively communicate your position to legislators and other stakeholders. This document is only one page (typically front and back) that explains an association’s position on the legislation. As you prepare this assignment, consider the following information:
This MUST be original work. You will likely find one-pager on the legislation you discover. Do not copy and paste ideas or structure.
The FACT sheet should be two pages of content, front and back.
Make your FACT sheet easy to read and eye catching–make it interesting and inviting to look at!
When writing your fact sheet, consider these questions:
What is the background for the proposed policy change? What problem is the bill trying to solve?
How does the legislation address the problem?
What is the legislative history? Who is supporting or opposing the legislation, and why?
How does the legislation improve access, quality, or lower costs?
What are relevant data and evidence? Include tables or graphs, if appropriate.
What is your call to action? What action do you want from readers? For example, do you want them to call their representatives? If the FACT sheet targets a legislator, do you want readers to support a bill?
To Submit Your Assignment:
Select the Add Submissions button.
Drag or upload your file to the File Picker.
Select Save Changes.
Select Submit for Grade.
To help, consider these links:
To find active federal legislation, see :
Congress.gov website
Govtrack.us website
To find examples of FACT sheets:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing – FACT sheet examples
RNAction Center
Estimated Impact of Sequestration on the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s Title VII Health Professions and Title VIII Nursing Education Programs
Federal Issue Briefs
NR524 Health Policy, Advocacy and Economics in Healthcare
Week 11 Assignment
Health Policy Analysis Paper
This week you will submit your completed Health Policy paper. For detailed instructions, please refer to Health Policy Analysis Paper Overview.
To Submit Your Assignment:
Select the Add Submissions button.
Drag or upload your file to the File Picker.
Select Save Changes.
Select Submit for Grade.
Policy analysis is a key method for making recommendations and influencing policymakers. The analysis provides informed advice and includes a recommendation for policy and an action plan for change. The arguments should be well constructed, persuasive, and evidence based.
Your paper should be in APA format and 5 to 7 pages long, not including the cover and reference pages. It must include evidence from at least 5 peer-reviewed articles within the last 5 years.
Include the following in your paper:
Problem Statement: Describe the problem, and state why it is important. You may set up the problem in the form of a question to include the criteria for solving the problem.
Example: How can we increase uptake of the flu vaccine among the elderly population?
Policy Background: Describe the problem in context including policy efforts to date.
Policy Landscape: Who are the key stakeholders? Describe the research and the evidence. Consider social, political, economic, and practical factors.
Policy Options: Discuss the various options to consider. What are the pros and cons? What organizations may be aligned with one option or another? Discuss the trade-offs,
risks, and benefits.
Policy Recommendation: Articulate a best policy. Support the recommendation with facts, and describe why it is the best policy in view of any trade-offs.
The final assignment is due in week 11; however, you need to submit your topic for instructor approval earlier in the seminar.
