25+ documents containing “Health Professional”.
Health Care Professionals
Write a 3-4 page paper in which you:
1. Identify and describe three reasons there may be a physician shortage rather than a surplus in the United States.
2. Identify and describe three factors that contribute to the nursing shortage in the United States.
3. Identify and describe at least three roles the public health professional has in the health care system.
4. Identify and describe at least three roles that a health service administrator has in the health care system.
5. Use at least four (4) quality resources in this assignment.
Your assignment must:
? Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA with conclusion
? Include a cover page & reference page
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
?Explain the major components of the U.S. health care system, their functions, and the relationships among these components.
? Use technology and information resources to research issues in health services organization and management.
? Write clearly and concisely about health services organization using proper writing mechanics.
professional development of others
Requested Writers
Explain
?-? why nurses have responsibility to share knowledge with colleagues, health profession students and other health professionals
?-? how can nurses facilitate mutual sharing of knowledge and experience with colleagues relating to nursing practice, and how can nurses participate in coaching and mentoring to assist and develop colleagues
?-? how can nurses contribute to orientation and ongoing education programs and act as a role model to other members of the health care team
?-? how can nurses support health profession students to meet their learning objectives in cooperation with other members of the health care team, and contributes to formal and informal professional development
Other elements:
Reference in APA format.
Direct quote is not allowed.
Customer is requesting that (Maryamkazi) completes this order.
Professional Portfolio Paper
Throughout this course, you have been exposed to the way in which health care is provided. The current system is changing, and it needs to continue to change to better address issues of access, cost, and quality, issues of equity, global health threats, and an aging population. Health care reform will take greater interprofessional collaboration, and each organization has a role to play in transforming the current system. The roles and responsibilities of health care professionals will continue to shift. It is an exciting time to be a nurse, as nurses play a major role as leaders in the health care reform movement.
From the personal perspective of a nurse administrator, nurse informaticist, or nurse educator, consider how your understanding of the following concept has changed:
Health care reform includes not only insuring more Americans but changing the way we deliver services and think about health.
With this in mind, reflect on the theories, concepts, and strategies presented in this course as you respond to the following in a 2- to 3-page paper:
Describe the changes in your attitude toward other health professionals.
Identify the knowledge/insights you think will be most useful in moving health care reform forward.
Discuss how your ideas developed during this course regarding the ethical responsibilities you have toward patients, the family as patient, your profession, your organization, society, and yourself.
Summarize new understandings you have about the relationship between legal and ethical guidelines.
Reminder: Your Professional Portfolio assignment must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this weeks Learning Resources. If you use sources other than these, please provide a proper citation and reference for each source. Refer to the APA Pocket Guide, sent to you with the materials for this course.
After viewing the two documentaries, select and identify a minimum of two
patients for the purpose of analyzing the following scoping questions. You
may indeed propose other questions and supportive research, as they relate
to the documentaries.
Please keep present in your thoughts, the scope with which we use these
documentaries. That is, they introduce cases, through which they?re utilized to
explain your understanding of behavioural science principles and their
subsequent relevance to the nursing and wider health professions.
Furthermore, as the documentaries only provide a very superficial explanation
of each patient?s situation, it is expected your analysis will explore the ?gaps?
and or the questions relating to the psychosocial dimensions of care, which
you believe will or should be acknowledged, in relation to the cases of your
focus.
View RPA episodes Oct 20 and March 31
http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/rpa-october-20th-episode/xgu2peu
http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/rpa-november-17th-episode-part-
1/xg2x9om
Focus question:
How can a comprehensive understanding of the psychosocial model of
health, improve treatment outcomes for patients and their families?
General questions. Choose approximately five when addressing the focus
question above.
1. Which psychosocial factors appear to have been recognised within
each patient's case? Discuss the importance of this recognition.
Highlight any psychosocial information not apparent from the videos,
discussing why you believe it to be important, in respect to holistic
treatment plans? For instance, what would be helpful to know in order
to make the patient's journey more pleasant and hopefully more
rewarding?
2. Include supportive research to highlight the importance of psychosocial
factors within the scope of diagnosis and treatment plans of the
patient? How does this contrast to a completely bio-medical approach?
3. How can these psychosocial factors impact the way in which the nurse
provides care for the patient?
4. In respect to behavioural responses, such as pain, anxiety, fear etc,
how has the professional staff considered the patient? Be specific
wherever possible.
5. How are the patients? coping styles and the support provided by the
professional, important in relation to these responses?
6. Discuss how depression might be triggered by the illness and its
related treatment patterns. Does this appear likely for the patients in
your analysis? If so, how would you monitor and or aim to prevent?
7. In regard to the communication methods employed by the health teams
in the videos, how have they delivered information to the patients? Was
there evidence of any "transactional approach"? Has the
communication been appropriate, given the patient's circumstances?
Have family members been included within the communication?
8. Describe any identifiable evidence based practices, in relation to
knowledge sharing and communication practice?
9. Discuss the positive communicative approaches taken by the various
health professionals within the contexts they are involved. How might
other approaches be positive?
10. Describe the exhibiting behaviour and roles of the key participants in
each video. In a medical environment, what would you deem to be
stereotypical behaviour? Are the participants performing within the
perceived confines of such behaviour? What are the positives and
negatives of such behavioural response?
11. As each patient?s situation is invariably different and his or her thoughts
not always apparent, describe the possible cognitions and inner
conflicts that may arise in both the short and long term? These
postulations can be based on the related psychosocial factors
previously discussed?
12. Highlight and discuss other issues and or thoughts as they relate to the
relationships and strategies within the context of the videos?
In your analysis, it is expected you will use these questions as a framework
for your response. You are certainly not expected to address each question in
isolation, or feel each individual case needs to address each of the questions.
Behavioural
Health
Science
365
Marking
guide:
Assessment
2
Value
40%
Written
document
Performance Indicator
Possible
Mark
Awarded
Mark
The topic and purpose of the paper are clearly defined in the
introduction.
5
The psychosocial factors have been discussed and supported with
reference to the patient
10
There is evidence of critical thinking, indicating ability in analysis
and interpretation.
15
Key discussion points presented in relation to supportive research;
and factors likely to influence the outcome/benefit of psychosocial
interventions.
15
Behavioural responses discussed and explained with reference to
the chosen patients
15
Discussion of communication modes sufficiently explained and
related to the videos
10
Highlights stereotypical behaviour and related cognitions and their
impacts on the short and long term.
10
Discuss other issues and or thoughts as they relate to
relationships and strategies
5
The presentation of the response is of an appropriate academic
standard
5
Pertinent references used to support main points/comments.
Correct use of English language, paraphrasing, citation and
referencing in APA style
10
TOTAL
100%
this study will aim to give a contemporay view on brain drain through comparative literature on health professionals migration data across african countries, using zimbabwe as the case (comparable factors and how much worse it is in other against zimbabwe) on brain drain on health professionals in africa to determine which, political instability or economical factor, is the major factor in brain drain. is there any noticeable catalogue in countries that are politically stable countries to zimbabwe. basically the study will be contributing in reinforcing the oldest theory of migration which neo-classical theory
It also gives particular illumination on macro-economy brain drain.
please feel free to use site like UN, IMF World Bank e.t.c
im also thinking of the methodology/research analysis produced by triangulating data (say report, interview, questionnaire) to delve deeper. So you might want to discuss issues raised by the survey with your interviewees
There are faxes for this order.
Reflect on the theories, concepts and stratieges presented in course and respond to the following:
Describe the changes in your attitude toward other health professionals
Identify the knowledge/insights you think will be most useful in moving healthcare reform forward
Discuss how your ideas developed during course regarding the ethical responsibilities you have toward patients, the family as patient, your profession, your organization, society and yourself
Summarize new understandings you have about the relationship between legal and ethical guidelines
APA format
Requested Writers
Demonstrates an understanding of Communication Skills for health professionals, and use academic or clinical journals to answer the following question:
Why Communication Skills for health professionals is important?
How can health professionals select and use the appropriate level, style and means of communication to communicate effectively with patients?
Identify and discuss effective communication techniques used by health professionals
Other elements:
Reference in APA format.
Direct quote is not allowed.
Customer is requesting that (Heideger) completes this order.
QUESTION: In what ways has sociology illuminated the common-sense idea that stressful life circumstances can be an important cause of ill-health? How might such knowledge be used by health professionals?
Mention the founding fathers of sociology (Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber) and a major author (e.g. Giddens). Also mention general sociological ideas (e.g. agency, structure, culture, norm, society) and perspectives (e.g. symbolic interactionism). Towards the end of the essay briefly indicate sociology's relevance to NUTRITIONAL ISSUES.
Here is a list of articles that can be used as resources:
1) "Society and changing patterns of disease' by R. Fitzpatrick
2) "The medical Contribution (to mortality decline)" by McKeown
3) "What do sociologists do?" by Giddens
4) "What is sociology?" by Giddens
5) "Inequalities in food and nutrition" by Dowler
6) "Inequalities in Health" by D. Gordon
could you please make it 1000 words because it's the limit?
LAYOUT:
This assignment must use the following layout ??" 1.5 line spacing, 12 size font, 2.5cm margins
all round.
My Academic Paper should answer this
Working in the health industry usually means working with people. Identify some of the
attributes needed by professionals working in the health industry and discuss why you think
these attributes are necessary. Reflect on how a health professional might demonstrate some of
these attributes.
Should sound my own voice.
The type of document is a discussion essay about:
"The value of collaboration among various health professionals in promoting community health. How can you,as a nurse, influence legislators and policy makers, who have little or no knowledge and experience related to health care, to make wise and effective decisions regarding community health?"
Before you start writing about this discussion question, you need to read the material that I'm going to send you via fax that talks about: The nurse as collaborator and Applying the nursing process in the community (chapter 12 and chapter 19 of my text book.
Style: double space, no specific style.
There are faxes for this order.
Please use the directions below to write a 2 page paper and please include a reference page.
Health Literacy
In order to effectively manage their own health, individuals need to have competencies in two areas??"basic literacy and basic health literacy. What is the difference? Basic literacy refers to the ability to read, even simple language. Health literacy is defined as, the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions (National Coalition for Literacy, 2009). Unfortunately, according to a Department of Education report on health literacy, only 12% of adults aged 16 and older are considered to have a proficient level of health literacy (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Acquiring health literacy skills has become more complicated with the explosion of online health information, some credible and some misleading.
In this Discussion, you focus on how to help individuals find credible information on the Internet and develop strategies nurses can use to increase the health literacy of their patients.
To prepare:
Think about the nurses role in improving the health literacy of patients.
Consider the many ways patients access health information, including blogs, social media, patient portals, websites, etc.
Reflect on experiences you have had with patients who self-diagnose using online medical sources.
Using the Internet, the Walden Library, or other trustworthy sources, identify a resource that you could introduce to patients to help them evaluate the credibility of health information found online.
What are some strategies you could employ to improve the health literacy of patients?
Post on or before Day 3 your assessment of the nurses role in improving the health literacy of patients. Then, identify the resource you would recommend to patients for evaluating online health information and why it would be beneficial. Describe additional strategies for assisting patients in becoming informed consumers of online health information.
Quick Guide?to Health Literacy
? Fact Sheets Strategies
@
Resources
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Quick Guide to Health Literacy
Who is the Quick Guide for?
The Quick Guide to Health Literacy is for government employees, grantees and contractors, and community partners working in healthcare and public health fields.
It contains:
A basic overview of key health literacy concepts
Techniques for improving health literacy through communication, navigation, knowledge-building, and advocacy
Examples of health literacy best practices
Suggestions for addressing health literacy in your organization ?These tools can be applied to healthcare delivery, policy, administration, communication, and education activities aimed at the public. They?also can be incorporated into mission, planning, and evaluation at the organizational level. ?If you are new to health literacy, the Quick Guide will give you the information you need to become an effective advocate for improved health literacy. If you are already familiar with the topic, you will find user-friendly, action-oriented materials that can be easily referenced, reproduced, and shared with colleagues. ?How to use the Quick Guide ?The guide is designed to be a quick and easy reference, filled with facts, definitions, helpful tips, checklists, and resources you can use on the job. You can print out the materials and keep them at your desk, share them with colleagues, or bookmark this Web page on your computer. ?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ?Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P 1.1
About This Guide
About This Guide
The Quick Guide is divided into the following three sections:
1. The first section contains fact sheets on health literacy, including a basic overview of key concepts and definitions and information on health literacy and health outcomes.
2. The second section contains practical strategies for improving health literacy. These include: ? Improve the usability of health information? Improve the usability of health services? Build knowledge to improve decisionmaking? Advocate for health literacy in your organization
3. The final section contains a list of resources, including Web sites, research studies, and additional publications on health literacy.
P 1._
Fact Sheet
?
Health Literacy Basics
What is health literacy?
Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.1
Health literacy is dependent on individual and systemic factors:
Communication skills of lay persons and professionals
Lay and professional knowledge of health topics
Culture
Demands of the healthcare and public health systems
Demands of the situation/context ?Health literacy affects peoples ability to:
Navigate the healthcare system, including filling out complex forms and locating providers and services
Share personal information, such as health history, with providers
Engage in self-care and chronic-disease management
Understand mathematical concepts such as probability and risk ?Health literacy includes numeracy skills. For example, calculating cholesterol and blood sugar levels, measuring medications, and understanding nutrition labels all require math skills. Choosing between health plans or comparing prescription drug coverage requires calculating premiums, copays, and deductibles. ?In addition to basic literacy skills, health literacy requires knowledge of health topics. People with limited health literacy often lack knowledge?or have misinformation about the body as well as the nature and causes?of disease. Without this knowledge, they may not understand the relationship between lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise and various health outcomes. ?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ?Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P _.1
HEALTH LITERACY
Health Literacy Basics
Health information can overwhelm even persons with advanced literacy skills. Medical science progresses rapidly. What people may have learned about health or biology during their school years often becomes outdated or forgotten, or it is incomplete. Moreover, health information provided in a stressful or unfamiliar situation is unlikely to be retained.
What is literacy?
Literacy can be defined as a persons ability to read, write, speak, and compute and solve problems at levels necessary to:
Function on the job and in society
Achieve ones goals
Develop ones knowledge and potential2 ?The term illiteracy means being unable to read or write. A person who has limited or low literacy skills is not illiterate. ?What is plain language? ?Plain language is a strategy for making written and oral information easier to understand. It is one important tool for improving health literacy. ?Plain language is communication that users can understand the first time they read or hear it. With reasonable time and effort, a plain language document is one in which people can find what they need, understand what they find, and act appropriately on that understanding.3 ?Key elements of plain language include:
Organizing your information so that the most important points come first
Breaking complex information into understandable chunks
Using simple language and defining technical terms
Using the active voice ?Language that is plain to one set of readers may not be plain to others.3 It is critical to know your audience and have them test your materials before, during, and after they are developed.
P _._
Health Literacy Basics
Speaking plainly is just as important as writing plainly. Many plain language techniques apply to verbal messages, such as avoiding jargon and explining technical or medical terms.
What is cultural and linguistic competency?
Culture affects how people communicate, understand, and respond?to health information. Cultural and linguistic competency of health professionals can contribute to health literacy. Cultural competence is the ability of health organizations and practitioners to recognize the cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, traditions, language preferences, and health practices of diverse populations, and to apply that knowledge to produce a positive health outcome.4 Competency includes communicating in a manner that is linguistically and culturally appropriate.5
Healthcare professionals have their own culture and language. Many adopt the culture of medicine and the language of their specialty as a result of their training and work environment. This can affect how health professionals communicate with the public.
For many individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), the inability to communicate in English is the primary barrier to accessing health information and services. Health information for people with LEP needs to be communicated plainly in their primary language, using words and examples that make the information understandable.
Why is health literacy important?
Only 12 percent of adults have Proficient health literacy, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. In other words, nearly 9 out of 10 adults may lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease. Fourteen percent of adults (30 million people) have Below Basic health literacy. These adults were more likely to report their health as poor (42 percent) and are more likely to lack health insurance (28 percent) than adults with Proficient health literacy.6 Low literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes such as higher rates of hospitalization and less frequent use of preventive services (see Fact Sheet: Health Literacy and Health Outcomes). Both of these outcomes are associated with higher healthcare costs.
P _._
Health Literacy Basics
Who is at risk?
Populations most likely to experience low health literacy are older adults, racial and ethnic minorities, people with less than a high school degree or GED certificate, people with low income levels, non-native speakers of English, and people with compromised health status.7 Education, language, culture, access to resources, and age are all factors that affect a persons health literacy skills.
Who is responsible for improving health literacy?
The primary responsibility for improving health literacy lies with public health professionals and the healthcare and public health systems. We must work together to ensure that health information and services can be understood and used by all Americans. We must engage in skill building with healthcare consumers and health professionals. Adult educators can be productive partners in reaching adults with limited literacy skills.
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2000. Healthy People 2010. Washington,?DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Originally developed for Ratzan SC, Parker RM. 2000. Introduction. In National Library of Medicine Current Bibliographies in Medicine: Health Literacy. Selden CR, Zorn M, Ratzan SC, Parker RM, Editors. NLM Pub. No. CBM 2000-1. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2 Public Law 102-73. The National Literacy Act of 1991.
3 Plain Language Action and Information Network. What is Plain Language? Available at www. plainlanguage.gov. Accessed on October 21, 2005.
4 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2001. National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care. Washington, DC: Office of Minority Health.
5 McKinney J, Kurtz-Rossi S. 2000. Culture, Health, and Literacy: A Guide to Health Education Materials for Adults With Limited English Skills. Boston, MA: World Education.
6 National Center for Education Statistics. 2006. The Health Literacy of Americas Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
7 Institute of Medicine. 2004. Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
P _._
Fact Sheet
?
Health Literacy and Health Outcomes
Choosing a healthy lifestyle, knowing how to seek medical care, and taking advantage of preventive measures require that people understand and use health information. The ability to obtain, process, and understand health information needed to make informed health decisions is known
as health literacy.
Given the complexity of the healthcare system, it is not surprising that limited health literacy is associated with poor health. This fact sheet summarizes key research study findings on the relationship between health literacy and health outcomes.
Use of preventive services
According to research studies, persons with limited health literacy skills are more likely to skip important preventive measures such as mammograms, Pap smears, and flu shots.1 When compared to?those with adequate health literacy skills, studies have shown that patients with limited health literacy skills enter the healthcare system when they are sicker.2
Knowledge about medical conditions and treatment
Persons with limited health literacy skills are more likely to have chronic conditions and are less able to manage them effectively. Studies have found that patients with high blood pressure,3 diabetes,3-5 asthma,6 or HIV/ AIDS7-9 who have limited health literacy skills have less knowledge of their illness and its management.
Rates of hospitalization
Limited health literacy skills are associated with an increase in preventable hospital visits and admissions.10-13 Studies have demonstrated a higher rate of hospitalization and use of emergency services among patients with limited literacy skills.12
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P _.1
HEALTH LITERACY
Health Literacy and Health Outcomes
Health status
Studies demonstrate that persons with limited health literacy skills are significantly more likely than persons with adequate health literacy skills to report their health as poor.10,12,14
Healthcare costs
Persons with limited health literacy skills make greater use of services designed to treat complications of disease and less use of services?designed to prevent complications.1,11-13 Studies demonstrate a higher rate?of hospitalization and use of emergency services among patients with limited health literacy skills.10-13 This higher use is associated with higher healthcare costs.15,16
Stigma and shame
Low health literacy may also have negative psychological effects. One study found that those with limited health literacy skills reported a sense of shame about their skill level.17 As a result, they may hide reading or vocabulary difficulties to maintain their dignity.18
About the research
In producing this fact sheet, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion relied extensively on both the Institute of Medicine (2004) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2004) reports, which include comprehensive reviews of the literature on health literacy and health outcomes. For your convenience, the original studies are cited.
In these studies, health literacy was measured by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) or Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA). Both the IOM and AHRQ reports conclude that REALM and TOFHLA are assessments of reading ability, and as such are inadequate measures of health literacy.
Persons with limited health literacy were compared to those?with adequate health literacy. Although an increasing number of studies have linked limited health literacy to poor health, the causal relationship between health literacy and health is unknown.
P _._
Health Literacy and Health Outcomes
1 Scott TL, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Baker DW. 2002. Health liteacy and preventive health care use among Medicare enrollees in a managed care organization. Medical Care. 40(5): 395-404.
2 Bennet CL, Ferreira MR, Davis TC, Kaplan J, Weinberger M, Kuzel T, Seday MA, Sartor O. 1998. Relation between literacy, race, and stage of presentation among low-income patients with prostate cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 16(9): 3101-3104.
3 Williams MV, Baker DW, Parker RM, Nurss JR. 1998. Relationship of functional health literacy to patients knowledge of their chronic disease. A study of patients with hypertension and diabetes. Archives of Internal Medicine. 158(2): 166-172.
4 Schillinger D, Grumbach K, Piette J, Wang F, Osmond D, Daher C, Palacios J, Sullivan G, Bindman AB. 2002. Association of health literacy with diabetes outcomes. Journal of the American Medical Association. 288(4): 475-482.
5 Schillinger D, Grumbach K, Wang F, Wilson C, Daher C, Leong-Grotz K, Castro C, Bindman AB. 2003. Closing the loop: Physician communication with diabetic patients who have low health literacy. Archives of Internal Medicine. 163(1): 83-90.
6 Williams MV, Baker DW, Honig EG, Lee TM, Nowlan A. 1998. Inadequate literacy is a barrier to asthma knowledge and self-care. Chest. 114(4): 1008-1015.
7 Kalichman SC, Ramachandran BB, Catz SP. 1999. Adherence to combination antiretroviral therapies in HIV patients of low health literacy. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 14(5): 267-273.
8 Kalichman SC, Rompa D. 2000. Functional health literacy is associated with health status and health-related knowledge in people living with HIV-AIDS. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology. 25(4): 337-344.
9 Kalichman SC, Benotsch E, Suarez T, Catz S, Miller J, Rompa D. 2000. Health literacy and health-related knowledge among persons living with HIV/AIDS. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 18(4): 325-331.
10 Baker DW, Parker RM, Williams MV, Clark WS. 1997. The relationship of patient reading ability to self-reported health and use of health services. American Journal of Public Health. 87(6): 1027- 1030.
11 Baker DW, Parker RM, Williams MV, Clark WS. 1998. Health literacy and the risk of hospital admission. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 13(12): 791-798.
12 Baker DW, Gazmararian JA, Williams MV, Scott T, Parker RM, Green D, Ren J, Peel J. 2002. Functional health literacy and the risk of hospital admission among Medicare managed care enrollees. American Journal of Public Health. 92(8): 1278-1283.
13 Gordon MM, Hampson R, Capell HA, Madhok R. 2002. Illiteracy in rheumatoid arthritis patients as determined by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy (REALM) score. Rheumatology. 41(7): 750-754.
P _._
Health Literacy and Health Outcomes
14 National Center for Education Statistics. 2006. The Health Literacy of Americas Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
15 Friedland R. 1998. New estimates of the high costs of inadequate health literacy. In: Proceedings of Pfizer Conference Promoting Health Literacy: A Call to Action. October 7-8, 1998, Washington, DC: Pfizer, Inc., 6-10.
16 Howard DH, Gazmararian J, Parker RM. 2005. The impact of low health literacy on the medical costs of Medicare managed care enrollees. The American Journal of Medicine. 118: 371-377.
17 Parikh NS, Parker RM, Nurss JR, Baker DW, Williams MV. 1996. Shame and health literacy: The unspoken connection. Patient Education and Counseling. 27(1): 33-39.
18 Baker DW, Parker MR, Williams MV, Ptikin K, Parikh NS, Coates W, Imara M. 1996. The health care experience of patients with low literacy. Archives of Family Medicine. 5(6): 329-334.
P _._
Strategies
Improve the Usability of Health Information
Consider the following questions as you develop and deliver health information:
Is the information appropriate for the users?
Is the information easy to use?
Are you speaking clearly and listening carefully? ?Is the information appropriate for the users? ?The information below is a summary of best practices in health communication that can aid in improving health literacy. Many of these concepts are discussed in depth in the National Cancer Institutes Making Health Communication Programs Work (a.k.a. the Pink Book) and in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions tool CDCynergy. ?Identify the intended users of the health information and services. ?Identify the intended users based?on epidemiology (who is affected?), demographics, behavior, culture, and attitude. This is known as segmentation. ?Be sure the materials and messages reflect the age, social and cultural diversity, language, and literacy skills of the intended users. Consider economic contexts, access to services, and life experiences.1 ?Beyond demographics, culture, and?language, consider the communication capacities of the intended users. Approximately one in six Americans has a communication disorder or difference resulting in unique challenges.2 These individuals will require communication strategies that are tailored to their needs and abilities. ?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ?Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P _.1
Attention:
These principles also apply if you are using existing resources. Be sure to select materials that are accurate and appropriate for the intended users.
HEALTH LITERACY
Improve the Usability of Health Information
Evaluate users understanding before, during, and after the introduction of information and services.
Talk to members of the intended user group before you design your communication intervention to determine what information they need to know and how they will use it. Then, pretest messages and services to get feedback.
Test your messages again, after they have been introduced, to assess effectiveness. Refine content when necessary. Use a post-test to evaluate the effectiveness of the information.
Acknowledge cultural differences and practice respect.
Cultural factors include race, ethnicity, language, nationality, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, income level, and occupation. Some examples of attitudes and values that are interrelated with culture include:
Accepted roles of men and women
Value of traditional medicine versus Western medicine
Favorite and forbidden foods
Manner of dress
Body language, particularly whether touching or proximity is permitted in specific situations1 ?Ensure that health information is relevant to the intended users social and cultural contexts. ?Is the information easy to use? ?Limit the number of messages, use plain language, and focus on action. _,_ ?Keep it simple. The number of messages will depend on the information needs of the intended users. As a general guideline, use no more than four main messages. Give the user specific actions and recommendations. Clearly state the actions you want the person to take. Focus on behavior rather than the underlying medical principles.
P _._
Improve the Usability of Health Information
Use familiar language and an active voice. Avoid long or run-on sentences. Organize similar information into several smaller groups.
Many of the same plain language techniques that make the written word understandable also work with verbal messages, such as avoiding jargon and using everyday examples to explain technical or medical terms the first time they are used.
For more information on plain language, visit www.plainlanguage.gov. Supplement instructions with visuals.
Individual learning styles differ. For many people, visuals are a preferred style, especially for technical information.3 Simple line drawings can help users understand complicated or abstract medical concepts. Make sure to place images in context. When illustrating internal body parts, for example, include the outside of the body.
Use visuals that help convey your message. (Dont just decorate, as this will distract users.) Make visuals culturally relevant and use images that are familiar to your audience. Show the main message on thefront of the materials.
Make written communication look easy to read._-5
Use at least 12-point font. Avoid using all capital letters, italics, and fancy script. Keep line length between 40 and 50 characters. Use headings and bullets to break up text. Be sure to leave plenty of white space around the margins and between sections.
Improve the usability of information on the Internet.
Studies show that people cannot find the information they seek on Web sites about 60 percent of the time.6 This percentage may be significantly higher for persons with limited literacy skills.
For print communication, use captions or cues to point out key information.3
Remember
Refer to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Policies for Federal Public Websites for further guidance.
P _._
Improve the Usability of Health Information
Many of the elements that improve written and oral communication can be applied to online information, including using plain language, large font, white space, and simple graphics.7 Other elements are specific to the Internet. These include:
Enhancing text with video or audio files
Including interactive features and personalized content
Using uniform navigation
Organizing information to minimize searching and scrolling
Giving users the option to navigate from simple to complex information ?A critical way to make information on the Internet more accessible to persons with limited literacy and health literacy skills is to apply user- centered design principles and conduct usability testing.
Usability is a measure of several factors that affect a users experience interacting with a product, such as a Web page. These factors include:
How fast can the user learn how to use the site?
How fast can the user accomplish tasks?
Can the user remember how to use the site the next time he or she visits?
How often do users make mistakes?
How much does the user like the site? ?To learn more about usability, visit www.usability.gov.
Are you speaking clearly and listening carefully?
Ask open-ended questions.
Ask questions using the words what or how instead of those that?can be answered with yes or no. For example, Tell me about your problem. What may have caused it? 3 Try asking What questions do you have? instead of Do you have any questions?
P _._
Improve the Usability of Health Information
Use a medically trained interpreter.
Plain English will not necessarily help individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have limited ability to speak or understand English. To better ensure understanding, health information for people?with limited English proficiency needs to be communicated plainly in their primary language, using words and examples that make the information relevant to their potentially different cultural norms and values.
Check for understanding.
The teach-back method is a technique that healthcare providers and consumers can use to enhance communication with each other. The person receiving the health information is asked to restate it in their own words??"not just repeat it??"to ensure that the message is understood and remembered. When understanding is not accurate or complete, the sender repeats the process until the receiver is able to restate the information needed.8 Consumers also can be asked to act out a medication regimen.3
Tip: Checking for understanding
Summarize what the patient needs to do. Consider using a handout or written brochure in plain language. Explain what each medication is for, along with the dosage and side effects. Make sure the patient knows where the information is written down.
Then check for understanding:
I want to be sure I didnt leave anything out that I should have told you. Would you tell me what you are to do so that I can be sure you know what is important?
(Source: Doak CC, Doak LG, Root JH. 1996. Teaching Patients With Low Literacy Skills. JB Lippincott Company: Philadelphia, PA.)
Participate in plain language and cultural competency training.
Encourage colleagues to do the same. Consider organizing a training for health professionals and staff in your organization.
P _.5
Improve the Usability of Health Information
Example:
developed by the Centers
Easy-to-read flyer
for Disease Control and Prevention. The flyer was developed in multiple
?languages.
??
?
P _._
Improve the Usability of Health Information
Checklist for Improving the Usability of Health Information
??????????the intended users ?????pre- and post-tests ???????the number of messages ?????plain language???????????respect
???????on behavior????????for understanding????"??????????with pictures??????a medically trained interpreter or translator
P _._
Improve the Usability of Health Information
1 National Cancer Institute. Making Health Communication Programs Work. Washington, DC.?2 National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Improving Health Literacy.
Available at http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/what.asp.
3 Doak C, Doak L, Root J. 1996. Teaching Patients With Low Literacy Skills. 2nd Edition. JB Lippincott Co.: Philadelphia, PA.
4 Plain Language Action and Information Network. Available at www.plainlanguage.gov. Accessed on October 21, 2005.
5 American Institute for Research. 1981. Guidelines for Document Designers. Washington, DC. 6 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Usability Basics. Available at http://www.
usability.gov/basics/index.html. Accessed on October 13, 2005.
7 Baur CE. 2005. Using the Internet To Move Beyond the Brochure and Improve Health Literacy. In Understanding Health Literacy. Schwartzberg JG, VanGeest JB, Wang CC, Editors. AMA Press, 141-154.
8 Schillinger D, Piette J, Grumbach K, Wang F, Wilson C, Daher C, Leong-Grotz K, Castro C, Bindman AB. 2003. Closing the loop: Physician communication with diabetic patients who have low health literacy. Archives of Internal Medicine. 163(1): 83-90.
P _._
Strategies
Improve the Usability of Health Services
Navigation of healthcare and public health systems requires being familiar with the vocabulary, concepts, and processes needed to access health services and information. This includes understanding insurance coverage and eligibility for public assistance, filling out patient information forms, scheduling appointments and follow-up procedures, and locating services.
Strategies to improve the usability of health services include:
Improve the usability of health forms and instructions
Improve the accessibility of the physical environment
Establish a patient navigator program ?Improve the usability of health forms and instructions ?Healthcare and public health systems rely heavily on printed materials, including:
Medical history forms
Insurance forms
Informed consent forms
Patients rights and responsibilities
Test results
Directions to the lab or pharmacy
Hospital discharge and home care instructions
Clinical research protocols and announcements ?These documents, particularly forms which contain blank spaces to be filled in by the user, are often more difficult to understand than regular prose. 1 ?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ?Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P 5.1
HEALTH LITERACY
Improve the Usability of Health Services
Consent forms and other legal documents related to patients rights often contain long sentences and difficult legal terms. It is critical that these forms be translated into plain language. According to recent guidelines prepared by the National Quality Forum, healthcare providers should ask each patient to recount what he or she has been told during the informed consent process to check for understanding.2
Tips for improving the usability of health forms and instructions:
Revise forms to ensure clarity and simplicity.
Test orms with intended users and revise as needed.
Provide plain language forms in multiple languages.
Provide clear information about eligibility for public assistance.
Train staff to give assistance with completing forms and scheduling follow-up care.
Sample informed consent language
Voluntary participation:
You dont have to be in this research study. You can agree to be in the study now and change your mind later. Your decision will not affect your regular care. Your doctors attitude toward you will not change.
New information about risks:
We may learn about new things that may make you want to stop being in the study. If this happens, you will be informed. You can then decide if you want to continue to be in the study.
(Source: Paasche-Orlow MK. 2005. The Challenges of Informed Consent for Low-Literate Populations. In Understanding Health Literacy. Schwartzberg JG, VanGeest JB, Wang CC, Editors. AMA Press, 119-140.)
P 5._
Improve the Usability of Health Services
Improve accessibility of the physical environment1
Settings with a large number of signs and postings have a high literacy demand. Maps, directions, signs, schedules, and instructions are posted throughout the healthcare setting to help consumers locate services and information. Many of these signs contain unfamiliar phrases and symbols. This environment can be intimidating and overwhelming for persons with limited health literacy skills. Too often, confusing signs and postings create more work for healthcare staff and cause embarrassment for patients.
Tips for improving the physical environment:
Include universal symbols and clear signage.
Promote easy flow through healthcare facilities.
Train staff to create and maintain a respectful and shame-free environment. ?Establish a patient navigator program ?Patient navigators can help consumers access services and appropriate health information. Patient navigators are health professionals, community health workers, or highly trained patient liaisons who coordinate health care for patients and assist them in navigating the healthcare system. Patient navigators can help patients evaluate their treatment options, obtain referrals, find clinical trials, and apply for financial assistance.
Hablamos Juntos,?with support from?the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has developed a set of Universal Symbols in Health Care. Visit www.hablamosjuntos.org to learn more.
Did you know?
Congress recently passed the Patient Navigator Outreach and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2005. The bill authorizes $25 million in grants over 5 years to establish patient navigator programs in low-income and rural communities nationwide.
(Public Law 109-18)
P 5._
Improve the Usability of Health Services
1 Rudd RE, Renzulli D, Pereira A, Daltroy L. 2005. Literacy Demands in Health Care Settings: The Patient Perspective. In Understanding Health Literacy. Schwartzberg JG, VanGeest JB, Wang CC, Editors. AMA Press, 69-84.
2 Wu HW, Nishimi RY, Page-Lopez CM, Kizer KW. 2005. Improving Patient Safety Through Informed Consent for Patients With Limited Health Literacy. National Quality Forum. Available at http://www. qualityforum.org/docs/informed_consent/webinformedconsentMember+public09-13-05.pdf. Accessed October 13, 2005.
P 5._
Strategies
Build Knowledge to Improve Health Decisionmaking
Being an informed consumer of health information requires more than reading ability. People with limited health literacy often lack knowledge or have misinformation about the body and the causes of disease. Without this knowledge, they may fail to understand the relationship between lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise and health outcomes. People with limited health literacy skills may not know when or how to seek care.
Health information can overwhelm even persons with advanced literacy skills. Medical science progresses rapidly. What people may have learned about health or biology during their school years often becomes outdated, forgotten, or is incomplete. Moreover, health information provided in a stressful or unfamiliar situation is unlikely to be retained.
Strategies to build knowledge and improve health decisionmaking include:
Improve access to accurate and appropriate health information
Facilitate healthy decisionmaking
Partner with educators to improve health curricula ?Improve access to accurate and appropriate health information ?Create mechanisms for sharing and distributing plain language materials among health professionals. ?Healthcare and public health professionals can develop plain language health education materials that can be easily shared among practitioners. Health education materials should be both scientifically accurate and culturally appropriate. Develop partnerships among and across regions, audiences, and fields of interest to facilitate dissemination. ?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ?Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P _.1
HEALTH LITERACY
Build Knowledge to Improve Health Decisionmaking
Health professionals and researchers may want to examine the impact of participatory action and empowerment research strategies for effective diffusion of health information at the community level.1
Work with the media.
Working with the media to improve health literacy involves:
1. Increasing the medias awareness of health literacy issues. Many health stories already have a health literacy angle, but it goes unreported.
2. Making scientific and medical information easier to understand. Be sure the information you give journalists is written in plain language and is suitable for a public audience. When you are working with journalists, emphasize that the provision of health information, especially when it fosters stress and anxiety in the public, does not by itself promote public understanding.
Develop new methods for information dissemination.
Health information seeking on the Internet demonstrates the publics interest in finding health information someplace other than brochures. Personal electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, palm pilots) and talking kiosks could be new methods for delivering health information. Before you create another brochure, consider whether alternate methods for information dissemination could improve communication with your intended users.
Message channels
Channels are the routes of message delivery (such as individual, group, organizational, community, and mass media). Select channels that fit your communication objectives, your budget, and your timeline.
For more information, refer to CDCynergy.
P _._
Build Knowledge to Improve Health Decisionmaking
Facilitate healthy decisionmaking
Research suggests that more information does not necessarily improve decisionmaking and often may undermine it.2 People process and use a limited amount of information when making a decision. As the choice becomes more complex, people adopt simplifying strategies that allow them to consider only some of the information. As a result, they may ignore or limit their search for information.
We know that obtaining accurate, appropriate health information is only one element of healthy decisionmaking. Increased self-efficacy, that is, a persons belief in his or her ability to accomplish a desired task, is a key factor in decisionmaking.3 A high self-efficacy for a task may mean that a person is more likely to try it. The way we package health information and services can greatly increase self-efficacy.
What you can do:
Use short documents that present bottom-line information, step-by-step instructions, and visual cues that highlight the most important information.
Align health information and recommendations with access to services, resources, and support. ?Partner with educators to improve health curricula ?Co-develop adult basic education lessons on health content. ?Adult education includes the instruction of people 16 years of age and older who are not regularly enrolled full-time students. Lssons include reading, writing, arithmetic, and other skills required to function in society. Health professionals can work with adult educators to identify the specific skills needed to support health literacy.
P _._
Build Knowledge to Improve Health Decisionmaking
Adult education theory maintains that people want information that is relevant to their lives. According to national surveys, health-related content is likely to engage adult learners.4
Health professionals can partner with adult educators to develop and deliver health lessons, which simultaneously builds health knowledge and reaches adults who may not connect with traditional health outreach methods. Construct lessons in which students use health-related texts like prescription labels, consent forms, health history forms, and health content from the Internet.
Partner with K??"1_ educators to improve health education in schools.
The U.S. educational system is a critical point of intervention to improve health literacy.1 Educators can take advantage of existing skill development and curricula to incorporate health-related tasks, materials, and examples into lesson plans. Many states already have standards for health education that can be enriched to incorporate health literacy skills.
Health professionals can support educators by speaking to elementary and secondary students or helping to organize health-related field trips with local schools.
1 Institute of Medicine. 2004. Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. National Academies Press: Washington, DC.
2 California HealthCare Foundation. 2005. Consumers in Health Care: The Burden of Choice. Available at www.chcf.org/.
3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Making Health Communication Programs Work. National Cancer Institute: Washington, DC.
4 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2003. Communicating Health: Priorities and Strategies for Progress. Washington, DC.
P _._
Strategies
Advocate for Health Literacy in Your Organization
Health professionals must commit to advocating for improved health literacy in our respective organizations. We must embed health literacy in our programs, policies, strategic plans, and research activities.
You can advocate for health literacy in your organization.
Make the case for health literacy improvement
Incorporate health literacy into mission and planning
Establish accountability for health literacy activities ?Make the case for health literacy improvement ?Include health literacy in staff training and orientation. ?Training staff will increase awareness of the need for addressing health literacy and improve their skills for communicating with the public. ? Include information on health literacy in staff orientation. ? Make a presentation on health literacy at your next staff meeting. ? Circulate relevant research and reports on health literacy to colleagues. ? Post and share health literacy resources.?Identify specific programs and projects affected by low ?health literacy. ?How can addressing health literacy improve the effectiveness of these programs? What existing or ongoing organizational activities contribute to the improvement of health literacy? How can these activities be recognized and supported? ?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ?Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P _.1
HEALTH LITERACY
Advocate for Health Literacy in Your Organization
Target key opinion leaders with health literacy information.
Brief senior staff and key decisionmakers on the importance of health literacy. Explain how health literacy relates to the organizations mission, goals, and strategic plan and how it can be incorporated into existing programs. Be specific!
Use the following talking points to make the case for health literacy improvement:
1. Only 12 percent of adults have Proficient health literacy, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. In other words, nearly 9 out of 10 adults may lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease.
2. Furthermore, 14 percent of adults (30 million people) have Below Basic health literacy. These adults were more likely to report their health as poor (42 percent) and more likely to lack health insurance (28 percent) than adults with Proficient health literacy.
3. There is a mismatch between the reading level of health information and the reading skills of the public. In addition, there is a mismatch between the communication skills of lay people and health professionals.
4. Adults with limited literacy skills are less likely to manage their chronic diseases and more likely to be hospitalized than people with stronger literacy skills. This leads to poorer health outcomes and higher healthcare costs.
5. Peoples ability to understand health information is related to the clarity of the communication. Health professionals skills, the burden of medical jargon, and complicated healthcare delivery systems affect health literacy.
6. The benefits of health literacy improvement include improved communication, greater adherence to treatment, greater ability to engage in self-care, improved health status, and greater efficiency and cost savings to the health system as a whole.
7. Enhancing health literacy does not always require additional resources. It is a method for improving the effectiveness of the work we are already doing.
P _._
Advocate for Health Literacy in Your Organization
Incorporate health literacy into mission and planning
Include specific goals and objectives related to improving health literacy in strategic plans, performance plans, programs, and educational initiatives. Goals and objectives may be population based (for example, achieving Healthy People 2010 Objective 11-2) or specific to the mission of the organization.
Convene a work group to develop a health literacy agenda for your organization.
Seek input and collaboration from a broad cross-section of employees.
Include health literacy in grants, contracts, and memorandums of understanding.
Recommend that all products, including educational materials, forms, and questionnaires, be written in plain language and tested with the intended users. Encourage contractors, grantees, and partners to indicate and evaluate how their activities contribute to improved health literacy.
Incorporate health literacy into Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). These include requests for proposals (RFPs), applications (RFAs), corrections (RFCs), and program announcements (PAs). In addition, provide proposal reviewers with basic health literacy information and training when appropriate.
P _._
Advocate for Health Literacy in Your Organization
Establish accountability
Include health literacy improvement in program evaluation.
Incorporate health literacy objectives into evaluation criteria for programs and projects.
Include health literacy improvement in budget requests.
Designating funding for health literacy activities will hold staff and management accountable and encourage evaluation.
Implement health literacy metrics.
Implementing metrics or measurable objectives for your organization will help establish accountability for health literacy activities. Below are examples of health literacy metrics.
Our organization will:
1. Apply user-centered design principles to 75 percent of new Web pages.
2. Ensure that all documents intended for the public are reviewed by a plain language expert.
3. Provide all new employees with training in cultural competency and health literacy within 6 months of their date of hire.
P _._
Resources
@
To Learn More About Health Literacy
Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion
Released in 2004 by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), this report examines the body of knowledge that applies to the field of health literacy and recommends actions to promote a health-literate society. Available at: www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=19723
Healthy People 2010
Healthy People 2010 is a comrehensive set of disease prevention and health promotion objectives developed to improve the health of the nation. Objectives 11-2 and 11-6 specifically address health literacy. Available at: www.healthypeople.gov/Document/HTML/Volume1/11HealthCom.htm
The Health Literacy of Americas Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) This report is the first release of the NAAL health literacy results. The results are based on assessment tasks designed specifically to measure the health literacy of adults living in the United States. Health literacy was reported using four performance levels: Below Basic, Basic, Intermediate, and Proficient.
Available at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006483
Communicating Health: Priorities and Strategies?for Progress?This publication provides in-depth action plans for each of the six Healthy People 2010 Health Communication Objectives, including Objectives 11-2 and 11-6 on health literacy.?Available at: http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/projects/HealthComm/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
P _.1
HEALTH LITERACY
To Learn More About Health Literacy
Literacy and Health Outcomes
This report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides a systematic review of the literature on literacy, its relationship to various health outcomes and disparities, and the effectiveness of health literacy interventions.
Available at: www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/litsum.htm
Bibliography Understanding Health Literacy and?Its Barriers?The National Library of Medicines (NLM) bibliography provides a comprehensive list of health literacy citations from varying disciplines and publications. The bibliography is divided into specific topic areas. Available at: www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/cbm/healthliteracybarriers.html
To learn more about improving the usability of health information:
Scientific and Technical Information: Simply Put
This guide from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will help you translate complicated scientific and technical information into material that captures and keeps the interest of your intended audience.
Available at: www.cdc.gov/communication/resources/simpput.pdf
CDCynergy (CD-ROM)?A multimedia CD-ROM used for planning, managing, and evaluating public health communication programs. The planning model is designed to guide the user through systematically conceptualizing, planning, developing, testing, implementing, and evaluating health communication activities, while promoting accountability and the importance of evaluation.?Available at: www.cdc.gov/communication/cdcynergy.htm
P _._
To Learn More About Health Literacy
Making Health Communication Programs Work
(the Pink Book)
The planning steps in this guide from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) can help make any communication program work, regardless of size, topic, intended audience, or budget. The Pink Book describes a practical approach for planning and implementing health communication efforts.
Available at: www.cancer.gov/pinkbook
Plainlanguage.gov
Designed to improve communication from the Federal Government to the public, this Web site contains excellent tools and examples of plain language.?Visit www.plainlanguage.gov
A Family Physicians Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care?This guide, developed by the Office of Minority Health (OMH), includes cultural competency curriculum modules designed to equip family physicians with awareness, knowledge, and skills in cultural competency to better treat the increasingly diverse U.S. population. Available at: http://cccm.thinkculturalhealth.org/
National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care?OMH has developed comprehensive standards on culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in health care. The CLAS standards provide definitions of culturally and linguistically appropriate services and address organizational structures and policies that help healthcare professionals respond to cultural and linguistic issues presented by diverse populations.
Available at: www.omhrc.gov/assets/pdf/checked/finalreport.pdf
P _._
To Learn More About Health Literacy
Policies for Federal Public Websites
The Office of Management and Budget issued the Policies for Federal Public Websites in 2004. The policies are designed to improve the usability of Federal Web sites.?Available at: www.firstgov.gov/webcontent/policies_and_implementation.shtml
Usability.gov
A resource for usable, useful, and accessible Web sites. This site contains information, guidelines, and checklists for conducting usability testing and user-centered design.?Visit www.usability.gov
To learn more about improving the usability of health services:
Improving Patient Safety Through Informed Consent for Patients With Limited Health Literacy?This report, from the National Quality Forum, is designed to provide an overview of major issues involved in providing informed consent for all patients, particularly those with limited health literacy. Available at: www.qualityforum.org/docs/informed_consent/webinformedc onsentMember+public09-13-05.pdf
Understanding Health Literacy
This comprehensive resource of health literacy research seeks to improve understanding of this public health challenge and to stimulate research focused on reducing or eliminating the literacy barrier?to effective medical diagnosis and treatment. The book includes a chapter on the literacy demands of healthcare settings.
Schwartzberg JG, VanGeest JB, Wang CC, Editors. Understanding Health Literacy. AMA Press. 2005.
P _._
To Learn More About Health Literacy
To learn more about building knowledge to improve health decisionmaking:
Consumers in Health Care: The Burden of Choice
This report by the California HealthCare Foundation presents the latest research on consumer decisionmaking, explores the methods consumers use to make choices, and looks at what influences affect consumer action. The research suggests important implications for the development of effective information tools for consumers. Available at: www.chcf.org/topics/view.cfm?itemid=115327
healthfinder
healthfinder is an award-winning Federal Web site for consumers, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other Federal agencies. Since 1997, healthfinder has been recognized as a key resource for finding the best government and nonprofit health and human services information on the Internet. healthfinder links to carefully selected information and Web sites from more than 1,500 health-related organizations.
Available at: www.healthfinder.gov
P _.5
The following questions need to project my own thoughts, then be verified by references and be concluded with your final thought. One of the references need to be from Jonas and Kovner's, 'Health Care Delivery in the United States' Chapters 6, 8, 9, 13, and 14.
1. About long-term care (LTC)
a. Is it desirable to have so many types of long-term care settings for elderly Americans? Please explain.
b. Why is LTC inaccessible, fragmented, and of questionable quality for many people?
c. What non-governmental solutions (by individuals, families, organizations, and/or communities) might improve the lives of sick, frail, and isolated older Americans?
2. A coherent mental health system would move patients smoothly through the various services that they need when they need them, enable patients to be seen by appropriate mental health professionals, and ensure continuity of care. Why is mental health considered to be incoherent now? Discuss this with reference to:
a. Types of practitioners, including those outside of mental health (identify these), actually treating persons with mental disorders.
b. Resources to pay for care.
c. Kinds of settings, including those outside of mental health (identify these) in which persons with mental disorders are seen.
d. Community perception of and relationships among providers of mental health care.
3. We seek to make health care appropriate (responding to the right disease, at the right time and place, in the right amount, by the right provider) and also effective (getting the job done and without unwanted consequences).
a. If care is not appropriate or effective, why is that a quality concern?
b. If care is not appropriate or effective, why is that an ethical concern?
4. Note the discussion of consumer choice in your text. How might home care, hospice, and day services be provided to optimize consumer choice?
5. Kovner describes hospital barriers to patient-focused care and community benefit programs. For each of these barriers, evaluate the quality and ethical implications for continuing lack of involvement by many hospitals.
6. Consider the incentives and behavior of hospital executives and governing boards. If hospitals were not regulated by the government, would their actions lead to the achievement of community goals, such as improved health for all? Explain your answer.
There are faxes for this order.
The influence of the internet in providing health information to health professionals, patients and the general public has increased significantly in the last decade. Identify key internet sites (a minimum of 5 of these) sponsored by recognised health organisations. Describe the main objectives of these sites and the organisations that produce them. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of using the internet as a primary source of health information for potentially vulnerable segments of the population (such as people with mental illness, disabilities, unemployed, elderly, as well as health professionals. Use scholarly research sources to support your written work
Customer is requesting that (superduper68) completes this order.
Customer is requesting that (superduper68) completes this order.
In the past two decades, public health professionals have launched a variety of
interventions designed to improve the health of low-income urban populations. According to
your text, public health strategies are defined as organized activities designed to achieve specified health outcomes based on an analysis of causal factors and informed by a theory of health determinants.
Explain why the primary-care setting offers important opportunities for health promotion to low-income urban populations. Then, describe the attempts that have been made to increase low-income urban population access to quality primary care. (A 2page response is required.)
Public Health Resources
Examine the respective Web sites for the organizations listed below (or similar government Web sites) and become familiar with their general contents. Which three (3) of
these Web sites are most useful for providing information and insights related to the question, What is public health? Explain your choices. Summarize your definition of public health and provide the rationale for your definition. Could you suggest other Web sites to add to this list? (A 2-page response is required.)
American Public Health Association - http://www.apha.org/
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials http://www.astho.org/
National Association of County and City Health Officials http://www.naccho.org/
Public Health Foundation http://www.phf.org/
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services http://www.hhs.gov/
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/
State health departments, available through ASTHO http://www.astho.org/
Local health departments, available through NACCHO http://www.naccho.org/
Association of Schools of Public Health, available through ASPH http://www.asph.org/
OVERVIEW:
In order to practice nursing within a community, you must know the composition and health status of that community. Both quantitative and qualitative data are collected and analyzed as the basis for services to families, groups and community.
DIRECTIONS:
Please answer the following questions about the community in which you are practicing. You may compile the results of your inquiries in whatever way you wish and share it with your classmates. The information is to be used for community assessment.
ASSESSMENT GUIDE:
I.DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
A. General Description
1. Where is the community located?
2. What are the community boundaries?
3. What type of community is it(i.e., rural, urban, geopolitical, emotional)?
4. How much area does the community cover?
5. What is the community population?
6. What type of official community government exists? How does it function? How effective is it?
7. Who are the prominent officials?
8. Who are the unofficial leaders? What leadership style do they employ? How do they derive their power?
9. Are there any particular political affiliations within the community (i.e. strong Republican sentiments)?
10. Are they any prominent topographical features in the area (lakes, rivers, mountains, railroad line, major highway)?11. What are the significant event in the communitys history?
12. What are the prospects for the future of the community?
B. Population Characteristics
1. What is the age composition of the population?
2. What is the sex distribution in the community?
4. Are particular ethnic groups primarily new immigrants or residents of long
standing? What is the racial composition?
5. What is the average income level for the community? How wide is the range in average familyincome? Whatportion of the community population have incomes below poverty level?
6. What is the prevailing educational level in the community? What is the attitude toward education?
7. What are the major religious affiliations in the community? How do religious groups interact? What types of
community service programs are offered by religious groups? How does religion impinge on health?
8. What is the usual employment level in the community? How does the unemployment rate compare with that of the nation? The state? Where do most residents work? Within the community or outside? What are the major
industries in the area? What industries are the major employers? What are the typical occupations of community residents? What health hazards, if any, are presented by local industry.
9. Are there significant patterns of population change?
C. Environmental Characteristics
1. What types of housing are available? Are most housing units owned or rented? What is the average number of persons per dwelling? What are the prevailing property values? What is the typical rent? What is the general condition of housing available? What portion of the available housing is inadequate in terms of sanitation? Safety? What health hazards, if any, are presented by area housing?
2. What is the source of community water supply? How are sewage, sanitation and waste disposal handled?
3. What protective services are available? How adequate are they?
4. What transportation resources exist? How many residents own cars? What other forms of transportation exist? Are bus routes, schedules, etc., adequate for community needs? How costly is transportation? Are there major thoroughfares nearby leading to large metropolitan areas?
5. What communication network exists? What formal communications media
are available? What are the informal modes of communication? What type of
communication takes place with the outside world? What is the relationship
between members of different cultural groups?
6. What insurance factors exist in the community? (flood insurance?)
7. What is rate of drug use and related crimes? What is the overall crime rate? What types are prevalent? What is the homicide rate? Suicide rate?
D. Health Status Indicators
1. What is the annual birth rate?
2. What percent of pregnant women received prenatal care?
3. What is the overall death rate?
4. What is the maternal death rate?
5. What is the infant death rate?
6. What is the neonatal death rate?
7. What are the annual rates for specific causes of death?
8. What are the incidence and prevalence rates for specific diseases, AIDS? Are there differences for female/male. What is the racial distribution? What is the prevalence rate for mental illness in the community?
9. How do morbidity and mortality figures compare with national/state figures?
10. What is the overall immunization rate?
11. How do these rates compare with those of previous years?
12. What is the general nutritional level of community residents? What percentage of the population is overweight? Underweight? What marketing facilities are available? How expensive are food items? What percent of the typical family budget is spent on food? What food supplement programs are available? How well are they utilized?
13. What health services and resources are available? What types of health community personnel are available? What types of health facilities are available: Are personnel and facilities adequate to meet community needs?
Are there preventive, promotional, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services available? Are there services available to meet the needs of all age groups represented in the population? What emergency services are available? What
health education programs are presented? What official and voluntary heath agencies are present in the community? How far away are health services not found in the community?
14. What are the prevailing community attitudes toward health and health care? How are health and illness defined? Are promotion and preventive measures utilized? How are health services financed? What are health programs budget priorities? What portion of the population have health insurance? How well are health services utilized? What are the traditional and alternative health practices? What percent of population is covered by managed care organizations?
II. Analysis of Data
1 What health problems are perceived by the nurse?
(you and your preceptor-- Diabetics, Obesity, TB, )
2. What health problems are perceived by local residents or group?
3. What health problems are perceived by other health professionals and community leaders? (legislators, community activist)
4. What actions is currently being taken to solve these?
5. How have previous problems of a similar nature been solved?
6. Are the resources necessary to solve these problems present in the community?
There are faxes for this order.
Customer is requesting that (hophead) completes this order.
Canada
Write a 3-5 page essay, comparing the U.S. health care system with the health system of your choosing (PLEASE NOTE: The main body of the paper should be 3-5 pages minimum in length. This page count does not include the title/cover page, abstract, table of contents, or references). The written paper is to be prepared in accordance with the following guidelines and must contain all of the following components:
TITLE PAGE (Follow APA guidelines)
ABSTRACT- Limit the abstract to 150 words. Do not repeat the title at the beginning of the abstract and do not cite references in it. Avoid abbreviations. Include the purpose of the article, main findings, and principle conclusions. Although the abstract is at the beginning of the paper, it is often easier to write the paper and then go back and write your abstract.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION (overview of the topic - usually one to two paragraphs)
REVIEW OF LITERATURE ??" Write an overview of the background and development of the US health care system as well as the background and development of the health care system of the nation you choose. Be sure to review the 4 basic components of health services delivery: financing, insurance, delivery, and payment and how they function in each the US system vs. the other system (see pgs. 5-7 of the textbook for more information).
o Reference citations must be present within the body of the paper and should be included for all information obtained from an outside source. All reference citations should have a corresponding full reference listed on the reference page. In order to add depth to your paper, I fully anticipate students using supplemental references (journal articles, web sources, and books) in addition to the text book. Please note that Wikipedia is not considered a scholarly source for use in academic papers- Please avoid using it ?
DISCUSSION - analysis of the information presented in the review of literature. Compare and contrast the features of the US health care system and the system of the nation/country you choose. Discuss how the system components impact health professionals as well as patients (positively and/or negatively).
CONCLUSION - Based on information presented in discussion
RECOMMENDATIONS - student's personal thoughts or suggestions for change. Identify any system features that you would like to see incorporated into the US system.
REFERENCES: Students are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of references and must follow the APA guidelines for citations.
***Please note: Papers must include headings for each of the sections listed above. Headings should centered and capitalized.
Additional information:
Manuscript Preparation: Assignment should be prepared in Microsoft Office as a .doc or .docx file. The manuscript shall be typewritten double-spaced with 1" margins on all four sides. The pages are to be numbered consecutively, beginning with the first page of text. The page number should in the upper right hand corner of each page. The font for the type should 12 point Times Roman or Times New Roman.
Text Requirements: The cover page should contain the title and authors names. The abstract should be on a separate page. The Table of Contents should be on a separate page. The main text should begin on a separate page and be not less than 3-5 pages double-spaced pages. You may exceed 3-5 pages of text for the body of your paper. However, papers that are shorter in length will have points deducted.
Illustrations (optional): If tables, graphs, figures, etc., are included they should be appropriately identified.
Assignment Submission: Submit as an attached document under the Written Assignment tab. Click on View/Complete Assignment: Written Assignment #1. Scroll down to attach local file and upload your Word Document. Click submit.
* Please refrain from emailing assignments to the instructor.
***Some APA resources have been placed in the Course materials section for your convenience. Here you will find information on writing a title page, how to paraphrase, how to cite references within the paper etc.
The book:
Delivering Healthcare in America.
A Systems Approach
F O U R T H E D I T I O N
Leiyu Shi, DrPH, MBA, MPA Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Co- Director, Johns Hopkins Primary Care Policy Center for the Underserved Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland
Douglas A. Singh, PhD, MBA Associate Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University South Bend South Bend, Indiana
Jones and Barlett Publishers
Sudbury ,Massachusetts.
Boston,London,Toronto,Singapore.
Context: Canada:Canada implemented its national health in-surance system referred to as Medicare under the Medical Care Act of 1966. Currently, Medicare is composed of 13 provincial and territorial health insurance plans sharing basic standards of coverage as defined by the Canada Health Act ( Health Canada 2006). The bulk of financing for Medicare comes from general provincial tax revenues; the federal government provides a constant amount that is independent of actu-al expenditures. The public pays for nearly 70 percent of total health care expenditures in Canada. The remaining 30 percent, paying for supplementary services such as drugs, dental care, and vision care, is financed pri-vately ( Canadian Institute for Health Infor-mation 2005). Provincial and territorial departments of health have the responsibili-ty to administer medical insurance plans, de-termine reimbursement for providers, anddeliver certain public health services. Prov-inces are required by law to provide reason-able access to all medically necessary services and to provide portability of bene-fits from province to province. The program provides comprehensive coverage, but ex-cludes dental care. Coverage for home health care and prescription drugs varies across the provinces. To cover these exclusions, many Canadians have supplemental coverage through private insurance provided by em-ployers. Patients are free to select their providers ( Akaho et al. 1998). Several prov-inces have established contracts with providers in the United States for certain specialized services. However, contrary to popular per-ceptions, few Canadians have to obtain health care services in the United States due to waiting times or unavailability of technol-ogy in their own country ( Katz et al. 2002). Nearly all the Canadian provinces ( On-tario being one exception) have resorted to regionalization by creating administrative districts within each province. The objective of regionalization is to decentralize authori-ty and responsibility to more efficiently ad-dress local needs and to promote citizen participation in health care decision- making ( Church and Barker 1998). The majority of Canadian hospitals are operated as private nonprofit entities run by community boards of trustees, voluntary organizations, or mu-nicipalities, and most physicians are in pri-vate practice ( Health Canada 2006). Most provinces use global budgets and allocate set reimbursement amounts for each hospital. Physicians are paid fee- for- service rates ne-gotiated between each provincial govern-ment and medical association ( MacPhee 1996; Naylor 1999). Over the years, federal financial support to the provinces was drastically reduced. Un-der the increasing burden of higher costs,certain provinces, such as Alberta and On-tario, have started small- scale experimenta-tion with privatization. However, in 2003, the Health Council of Canada, comprised of rep-resentatives of federal, provincial, and terri-torial governments, as well as health care experts, was established to assess Canadas health care system performance and establish goals for improvement. The Councils 2003 First Ministers Accord on Health Care Re-newal created a five- year, $ 16 billion Health Reform Fund targeted to improving primary health care, home care, and catastrophic drug coverage ( Health Council of Canada 2005).
HELLO THERE I NEED HELP WITH MY ASSIGNMENT ON A MODULE I AM CURRENTLY STUDYING IN UNVIVERSITY
MODULE: HEALTH AND ILLNESS
Question 2
2- How true are the claims that the medical profession exercises undue dominance over other health professionals and patients? Discuss this in relation to the thesis on medical dominance. (1500 words)
PLEASE REFER TO THESE BOOKS LISTED BELOW FOR REFERENCES
Blaxter (2004) Chpt 6
Bury (2005) pages 89 ? 120
Gabe et al : page 59 and essays in Part 4
Nettleton (2006) Chpt 8
Herzlich, C. & Pierret, J. (1985) 'The social construction of the patient: patients and illnesses in other ages. S.S.&M. 20 (2): 145-151
Jewson, N. (1976) 'The disappearance of the sick man from medical cosmology 1770-1870' Sociology 10, 225-44.
Shortened versions are reprinted in :
Beattie, A et al (eds) (1993) Health and Well-being. Macmillan: pp44-54; and in
Brunton, D (ed.) (2004) Health, disease & society in Europe, 1800-1930. pp.1-11.
Lupton, D. (1994 or 2003) First part of chpt. 4
Radley, A. (1994) Chpt 2 'Illness, the patient and society'
Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse
Please reference the book: Hamric, A. B., Hanson, C. M., Spross J. A. (2009). Advanced Practice Nursing An Integrative Approach (4th Edition ed.).
Discuss how you have achieved course competencies and your plans to develop further in these areas. The course competencies for this course are as follows:
1. Differentiate the role and scope of practice of the advanced practice nurses in clinical practice, primary care, education, administration and research.
2. Analyze a variety of health care systems in relationship to their method of access and availability, degree of consumer choice, competition, financing, effect on advanced practice nurses and other health professionals.
3. Analyze a specific change needed within the healthcare organization to improve the delivery of healthcare and healthcare outcomes to consumers considering factors such as method of access and availability, degree of consumer choice, competition, financing, effect on advanced practice nurses and other health professionals.
4. Integrate research and theory into discussions of competencies and points of view needed by an advanced practice nurse in a specific role or specialty.
5. Identify collaborative, organizational, communication, and leadership skills in working with other professionals in healthcare facilities and/or academic institutions.
6. Evaluate models of patient care, scholarship, teaching, leadership, and change.
7. Influence health policy using ethical statements, current terminology, classifications, methods, trends.
Justify your answers using examples and reasoning.
Assignment 1 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Discussion Question Responses: Displays an understanding of the course materials and the underlying concept discussed. Includes course materials and additional scholarly resources to support important points.
15
Participation Responses: Displays an understanding of topic under discussion by affirming statements, asking a related question, or making an oppositional statement. Position must be supported with related evidence. Responds to a minimum of two peers/question.
10
Professional Practice Connection: Demonstrates reflective thought pertaining to personal perspectives and professional development. Reflective statements include a theoretical rationale.
10
Quality of Academic Writing: Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. Citations and references are included and written in the correct APA Style.
10
Total:
45
Following the reading of the background materials and the case please respond to the following questions:
What goods or services does MUSC really "sell"/deliver?
1.How does MUSC deliver its services?
2.Who needs or will "buy" their services?
3.What may be the reason that MUSC needs a Strategic Plan and how may MUSC benefit from a new strategic plan? Please explain. Note - This is the focal question!
4.Could you propose a new mission statement for MUSC?
Please read the following case:
In October 1996, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) began developing a five-year strategic plan to guide its academic pursuits into the next millennium.
As an academic institution, the Medical University engages in three interrelated activities -- education, research, and service. These activities take place within the context of local, regional, and national communities. MUSC is an educational institution dedicated to teaching health professionals and biomedical scientists with an emphasis on graduate and post-graduate programs. As a research institution, it advances new knowledge and contributes significantly to biomedical, behavioral and health-related investigations. As a clinical institution, MUSC provides the highest quality care, makes available treatments that may be unavailable elsewhere, and serves many who need care but do not have the means to afford it. These interrelated activities require careful planning and sensitivity to the consequences of change. To fulfill this threefold mission, the University is adapting its infrastructure to achieve a successful transition as health care systems evolve. This Strategic Plan is the blueprint for this transition.
Charged with developing a five-year strategic plan, the University Planning Committee faced a threefold challenge:
how to develop an unprecedented plan of this magnitude;
how to articulate comprehensive university goals and objectives which could be modified to reflect the changing environment; and
how to communicate and interact with the public.
By its very nature, this plan would need to establish broad norms and realistic expectations; it would encourage creativity; it would allow flexibility; and it would serve as a context for operational decision-making.
The first challenge was developing a prototype for a comprehensive strategic plan for the Medical University. Previously, formal strategic plans had been developed by the individual colleges, the Medical Center, and selected operational units. These plans lacked a unified orientation and reflected a decentralized governance system. Although this system served its faculty and the citizens of South Carolina well during the past, central coordination is needed to respond effectively to the fundamental changes now taking place in education, research, and health care. Interdisciplinary programs are evolving, but the nature of such programs challenges the autonomy of traditional academic and specialty units. This Strategic Plan emphasizes interdisciplinary programs and accents the need for central coordination and governance.
The second challenge was particularly complex. Extensive changes are occurring in our nation's health care system. The sweep of managed care, the rise of complex, integrated health care systems, continued concern with cost containment, and the shift of responsibilities from the federal to state governments have potentially serious consequences for all health care providers. Academic health centers are especially vulnerable to these forces because of additional costs related to education and research, comparatively high levels of uninsured patients, and an emphasis on specialized services.
The last challenge was that of communicating and interacting with the public. This Strategic Plan emphasizes the responsibilities inherent in the social contract between the Medical University and its constituents. This Plan outlines approaches to addressing the health needs of South Carolinians by preparing an educated health care workforce, advancing understanding of health and disease, and providing a broad spectrum of health care services. This Strategic Plan encourages innovative approaches to direct communication of health information to the public.
Mission Statement Description
As South Carolina's only comprehensive academic health center providing a full range of programs in the biomedical sciences, the Medical University of South Carolina is engaged in activities statewide. Its main campus is located on more than 50 acres in the city of Charleston. More than 2000 students in six colleges (Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy) study for degrees at the baccalaureate (entry at the junior year level), masters, doctoral, and other professional levels. The University also provides residency training for over 500 graduate health professionals. The teaching staff comprises approximately 850 full-time and 1600 part-time faculty.
The assignment is to design a fully functional department within a healthcare institution. The work must include the following elements:
* An organizational chart and a strategic plan for the department (I will provide examples from the textbook). Please note that the chart must apply to an entire healthcare organization, whereas the strategic plan is specific to a given department.
* A description of how the management functions will be applied (the textbook lists the following functions: planning, decision making, organizing, staffing, directing or actuating, and controlling).
* A plan for how the department will operate effectively.
Additionally, the department in question should be a cardiology division.
You may also include the textbook as a bibliography source, which is Management Principles for Health Professionals, 6th edition, Liebler, McConnell.
There are faxes for this order.
We Can But Should We?
SCENARIO
Emergency workers in Marin County, California are using the technology involving QR codes to save lives in emergency situations. A company, Lifesquare, has partnered with two emergency response agencies in the county to conduct a year-long pilot program. Lifesquare wants residents to input personal information about their medications into its website and then place corresponding QR code stickers where emergency workers can find and scan them in the case of an emergency. These stickers are available from a local pharmacy. Elsewhere, another company, ID Amber, has a Security Code printed on a tag which can be scanned readily. And yet another company, ScanMedQR.com, manufactures silicon bracelets, cards for wallets and necklaces that have QR codes on them that provide quick access to health records.
Lets assume that your neighbors (many elderly) have heard of the pilot study but they have some concerns with, and are somewhat skeptical about, this new-fangled technology. They have asked you for more information about the technology including the advantages and disadvantages of participating in such a pilot project or obtaining the tags used by other companies. You conduct a review of this technology by reading sources on the Internet and in the current literature. You discover there are several health care organizations using this technology in various ways. You have read their marketing information for additional insight. Basically, your neighbors are looking to you for knowledge so they can answer the question: We Can But Should We?
DIRECTIONS
1. You are to research, compose and type a scholarly paper based on the scenario described above. Reflect on what you have learned in this class to date about technology, privacy concerns and ethical issues. Do not limit your review of the literature to nursing only. Other health professionals are using the technology and you may need to apply critical thinking skills to its applications in this scenario.
2. Use Microsoft Word and APA formatting. use of third person.
3. The length of the paper should be 3 pages, excluding the title page and the reference page. Limit the references to a few key sources.
4. The paper will contain an Introduction that catches the attention of the reader with interesting facts and supporting sources of evidence, which should be included as in-text citations. The Body should present the advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of QR codes. The Conclusion and Recommendations should summarize your findings and state your position regarding whether your neighbors should participate in a pilot project. Make your case based on the evidence you have collected.
Instructions for Completion of Nursing Ethical Issues Assignment:
Format
1. The body of the paper will be 5-7 pages in length (excluding cover page and reference page).
2. The paper should be neatly typed or word-processed, double-spaced, with 10-12 point font.
3. The paper must include reference citations in the body of the paper and a reference page at the end. Use APA (American Psychiatric Association) format for all citations and references.
4. Use a minimum of five (5) references to aid your discussion of the ethical dilemma. References may include articles from nursing or other professional journals or books, internet sources such as professional websites.
References to Principles of Nursing Ethics and Code of Ethics for Nurses must be cited appropriately and included in reference page. Only one reference from an internet source. A minimum of 2 references should come from a professional nursing journal. Sources cited as references must be current (no older than 5 years). Note: You may NOT use NURS 1128 textbooks as references for this paper.
5. Copies of all references must be attached and submitted with the paper.
Ethical Decision Making Process
1. Select and briefly describe a client situation or health care issue that illustrates an ethical dilemma in today's nursing practice.
2. DESCRIBE the ethical dilemma:
a. Identify both sides of the ethical dilemma.
b. What are the values involved with the dilemma?
c. Identify the specific ethical principles involved. (see "Principles of Nursing Ethics")
d. Identify the ethical responsibilities of the nurse concerning the dilemma. (see "Code of Ethics for Nurses")
e. Briefly describe alternative solutions to the ethical dilemma.
3. Identify your personal moral stand and your own decision regarding the dilemma and give an example of how your personal experience, values, beliefs, or attitudes influenced your decision.
Critical Thinking for Nursing Judgment
1. Describe how your nursing knowledge base was used to reach a decision.
2. Identify one of the attitudes for critical thinking and describe how it affected the decision you made.
(see "Components of Critical Thinking")
3. Identify one of the critical thinking intellectual standards and describe how you used it in writing the paper.
(see "Components of Critical Thinking")
Ethics terminology to include
equality/justice
The principle or idea that people should be treated equally. In nursing, it relates to fair, equitable, and appropriate treatment for all clients.
Beneficence
The principle that health care should be good, or beneficial. It also requires nurses to advocate for, protect, and prevent harm to clients.
commitment/trust
The idea of a professional commitment to care for a patient and uphold professional standards of care. In health care, this is often an unspoken matter of trust between client and nurse.
confidentiality
The principle of holding certain matters private or secret. In law, lawyers, clergy, doctors, and others cannot be required to divulge private or confidential matters. The concept is being extended to nursing and other fields as well.
consequentialism
A principle concerned with the end result or consequences. In health care, it implies acceptance of responsibility for the consequences to the patient of one's nursing care activities.
duty/veracity/fidelity
The principle of abiding by a system of rules or duty. It refers to the nurses duty to tell the truth and the clients right to know about their diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, etc. It also addresses the nurses duty to be faithful and loyal to the client.
(3) Code of Ethics for Nurses
1. The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.
2. The nurses primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community.
3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.
4. The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurses obligation to provide optimum patient care.
5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.
6. The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving health care environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality health care and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action.
7. The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development.
8. The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public in promoting community, national, and international efforts to meet health needs.
9. The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy
BACKGROUND
Healthcare is readily embracing any technology to improve patient outcomes, streamline operations and lower costs. This technology includes the use of mobile applications like Smartphones. Smart scanning and the use of Quick Response (QR) codes are all the rage. You may have noticed these intricately patterned squares appearing in more and more places but did not know their purpose. QR codes provide an opportunity to embed a variety of information, much like traditional bar codes used in grocery stores. But, unlike these codes, QR codes contain URLs (Uniform Resource Locators or web addresses) within them that instantly connect anyone who scans the code. All one needs is a smartphone, tablet scanner environment, special applications/software, and a reader to hyperlink to a site and obtain information. Readers are free and easy to download from an app store or the Web. Some smartphones come with this capability.
In health care today, QR codes are used in a variety of ways, e.g., a woman can schedule a mammogram by reading a QR code that provides a link to a web site. QR codes can direct patients to online libraries for information and educational videos. Other convenient functions include accessing some components of electronic health records (EHRs).
SCENARIO
Emergency workers in Marin County, California are using the technology involving QR codes to save lives in emergency situations. A company, Lifesquare, has partnered with two emergency response agencies in the county to conduct a year-long pilot program. Lifesquare wants residents to input personal information about their medications into its website and then place corresponding QR code stickers where emergency workers can find and scan them in the case of an emergency. These stickers are available from a local pharmacy. Elsewhere, another company, ID Amber, has a Security Code printed on a tag which can be scanned readily. And yet another company, ScanMedQR.com, manufactures silicon bracelets, cards for wallets and necklaces that have QR codes on them that provide quick access to health records.
Lets assume that your neighbors (many elderly) have heard of the pilot study but they have some concerns with, and are somewhat skeptical about, this new-fangled technology. They have asked you for more information about the technology including the advantages and disadvantages of participating in such a pilot project or obtaining the tags used by other companies. You conduct a review of this technology by reading sources on the Internet and in the current literature. You discover there are several health care organizations using this technology in various ways. You have read their marketing information for additional insight. Basically, your neighbors are looking to you for knowledge so they can answer the question: We Can But Should We?
DIRECTIONS
1. You are to research, compose and type a scholarly paper based on the scenario described above. Reflect on what you have learned in this class to date about technology, privacy concerns and ethical issues. Do not limit your review of the literature to nursing only. Other health professionals are using the technology and you may need to apply critical thinking skills to its applications in this scenario.
2. Use Microsoft Word and APA formatting. Consult your copy of the Publication manual of the APA, 6th edition, as well as the resources in Doc Sharing if you have questions, e.g., margin size, font type and size (point), use of third person, and so forth. Take advantage of the writing service Smarthinking, which is accessed by clicking on the link called the Tutor Source, found under the Course Home tab.
3. The length of the paper should be 3-4 pages, excluding the title page and the reference page. Limit the references to a few key sources.
4. The paper will contain an Introduction that catches the attention of the reader with interesting facts and supporting sources of evidence, which should be included as in-text citations. The Body should present the advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of QR codes. The Conclusion and Recommendations should summarize your findings and state your position regarding whether your neighbors should participate in a pilot project. Make your case based on the evidence you have collected.
Explain why an understanding of psychosocial aspects of relationships with service users is essential for health professionals today.
I am sending lecture notes that can be helpful. Also the references below can be helpful.
Compliance and empowerment. Ch. 13 in D. F. Marks et al.: Health Psychology; Sage, London.
The placebo effect. Scientific American, Jan. 1998 (p.68-73).
Conformity and group influence and Obedience. Chs. 26, 27 in Psychology (4th ed.); Hodder & Stoughton, London.
*CIALDINI, R.B. (2001) The science of persuasion. Scientific American (Feb.), 62-67.
There are faxes for this order.
Written Assessment
BSBWOR402A Promote team effectiveness
This written assignment is a supplementary assessment for the unit BSBWOR4O2A Promote Team Effectiveness. lt assesses the following elements:
- Plan to achieve team outcomes
- Develop team cohesion
- Participate in and facilitate work team
- Liaise with management
Part A - The Health Care Team
Please select three (3) health professionals, and answer the following questions. Each response should be 50 - 150 words long, and be supported with a reference.
1) ln which, health care settings would the selected health professional work and if applicable how would their job title differ between each setting?
2) What qualifications (education) does the selected health professional require to commence work in their chosen profession?
3) ln what capacity are you as an Enrolled Nurse, likely to work with the selected health professional, and how would this differ between health care settings? Please explain using an example.
You may select from
- Doctor
- Allied Health Professional, including Occupational Therapist, Dietician, Speech Therapist
or Physiotherapist
- Personal Service Assistant (Ward Support/Orderly)
- Personal Care Attendant (Aged Care Worker)
- Clinical Nurse Consultant
Part B - Liaising with Supervisors
Review the scenario below, and provide an outline of how you would discuss your concerns with
your Clinical Teacher. please include in your outline at least one recommendation to address
your concerns. Your outline should be approximately 150 words, and be supported with a
reference.
You, the student enrolled nurse, are completing a clinical placement on a medical ward.
Overnight, an 88 year old female with seizures for investigation was admitted with a history of a
right below knee amputation. This morning the patient is drowsy, and readily returns to sleep
when woken. Your supervising buddy nurse is insistent on showering this new patient, and
explains she will do a stand - transfer onto the shower chair. Concerned for the patient's safety, you decide to discuss the situation with your Clinical Teacher.
Health Care Professionals Write a 3-4 page paper in which you: 1. Identify and describe three reasons there may be a physician shortage rather than a surplus in the United…
Read Full Paper ❯
professional development of others Requested Writers Explain ?-? why nurses have responsibility to share knowledge with colleagues, health profession students and other health professionals ?-? how can nurses facilitate…
Read Full Paper ❯
Professional Portfolio Paper Throughout this course, you have been exposed to the way in which health care is provided. The current system is changing, and it needs to continue…
Read Full Paper ❯
After viewing the two documentaries, select and identify a minimum of two patients for the purpose of analyzing the following scoping questions. You may indeed propose other questions and supportive research,…
Read Full Paper ❯
this study will aim to give a contemporay view on brain drain through comparative literature on health professionals migration data across african countries, using zimbabwe as the case (comparable…
Read Full Paper ❯
Reflect on the theories, concepts and stratieges presented in course and respond to the following: Describe the changes in your attitude toward other health professionals Identify the knowledge/insights you think will…
Read Full Paper ❯
Requested Writers Demonstrates an understanding of Communication Skills for health professionals, and use academic or clinical journals to answer the following question: Why Communication Skills for health professionals is important? How…
Read Full Paper ❯
QUESTION: In what ways has sociology illuminated the common-sense idea that stressful life circumstances can be an important cause of ill-health? How might such knowledge be used by health…
Read Full Paper ❯
could you please make it 1000 words because it's the limit? LAYOUT: This assignment must use the following layout ??" 1.5 line spacing, 12 size font, 2.5cm margins all round. My Academic…
Read Full Paper ❯
The type of document is a discussion essay about: "The value of collaboration among various health professionals in promoting community health. How can you,as a nurse, influence legislators and policy…
Read Full Paper ❯
Please use the directions below to write a 2 page paper and please include a reference page. Health Literacy In order to effectively manage their own health, individuals need to have…
Read Full Paper ❯
The following questions need to project my own thoughts, then be verified by references and be concluded with your final thought. One of the references need to be…
Read Full Paper ❯
The influence of the internet in providing health information to health professionals, patients and the general public has increased significantly in the last decade. Identify key internet sites…
Read Full Paper ❯
In the past two decades, public health professionals have launched a variety of interventions designed to improve the health of low-income urban populations. According to your text, public health strategies are…
Read Full Paper ❯
OVERVIEW: In order to practice nursing within a community, you must know the composition and health status of that community. Both quantitative and qualitative data are collected and analyzed…
Read Full Paper ❯
Canada Write a 3-5 page essay, comparing the U.S. health care system with the health system of your choosing (PLEASE NOTE: The main body of the paper should be 3-5…
Read Full Paper ❯
HELLO THERE I NEED HELP WITH MY ASSIGNMENT ON A MODULE I AM CURRENTLY STUDYING IN UNVIVERSITY MODULE: HEALTH AND ILLNESS Question 2 2- How true are the claims that the…
Read Full Paper ❯
Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse Please reference the book: Hamric, A. B., Hanson, C. M., Spross J. A. (2009). Advanced Practice Nursing An Integrative Approach (4th Edition ed.). Discuss…
Read Full Paper ❯
Following the reading of the background materials and the case please respond to the following questions: What goods or services does MUSC really "sell"/deliver? 1.How does MUSC deliver its…
Read Full Paper ❯
The assignment is to design a fully functional department within a healthcare institution. The work must include the following elements: * An organizational chart and a strategic plan for the…
Read Full Paper ❯
We Can But Should We? SCENARIO Emergency workers in Marin County, California are using the technology involving QR codes to save lives in emergency situations. A company, Lifesquare, has partnered with…
Read Full Paper ❯
Instructions for Completion of Nursing Ethical Issues Assignment: Format 1. The body of the paper will be 5-7 pages in length (excluding cover page and reference page). 2.…
Read Full Paper ❯
BACKGROUND Healthcare is readily embracing any technology to improve patient outcomes, streamline operations and lower costs. This technology includes the use of mobile applications like Smartphones. Smart scanning and the…
Read Full Paper ❯
Explain why an understanding of psychosocial aspects of relationships with service users is essential for health professionals today. I am sending lecture notes that can be helpful. Also the…
Read Full Paper ❯