NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation

Sample Answer for NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation Included After Question

Program/policy evaluation is a valuable tool that can help strengthen the quality of programs/policies and improve outcomes for the populations they serve. Program/policy evaluation answers basic questions about program/policy effectiveness. It involves collecting and analyzing information about program/policy activities, characteristics, and outcomes. This information can be used to ultimately improve program services or policy initiatives.

Nurses can play a very important role assessing program/policy evaluation for the same reasons that they can be so important to program/policy design. Nurses bring expertise and patient advocacy that can add significant insight and impact. In this Assignment, you will practice applying this expertise and insight by selecting an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation and reflecting on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program/policy.

To Prepare:

  • Review the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template provided in the Resources.
  • Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you.
  • Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described.

The Assignment: (2–3 pages)

Based on the program or policy evaluation you selected, complete the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template. Be sure to address the following:

  • Describe the healthcare program or policy outcomes.
  • How was the success of the program or policy measured?
  • How many people were reached by the program or policy selected?
  • How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?
  • At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted?
  • What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?
  • What specific information on unintended consequences was identified?
  • What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.
  • Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?
  • Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?
  • Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after 1 year of implementation.

By Day 7 of Week 10

Submit your completed healthcare program/policy evaluation analysis.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

  • Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK10Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
  • Click the Week 10 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
  • Click the Week 10 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
  • Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK10Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
  • If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
  • Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.
  • Due to the nature of this assignment, your instructor may require more than 5 days to provide you with quality feedback.

Grading Criteria

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation

Title: NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation

The primary goal of a healthcare program is to prevent or control disease, injury, disability, and death. Evaluation of a healthcare program allows stakeholders to analyze its operations, including which activities took place, who conducted the activities, and who was reached as a result (Adams & Neville, 2020). Healthcare programs are evaluated to track progress toward the program’s objectives and establish whether the program’s interventions generate the expected progress on outcomes (Adams & Neville, 2020). Evaluation results are used to validate the need for additional funding and support and to identify opportunities for continuous quality improvement. This paper seeks to describe an evaluated healthcare program, including how success was measured, people reached by the program, data used for evaluation, impacted stakeholders, and my recommendations for the program.

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Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation  

Better Choices Better Health Diabetes (BCBH-D) Self-Management Program.
Description  

  • BCBH-D program is an all-online workshop.
  • Participants of the program logged on at their convenience to learn about:
  • Healthy eating and menu planning.
  • Managing blood glucose (Turner et al., 2018).
  • Strategies to address problems such as frustration, fatigue, and isolation.
  • Appropriate exercise for controlling blood glucose and maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance (Turner et al., 2018).
  • Appropriate use of Diabetes medications.
  • Communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals (Turner et al., 2018).
  • Goal-setting.
  • Disease-related problem-solving.
  • The program ran for six weeks, with new lessons being posted every week. The participants logged on 2-3 times per week for a total of 1-2 hours (Turner et al., 2018).

 
How was the success of the program or policy measured?

 

  

  • The success of the BCBH-D program was measured by its impact on comorbid illness attributed to DM, Health care utilization, and Health care costs within 12 months after establishing the program (Turner et al., 2018).
  • The impact was compared with a propensity score-matched control cohort of DM patients who were provided usual care but did not participate in the BCBH-D program.

 
How many people were reached by the program or policy selected? How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?

 

  

  • The BCBH-D program reached 558 persons with Diabetes Mellitus.
  • The health program had a significant impact since the participants had a reduced all-cause health care utilization and medical costs (Turner et al., 2018).
  • The impact realized with the BCBH-D program include:
  • Decreased all-cause utilization.
  • Reduced ED visits and outpatient visits (Turner et al., 2018).
  • Decreased unadjusted total all-cause medical cost by $2207 (Turner et al., 2018).
  • Direct cost savings of the BCBH-D were $815.

 
What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?

 

  

  • Outcome evaluation data included pre-and post-intervention all-cause and diabetes-specific utilization and costs.
  • Diabetes-specific utilization referred to hospitalizations and ED visits with a primary diagnosis of Diabetes (Turner et al., 2018).
  • It also includes outpatient services such as office visits, laboratory tests, imaging, and procedures with any diabetes diagnosis on the claim.
  • All-cause utilization referred to any claims-based health care utilization inclusive of Diabetes and any other diagnosis on the claim (Turner et al., 2018).
  • All-cause and Diabetes specific utilization data for the 12-month pre-and post-intervention periods included ED visits, hospitalizations, and outpatient services, reported as visits per 1000 participants (Turner et al., 2018).

 

 
What specific information on unintended consequences were identified?

 

 Some participants did not attend all the program’s sessions and, as a result, did not complete the program’s entire course (Turner et al., 2018).
What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.

 

  

  • Stakeholders identified in the evaluation of the BCBH-D program include persons diagnosed with Diabetes mellitus (Turner et al., 2018).
  • Patients with Diabetes would benefit the most from the results and reporting of the BCBH-D program (Turner et al., 2018).
  • The program’s impact would influence the development of other Diabetes self-management programs, which would help reduce healthcare utilization and costs for diabetic patients.
  • DM patients would also benefit from improved health outcomes such as controlled glycemic levels, reduced DM comorbidities, and reduced DM-related complications.

 
Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?

 

  

  • The original goal of the BCBH-D self-management program was to reduce healthcare utilization and healthcare costs attributed to the management of Diabetes (Turner et al., 2018).
  • The program adequately met its goal, as evidenced by results showing that participants in the peer-facilitated BCBH-D program experienced decreased all-cause health care utilization and medical costs (Turner et al., 2018).
  • Based on the results, there was a significant decrease in all-cause utilization and costs for the participants for ED, inpatient, and outpatient services.
  • There was also a decrease in total all-cause medical and pharmacy costs (Turner et al., 2018).
  • There was a decreased utilization in the participants for DM comorbid chronic conditions.
  • Notably, there were reduced claims for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and depression among participants in the BCBH-D program during the follow-up period (Turner et al., 2018).

 
Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?

 

  

  • I would highly recommend implementing a health program similar to the BCBH-D Self-Management Program in my current healthcare organization.
  • Implementation of the program would significantly reduce healthcare costs used in the management of DM, which has the highest expenditures (Adam et al., 2018).
  • It would also reduce ED visits and hospitalizations of patients and thus enable the organization to channel the resources to manage other conditions.
  • I recommend the program because it would significantly improve health outcomes for persons with DM, who have one of the worst morbidity and mortality rates in our healthcare setting and other healthcare systems (Adam et al., 2018).

 
Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after one year of implementation.

 

  

A nurse advocate can become involved in a program’s evaluation after implementation by:

  • Disseminating a program evaluation, particularly a program that extends over to the public health pyramid, to interdisciplinary health care audiences interested in the health problem or interventions used to address the health problem (Issel, 2016).
  • Nurse advocates can also submit a health program’s evaluation reports to a myriad of health journals. This can inform other health providers and organizations of the program’s impact in improving health outcomes and efficiencies in patient care, influencing them to implement similar programs (Issel, 2016).

 
General Notes/Comments  

  • The BCBH-D Self-Management Program is an ideal healthcare program that should be implemented in all healthcare organizations providing care to diabetes patients.
  • Similar programs can also be established to include patients with other chronic or lifestyle conditions such as hypertension, heart failure, hyperlipidemia, and obesity.
  • The State governments should facilitate health care organizations to establish such programs through funding and mobilization to help improve health outcomes in the population and lower health care costs.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Healthcare programs aim to solve complex health problems, in which the solutions must include engaging community members and

NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation
NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation

organizations in a coalition. The BCBH-D Self-Management Program was an online program that enrolled 558 diabetic patients. The goal of the program was to reduce healthcare utilization and costs associated with Diabetes. The success of the program was measured using data on diabetes-specific utilization and costs. It led to decreased all-cause utilization, reduced ED and outpatient visits, reduced unadjusted total all-cause medical costs, and increased direct cost savings. I would recommend a similar program in our organization and include interventions for patients with other chronic illnesses to reduce healthcare costs and improve healthcare outcomes.

References

Adam, L., O’Connor, C., & Garcia, A. C. (2018). Evaluating the impact of Diabetes self-management education methods on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 42(5), 470-477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.11.003

Adams, J., & Neville, S. (2020). Program Evaluation for Health Professionals: What It Is, What It Isn’t and How to Do It. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1609406920964345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920964345

Issel, L. M. (2016). Health Program Planning And Evaluation: What Nurse Scholars Need To Know. Practice-Based Clinical Inquiry in Nursing: Looking Beyond Traditional Methods, 3.

Turner, R. M., Ma, Q., Lorig, K., Greenberg, J., & DeVries, A. R. (2018). Evaluation of a Diabetes Self-Management Program: Claims Analysis on Comorbid Illnesses, Health Care Utilization, and Cost. Journal of medical Internet research, 20(6), e207. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.9225

A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation

Title: NURS 6050 Assessing a Healthcare Program Policy Evaluation

Evaluation of policies is a crucial exercise as it complements the effectiveness of health policies to improve healthcare delivery services. Shiramizu et al. (2016) note that the evaluation of policies and initiatives aids in collaborative efforts to address health gaps in community health. Therefore, healthcare practitioners need to evaluate policies since they yield concepts and ideas to increase mechanisms of handling health disparities across the population. One of the existing healthcare policies is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which revolutionizes access to healthcare for the marginalized and the poor. The ACA is a federal policy that aims to encourage the population to take healthcare insurance covers to minimize healthcare costs and enhance preventive care (Glied et al., 2020). Therefore, it is crucial to examine the effectiveness and the criteria used to measure the program’s effectiveness in improving healthcare.

The ACA effectively reformed the healthcare system in the United States as it has increased the number of marginalized and low-income individuals accessing healthcare services. The program’s success metrics measure its success by comparing the previous percentage of uninsured people to the current rates (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2021). However, although the policy aims to enhance access to healthcare among the poor and marginalized, numerous people still cannot afford the reduced premium and thus end up paying penalties as per the law. Therefore, federal governments in the U.S. should collaborate with nurses to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACA in providing affordable healthcare for poor and marginalized communities. Nurses are critical stakeholders in shaping healthcare due to their extensive understanding of the modes of patient care within the community and hospitals (Williams & Anderson, 2018). Moreover, due to the continuous interaction with patients, nurses understand how social determinants such as lack of finances and unemployment impact the process of getting healthcare coverage. Therefore, incorporating nurses when evaluating policies creates a platform for innovation to improve the ACA as they share their expertise in planning and implementation.

References

Glied, S. A., Collins, S. R., & Lin, S. (2020). Did The ACA Lower Americans’ Financial Barriers To Health Care? Health Affairs, 39(3), 379–386. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01448

Shiramizu, B., Shambaugh, V., Petrovich, H., Seto, T. B., Ho, T., Mokuau, N., & Hedges, J. R. (2016). Leading by success: Impact of a clinical and translational research infrastructure program to address health inequities. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 4(5), 983–991. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-016-0302-4

U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2021). Affordable Care Act (ACA). HealthCare.Gov; U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/

Williams, J. K., & Anderson, C. M. (2018). Omics research ethics considerations. Nursing Outlook, 66(4), 386–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2018.05.003