Healthcare Priority Issue

Healthcare Priority Issue

Ascertaining priority health care issues needs the health sector together with government to involve more apart from just statistics and epidemiology. The government employs social justice principles, deliberates the issue cost for the community and individuals. The government and health sectors consider specific population groups that need prioritization because of healthcare quality gaps. Health issues need prioritization to ensure productive utilization of resources. The nursing profession prioritizes transforming and improving the quality of healthcare. There are several critical national priorities for healthcare transformation and quality improvement. However, this paper discusses cancer screening that is evidence-based as a priority for quality improvement while focusing on cervical and colorectal cancers.

Evidence-Based Cancer Screening

Evidence-based cancer screening is a healthcare priority area that requires improvement to enable early detection, to prevent deaths and to have the necessary knowledge about cancer (Green, et al. 2017). This cervical cancer affects women between the ages of 35-44 while colorectal cancer affects people of all genders between the age of 50-70 years. Several controlled experiments have shown that transmitted fecal testing programs are successful in the growing involvement of colorectal cancer screening (Green et al., 2017). This is only possible if there is collaboration between the researchers and the healthcare team. Despite the testing to reduce mortality, colorectal and cervical cancers remain a priority to improve the quality outcome of patients (DeGroff et al., 2016). The articles below describe the nursing interventions designed to improve patient outcome for people with colorectal and cervical cancers.

Feldman J, Davie S, Kiran T. (2017). Measuring and improving cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening rates in a multi-site urban practice BMJ Open Quality;6:u213991.w5531. doi: 10.1136/bmjquality.u213991.w5531

Measuring and improving cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening rates in a multi-site urban practice is an article that was written by Feldman, Davie, and Kiran (2017) after taking an opportunistic approach to different types of cancers. Their main aim was to come up with a systematic method for identifying patients who are qualified for screening and to upsurge the rates of screening rates for colorectal and cervical cancers. These authors argued that they desired to shift to a population-based and pre-emptive methodology. To ascertain patients eligible and late for screening, the authors generated baseline data by combining their electronic health record practice with the external government data. The interventions that were used include patient reminders through letters, emails and telephones, use of videos, flyers and pamphlets to communicate motivational information, provider assessments and feedback as well as recall interventions. These multifaceted, evidence-based quality improvement initiatives led to increased patient screening only six months after being implemented. Although these interventions were successful, they did not consider the income-related disparities as some people may not be able to afford all the services.

Yabroff, K. R., Zapka, J., Klabunde, C. N., Yuan, G., Buckman, D. W., Haggstrom, D., … & Taplin, S. H. (2011). Systems strategies to support cancer screening in US primary care practice. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers.

These authors argue that although systems strategies have been very effective in improving healthcare delivery, their use is not well known in primary health care. Their main aim was to explore the adoption of different system policies which can develop cancer screening as well as test if the use of systems policies differs for the different types of cancers. According to Yabroff et al., (2011), assessing the use of organizations policies by the principal care practitioners to screen colorectal and cervical cancers in a survey that was conducted by the nation was their primary source of information. These system policies comprised physician and patient reminders of screening, reports of performance on the screening rates, medical-electronic records and lastly, enactment of in-practice strategies. This study significantly impacted healthcare delivery as the current health care strategy inventiveness underlines the significance of increased execution of organizations policies in primary health care….Healthcare Priority Issue….

Quality Improvement Initiative

Quality improvement methods involve both events performed and the available resources to guarantee improved quality care. Quality improvement is most operative if adapted to meet the requirements of a particular organization’s health care service delivery. Implementation of quality improvement programs in health care system is not only significant to health but also to its future and the future of public healthcare policy. It is necessary for healthcare organizations not to stop at the implementation of quality improvement but to offer appropriate training to the staff on the fundamentals of quality improvement. Quality Improvement concentrates on development plus encompasses the prospective and retroactive evaluations (Davis et al., 2014). It measures the level an organization is presently then identifying prospects to advance. Quality Improvement programs are not for attributing blames but rather for creating systems that prevent errors and improve health outcomes.

These activities are designed to improve how health sectors operate. Activities involved in quality improvement provide the organization with opportunities to be innovative and promote creativity. Health care delivery systems should be universal that is they enable everyone to receive health care services when required. They should also deliver cost-effective services to meet various pre-established quality standards. Successful implementation of the quality improvement program entails an authentic and unbiased valuation of an organization’s existing values and commitment to advancing the quality of its care together with services. Integration and partnership about public governmental organizations and healthcare delivery system boost the capabilities of both to develop the population’s health and support determinations of other public health system institutions….Healthcare Priority Issue…

Nursing and Quality Improvement

Health organizations face rising demands to participate in wide-ranging quality improvement undertakings. They are therefore dependent on nurses to assist in addressing the healthcare demands. Nurses are the leading healthcare providers in hospitals; they can significantly influence the quality of care provided. Since nurses are essential in the delivery of patient’s care, they are also significant in hospital efforts to improve quality. Nurses play an important role in quality improvement. Nurses perform inter-disciplinary progressions to accomplish organizational quality improvement objectives. To add on, nurses also involve in monitoring and improving the sensitive nursing issues touching on patient results. The nursing department is mainly committed to patient-centered care engaged in quality improvement thereby improving the patient effect. Quality of care provided by state hospitals has significantly enhanced and continues developing….Healthcare Priority Issue….

Conclusion

Successful implementation of a quality improvement program entails an authentic and unbiased valuation of an organization’s existing values and commitment to advancing the quality of its care together with services. Integration and partnership concerning public administrative organizations and healthcare delivery system boost the capabilities of both to develop the population’s health and support determinations of other public health system institutions. Owing to the advantages associated with quality improvement among firms, it instrumental for organizations to nurture a quality improvement culture in organizations. The learning is very conducive not only in public health but also other healthcare systems. It is essential for organizations, especially those concerned with public health, to apply for quality improvement programs. However, application of these programs should be made in a systematic and considerate way.

References

Davis, M. V., Mahanna, E., Joly, B., Zelek, M., Riley, W., Verma, P., & Fisher, J. S. (2014). Creating quality improvement culture in public health agencies.

DeGroff, A., Carter, A., Kenney, K., Myles, Z., Melillo, S., Royalty, J., Rice, K., Gressard, L., … Miller, J. W. (2016). Using Evidence-Based Interventions to Improve Cancer Screening in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP, 22(5), 442-9.

Feldman J, Davie S, Kiran T Measuring and improving cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening rates in a multi-site urban practice BMJ Open Quality 2017;6:u213991.w5531. doi: 10.1136/bmjquality.u213991.w5531

Green, B. B., Fuller, S., Anderson, M. L., Mahoney, C., Mendy, P., & Powell, S. L. (2017). A Quality Improvement Initiative to Increase Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening: Collaboration between a Primary Care Clinic and Research Team. Journal of family medicine, 4(3), 1115.