Process improvement and data analytics for Maryland's Affordable Care Act implementation

Health Policy Analysis for Maryland AC (Affordable Care) Act

McLaughlin, & McLaughlin (2014) rank 11 areas of health innovation based on their impact on costs and quality of healthcare delivery. The process improvement is the highest ranking item. However, the authors identify data analytics, disease management, "non-physician delivery alternatives," and "alternative to fee-for service" (McLaughlin, & McLaughlin, 2014 p 335) as other innovation items that can enhance quality and reduce costs. Additionally, the authors point out that innovation in electronic medical records, diagnosis, and pharmaceuticals can also assist with quality and cost.

Objective of this health policy paper is to evaluate the items that can play important role in the health policy process of Maryland's ACA (Affordable Care Act).

Healthcare items for Health Policy Process for in Maryland Affordable Care Act

The ACA (Affordable Care Act) is a federal government legislation focusing on healthcare coverage for small groups and individuals. The government of Maryland uses the Maryland connection to enroll qualified Maryland residents to ACA. The policy proposal chooses the process improvement as one of the top items for the health process for Maryland Affordable Care. In a healthcare environment, innovation has been traditionally reserved for the development of new drugs, and therapies. Since the American healthcare system is gaining momentum, the process improvement has been an effective tool for health innovation. The process improvement is an effective tool reduce cost and enhance health quality delivery. The process improvement is an effective tool to reduce cost that Maryland government employs to manage Affordable Care Act. Major benefit of process improvement is to control cost and improve quality of healthcare delivery for the implementation of Maryland Affordable Act.

The policy proposal also identifies the data analytics as an effective tool to reduce healthcare cost and enhance quality improvement for the Maryland Affordable Care. The advanced in technologies will assist the health stakeholders to communicate with healthcare consumers. The data analytics involves collecting the consumer information in an intelligent way to assist the Maryland to align customer behaviors with action, which assist in improving healthcare. (Abrams, Nuzum, Mika, et al. 2011).

This paper also suggests disease management as one of the items to enhance quality of healthcare delivery and reduce costs for Maryland Affordable Care. Modernizing a disease prevention is the strategy to manage disease using health promotion. In essence, a health promotion involves raising awareness of different activities that can prevent disease and promote health. The health promotion should be directed towards patients and educate them on the importance of physical exercise, good nutrition, and adherence to medication.

The policy paper also identifies technology as an innovative method to enhance quality healthcare delivery and reduce healthcare costs for Maryland Affordable Care. The advent of EHR (electronic health record) and new technology can assist in effective storing and retrieving of patient's data. In essence, the specialized database and digitized information offer potential advantages for disease process and better health outcomes. (Abrams, Nuzum, Mika, et al. 2011).

A "Non-physician delivery alternatives" is another item to reduce healthcare cost and improve quality of healthcare for the Maryland. (McLaughlin, & McLaughlin, 2014 p 335). Non-Physician Personnel has emerged as a promising model to strengthen primary healthcare. Several provisions within the healthcare reform encourage the adoption of the model. A "patient-centered medical home" is a typical example of the non-physician personnel. (Chin, Hamermesh, Huckman, et al. 2012 p 5). A patient-centered provides patients with a timely access to quality healthcare delivery that includes availability of health appointments office hours. The strategy is to partner with patients in order to prevent complications, manage health conditions as well as engaging quality improvement for the Affordable Care. Moreover, patients in medical home generally have access to better healthcare, likely to receive preventive services and better managed compared to patients who lack a medical home. Moreover, medical home patients are less likely report duplication of tests and error in their Medicare. The medical home will also make the Maryland Affordable Care to achieve cost saving and enhance better health outcomes. (Chin, Hamermesh, Huckman, et al. 2012).

Health Promotion Policy Proposal to Change Behavioral Risks

The Maryland government should focus on health promotion to change people's behaviors to achieve healthy lifestyles. Intervention of multiple health promotion strategies can assist in reducing the communicable diseases, improve quality of healthcare delivery and reduce healthcare costs. The health promotion should educate people on appropriate dietary intake by shifting from taking poor food or energy-dense nutrition to a dietary pattern. The promotion should also make people to avoid sedentary behavior, and indulge in physical activities. Health promotion should educate people on the method to maintain healthy body weight by eating healthy food and indulge in regular physical exercise to reduce obesity. Additionally, people should be educated about harmful effects of cigarette smoking, drug and alcohol additions.

A cost-effective health promotion strategy is also to focus on the method physical and social environment prevent illness. The Maryland government should focus on the entire Maryland population educating them on the health effects of drugs and alcohol addiction, importance of physical exercise and benefits of good nutrition. Moreover, the government should emphasize on chemical/pesticide regulation, and pollution control. Essentially, disease prevention is more cost effective than treatment because it avoids unnecessary suffering and pain. Thus, it is more economical to prevent obesity than to cure obesity when it occurs.

Another health promotion strategy that the Maryland government can employ to improve quality of healthcare delivery is to control infections, monitor diseases, indulge in urban planning, sponsor biomedical research, minimize pollution and emphasize on regulations to enhance healthy food and drug. The Table 1 reveals summary of health promotion strategies for the policy proposal.

Table 1: Health Promotion Strategies

Public health

Health research

Environmental health

Access to care

Pest/Infection control

Basic research

Housing and urban planning

Drugs

Health education

Applied research

Occupational health

Specialists

Surveillance

Policy research

Food and drug safety

Medical devices

Disaster preparedness

Sanitation and hygiene

Primary care

Vaccination

Pollution control

Emergency care

Source: Resnik, (2007).

Reference

Abrams, M. Nuzum, R. Mika, S. et al. (2011). Realizing Health Reform's Potential How the Affordable Care Act Will Strengthen Primary Care and Benefit Patients, Providers, and Payers. The Commonwealth Fund.

Chin, W.W. Hamermesh, R.G. Huckman, R.S. et al.(2012). 5 Imperatives Addressing Innovative Challenge. Harvard Business School.

McLaughlin, C.P. & McLaughlin, C.D. (2014). Health Policy Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach.(2nd Edition). Burlington, Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Resnik, D.B. (2007). Responsibility for Health: Personal, Social, and Environmental. J Med Ethics. 33(8): 444-445.