Skip to main content

BSN Writing Services

BSN Writing Services

Call Us

+1-(612) 208-2686

Our Email

contact@bsnwritingservices.com

Free Sample

NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 3 Training Session for Policy Implementation

Student Name Capella University NHS-FPX 6004 Health Care Law and Policy Prof. Name Date Introduction to Training Session for Policy Implementation  Good morning, everyone! My name is ________ and I would like to welcome you all to the training session for the implementation of the policy that we have established for the improvement of benchmark underperformance as noticed in the Mercy Medical Center (MMC). As healthcare professionals, you all are primarily responsible for bringing reforms within the organization to improve pre-diabetes and diabetes screening for the population we provide healthcare services. The focus of the developed policy is on increasing the frequency of HBA1c tests and foot examinations to prevent, manage, and treat diabetes mellitus eventually reaching the benchmarks set by AHRQ national databases.  Need for the Development of Policy  Let me first share with you the policy that we have created and how did we identify the need for this policy. So initially, the data was collected from Mercy Medical Center related to eye tests, foot examinations, and HBA1c tests in the years 2019 and 2020. The results from both years were compared to the benchmarks set by National Healthcare Quality and Disparity Report (NHQDR). The compared data showed a significant difference in HBA1c tests and foot examinations, which kept a foundation for developing this policy within the organization.  According to the literature, the HBA1c test is an ideal biomarker that is used to diagnose pre-diabetic and diabetic conditions in the human body. It is also concluded that patients who undergo regular HBA1c checkups are most likely to experience positive patient outcomes and have high satisfaction levels (Kaiafa et al., 2020). On the other hand, foot examinations are also considered important in terms of diabetes management as it prevents one of the major complications of diabetes – diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetic foot can lead to disability, systemic infections, and even death if the signs are not identified early (Zhao et al., 2023). This literature evidence and the underperformance of benchmarks at MMC present a need for healthcare organizations to develop standard policies and practice guidelines to improve the benchmarks, consequently, enhancing patients’ outcomes and well-being.  Policy Established for Mercy Medical Center  The policies and practice guidelines that were proposed for MMC are focused on the timelines of performing these tests. These timelines are suggested by official bodies and must be applied at Mercy Medical Center. The purpose of sharing the policy with you all is to prepare a foundation for this training session. The International Working Group on Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) states that foot screening must be done in the following timelines according to the health condition:  Similarly, for the HBA1c, MMC should follow the guidelines suggested by CDC which are as follows:  Evidence-based Strategies to Work with the Selected Group Evidence-based practices and strategies are essential for healthcare professionals to buy into these policies and effectively implement them in their healthcare practices. These strategies are as follows:  NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 3 Training Session for Policy Implementation These strategies are efficient as they will help the selected group of people (healthcare professionals) to improve their knowledge about the importance of HBA1c and foot examinations and the application of these policies, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes. It will ensure the early indication of success by identifying the knowledge improvements, healthcare professionals’ behaviors, improved patients’ knowledge about the importance of diabetes screening, and the improved outcomes of benchmark underperformance.  Impact of New Policy and Practice Guidelines  Benchmarks set for healthcare practices ensure that quality patient care is delivered in all healthcare settings. Foot examinations and HBA1c tests are such benchmarks that have been identified as underperformed in Mercy Medical Center. This has significantly imposed the risk of developing diabetes without early identification. The purpose of this training session is to educate healthcare professionals about the policies that are established against these underperformed benchmarks to ensure patients can better care for and self-manage their diabetes.  The new policies and practice guidelines directly impact the management of diabetes. It enables healthcare professionals to reduce the risks associated with diabetes by early identification of important signs. It also enhances the practices of self-management of diabetes among patients by regularly checking and keeping records of their HBA1c and foot examination results. Self-management of diabetes can improve the quality of care and reduces the costs which might be associated with diabetic complications (van Smoorenburg et al., 2019). This approach reduces the risk of uncontrolled diabetes and its complications by allowing patients to seek timely care. Moreover, self-management of diabetes will lower the burden on healthcare providers as patients will be well aware of their disease process. Implementing diabetes screening plays a crucial decreasing in the number of patients requiring intensive medical intervention (Awang Ahmad et al., 2020), eventually controlling the disease burden and reducing mortality rates. The screening process involves two key components, foot examinations, for which healthcare professionals should encourage their patients and HBA1c tests which should be performed as per the guidelines developed in the policy proposal. Additionally, it is essential for clinical healthcare staff to promptly recognize the signs and symptoms of diabetes.  Effect of Policy on Daily Routine and Responsibilities of Healthcare Professionals The policies for improving the number of foot examinations and HBA1c tests have significant effects on the daily responsibilities of healthcare professionals. The policies focus on improving the number of foot exams and HBA1c tests by providing education to the patients. Nurses and other healthcare professionals play a crucial role in educating patients about the importance of self-management of diabetes. The education provided includes behavioral changes (regular check-ups and lifestyle choices) and medicinal compliance (Awang Ahmad et al., 2020). Since this is an added responsibility for nurses and other healthcare professionals, it may affect their daily work routine by exceeding the timeframe which may eventually put a burden on them. However, if we do a risk-benefit analysis, it is imperative to engage in such patient education activities as they are beneficial to the patients as well
Continue Reading

NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2 Policy Proposal

Student Name Capella University NHS-FPX 6004 Health Care Law and Policy Prof. Name Date Introduction to Policy Proposal The underperformance observed in Mercy Medical Center (MMC) in the previous assignment is inadequate foot examinations and HBA1c tests. It is also identified that these benchmarks are essential in improving diabetes management and treatment. AHRQ indicators also highlighted the optimal benchmark for these two tests which concluded the importance of foot exam and HBA1c testing in pre-diabetics and diabetic patients.  This assessment is based on proposing a policy and practice guidelines that will help in improving the quality of care and performance of the organization in terms of the underperformance of the benchmarks. It will highlight the role of leaders to develop a policy that will enable the interprofessional team to work collaboratively for resolving the relevant issues related to the performance. This will eventually bring changes in the healthcare system improving the quality and safety of healthcare.  Need for Policy and Practice Guidelines to Address Benchmark Underperformance The need for healthcare policies and practice guidelines in healthcare organizations can be understood as it helps in establishing standards that eventually benefit patients, healthcare organizations, and the overall healthcare system. This also helps in improving poor outcomes related to healthcare issues. Similarly to address the benchmark underperformance, it is essential to develop policies and practice guidelines.  According to the data evaluated from MMC and national benchmarks as described in previous assessments, foot examinations lie at 40% and 42% respectively in the year 2019 and 2020, which according to the national benchmark should be at 84%. Similarly, for HBA1c levels, the tests performed in 2019 and 2020 are 37.3% and 48.3%, correspondingly which is different from the national benchmark as it stays at 79.5% (AHRQ, n.d.). NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2 Policy Proposal These results showed that patients are less involved in their self-management of diabetic states. Diabetes is a disease that has no specific cure, however, the complications can be reduced using appropriate self-management methods. A study to determine the prevalence of poor diabetes self-management in Ethiopian patients concluded that 1 out of 2 diabetic patients lack the behaviors of self-managing their diseases (Habebo et al., 2020). The results from such studies and the Mercy Medical Center’s databases on the reduced number of foot examinations and HBA1c tests advocate the need for the development and implementation of policies using evidence-based strategies as these results are showing poor outcomes on patients’ health, delayed treatment, reduced patients’ satisfaction, increased healthcare costs, and eventually leading to poor quality of life.  The purpose of this policy proposal is to establish standard methodologies which will help the organization to regularly perform foot examinations and HBA1c tests of diabetic and non-diabetic patients to lower the burden of the disease and improve outcomes by reducing complications. If the problems are not addressed adequately, it may lead to severe complications for the patients which may hinder their lives, cause a financial burden, reduce their well-being, and may cause mortality (Sayeed et al., 2020).  Summary of Proposed Policy and Guidelines  In MMC, it is crucial to implement new policies and standard guidelines to improve foot examinations and HBA1c tests for diabetic patients. Mercy Medical Center should develop a policy for the timelines of foot screening among patients with diabetes and diabetic complications. These timelines should be based on the evidence-based recommendations by the International Working Group on Diabetic Foot (IWGDF), which states that foot screening must be done once a year for patients with no incidences of peripheral neuropathy whereas, for patients with peripheral neuropathy, it is recommended to get foot screened every six months. Moreover, it is recommended that patients with peripheral artery disease, or foot deformity should get it checked every three to six months and those with a leg amputation or pedal ulceration should visit every one to three months (Song & Chambers, 2022). Similarly for the HBA1c, MMC can follow the guidelines suggested by CDC. These standard guidelines define the frequency of HBA1c tests accordingly:  NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2 Policy Proposal Some of the environmental factors that have potential effects on the recommended guidelines are tax exemption and compliance, staffing issues, lack of finances and logistics, and data breaches. Mercy Medical Center may require to fulfill the criteria of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to make their care exempted from taxes (Crowley & Bornstein, 2019). This tax-tax exemption will help them to ensure that the number of foot examinations and HBA1c tests is increased according to the proposed policies. Moreover, adequate staffing and resources (finances and logistics) will help in enhancing patient education and performing the tests as per the practice guidelines which will ensure effective performance against national benchmarks. Data breaching is one of the most important aspects that MMC needs to focus on related to the tests performed. Showing HIPAA (protection of patient’s information through security, privacy, and confidentiality laws) (CDC, 2022) compliance will help MMC to build patients’ trust eventually involving them in self-management of diabetes through frequent testing and examinations.  Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines Various researchers have been studying the causes of diabetic complications for a long time. They have identified evidence-based strategies that can be implemented to increase the number of foot examinations and HBA1c tests. These strategies will help in reducing the complications of diabetes. These changes include adhering to treatment plans and performing regular screening of the feet and HBA1c levels. Many researchers have identified these two benchmarks to be essential components in the treatment of diabetes as they would help to further reduce the complication of the diabetic foot and aggravate the disease to other vital organs (Kaiafa et al., 2020; Song & Chamber, 2023). The strategy involves providing education and support to the patients to make lifestyle changes that will promote their well-being and enhance self-management of diabetes to improve the quality of care through multidisciplinary collaboration. The establishment of guidelines for improving foot exams and HBA1c tests will reduce the likelihood of complications from diabetes
Continue Reading

NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 1 Dashboard Metrics Evaluation

Student Name Capella University NHS-FPX 6004 Health Care Law and Policy Prof. Name Date Dashboard Metrics Evaluation  To improve the quality of healthcare services and performance of an organization, healthcare systems put in constant efforts so that their consumers are satisfied and receive valued healthcare. Most healthcare organizations develop dashboards within their systems to evaluate their performance measures as compared to the national, state, and federal benchmarks. This evaluation assists organizations to review their healthcare practices to improve the quality and safety of the patients and employees. These dashboards provide information on the current outcomes of the practices hence enabling improvements to achieve desired outcomes.  Similarly, the focus of this assessment is to evaluate the dashboard metrics of Mercy Medical Center (MMC), which is a Vila Health organization, in comparison to the national benchmarks. These dashboard metrics are particularly related to diabetes screening and require extensive efforts to address the shortfalls in improving the management of diabetes and reducing complications for the patients. Along with the identification of the shortfalls and their consequences, this assessment will also present ethical and sustainable actions which can be undertaken to improve the underperformance to enhance the quality of care.  Evaluation of Dashboard Metrics with National Benchmarks Mercy Medical Center is one of the greatest healthcare organizations in the state and for this reason, the administration needs to maintain the standards of care within the care center. The hospital has received various achievements in terms of Safe Surgery ratings, Outstanding Patient Experience Award, Top 20 Workplaces awards, and Best Hospital for Patient Experience award. According to the Vila Health resources, the data reveals that in the last quarter of 2020, there were around 214 male patients admitted to the hospital, whereas 347 were female patients. This accounts for 38% and 62%, respectively. In terms of ethnicity, 3% were African American, 13% American Indian, 6% Asian, and almost 63% were White. Around 38% of patients were from the age group 40-64, while only 9% accounted for 21-39 years old. The dashboard metrics which are presented for this assessment are related to diabetes screening tests – eye tests, foot examinations, and HgBA1c tests. These metrics are evaluated in all four quarters of the year 2019 and 2020.  NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 1 Dashboard Metrics Evaluation The data is evaluated as compared to the benchmarks set by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)’s National Healthcare Quality and Disparity Report (NHQDR). According to this report, adults who are more than 40 years of age and have been diagnosed with diabetes should get their eyes and feet examined per year, whereas for HgBA1c, they must get it checked twice a year. The national benchmarks set for all these screening tests are 75.2%, 84.0%, and 79.5%, correspondingly. The state-level benchmarks set for these tests in the year 2019 are 73.1% for eye tests, for foot exams (82.9%), and for HgBA1c is 70.4% (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.).  MMC is falling short in all these criteria as only 40-42% of patients have received foot examinations in both years, whereas only 35.5%-41% have gone through eye exams. The rates of HgBA1c tests increased from 37.3% to 48.3% only. This evaluation reveals that MMC should put striving efforts to improve these underperformances to ensure the quality of care is provided and diabetes is effectively managed. Moreover, the missing information about the policy on diabetes screening in the Mercy Medical Center would have improved the analysis.  Consequences of Not Meeting These Benchmarks  Diabetes screening tests (eye, foot, and HgBA1c) are imperative for patients who are either pre-diabetic or have been diagnosed with diabetes. If inadequately screened, it may lead to several consequences. The poor consequences include delayed diagnosis which may lead to severe morbidities and may increase mortality rates, financial burden due to deferred management and recurrent hospital readmissions, and poor quality of life. Delayed diagnosis of diabetes and diabetic-related complications (diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy) may lead to ineffective management of the disease process which may impair patients’ daily functioning and quality of life (Jia et al., 2020). Hospital readmissions are another consequence of inadequate screening which may incur costs for the patients, their families, as well as for the healthcare organization. This will not only increase the risk of complications but may reduce the quality of life, eventually leading to death (Rubin et al., 2023). The consequences also harm organizational reputation, and financial situation, and may impose harmful impacts on the interprofessional team’s capabilities to perform effective healthcare practices. The assumption underlying the analysis is that every healthcare organization’s mission and goal is to provide quality care to the patients and improve the well-being of the team member too. Therefore, it is significant for any healthcare organization like MMC, to ensure that these benchmarks are attained to prevent patients from these consequences.  Evaluation of the Underperformed Benchmark The national and state-level benchmarks identified earlier are significantly different from the dashboard metrics of Mercy Medical Center. However, eye tests and foot examinations have to greatest potential to improve overall quality and performance for patients with diabetes as they are prone to develop diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy as complications. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) also emphasizes the importance of these tests to early detect the signs of complications and prevent severe outcomes.  Diabetic retinopathy is described as the mutilation of microvessels of the retina. This may further lead to physical changes in the structure of the retina which may eventually cause blindness. A statistic reveals that around 93 million patients will diabetes are suffering from diabetic retinopathy, worldwide. Moreover, a 2007 report presents that out of 39 million people who are blind 4.8% are blindness due to the same condition (Assem et al., 2020). This data advocates the need for regular eye examinations to prevent the onset of blindness.  NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 1 Dashboard Metrics Evaluation Another important diabetes screening test is foot examination which prevents diabetic neuropathy and reduces the risks of foot ulcers in pre-diagnosed diabetic
Continue Reading