NURS 6050 Assignment: Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation
NURS 6050 Assignment: Assessing, Assignment: Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation
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.
Use at least 2 current, peer-reviewed outside resources in addition to one from the required readings list.
Required Readings
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 7, “Health Policy and Social Program Evaluation” (pp. 116–124 only)
Glasgow, R. E., Lichtenstein, E., & Marcus, A. C. (2003). Why don’t we see more translation of health promotion research to practice? Rethinking the efficacy-to-effectiveness transition. American Journal of Public Health, 93(8), 1261–1267.
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.
Williams, J. K., & Anderson, C. M. (2018). Omics research ethics considerations. Nursing Outlook, 66(4), 386–393.
NURS 6050 Assignment: Assessing Answer
Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template
Use this document to complete the Module 5 Assessment Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation
Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)NURS 6050 Assignment: Assessing
Description The Affordable Care Act (ACA), often referred to as Obamacare, is a comprehensive plan aimed at expanding health insurance coverage in the United States. It achieves this by mandating that consumers either purchase insurance or pay income tax penalties. The legislation requires insurance companies to provide coverage to all applicants, regardless of their health condition, making the mandate to purchase insurance essential.
This provision prevents individuals from only purchasing insurance when they become ill, which would drive up insurance costs. The ACA also establishes marketplaces where individuals can purchase health insurance. Subsidies are available to assist low-income individuals in purchasing insurance (Housten et al., 2018). Medicaid, a government-run healthcare program for low-income individuals, has been expanded in some states. The ACA introduced a rating system (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze) to help consumers differentiate between insurance plans, with higher-value plans offering more comprehensive coverage.
How was the success of the program or policy measured?
The effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act is assessed based on several key factors:
- Reduction in the number of uninsured individuals.
- Improvement in healthcare quality.
- Reduction in healthcare costs.
- Impact on employment.
- Effect on state and federal expenditures. Some consequences of the ACA may take years to become fully apparent.
How many people were reached by the program or policy selected? What impact was realized?NURS 6050 Assignment: Assessing
Millions of low-income individuals have gained new healthcare coverage thanks to the ACA, especially in states that expanded their Medicaid programs with generous federal matching funds. The ACA has benefited millions of people in various ways, including:
- Lowering prescription drug prices for chronically ill Medicare recipients.
- Allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance.
- Offering preventative care at no cost.
- Providing coverage for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions (Rice et al., 2018).
At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted?
The policy evaluation was conducted six months after its enactment.
What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?
The evaluation team utilized a variety of data sources, including electronic health record (EHR) data. Electronic data was collected from 213 OCHIN clinics in Oregon, as well as Medicaid administrative claims data. This data enabled the evaluation of overall healthcare utilization, such as hospitalization, and allowed for a comparison of Medicaid costs between existing members and newly insured individuals (Marino et al., 2018). The OCHIN practice-based research network includes over 1 million patients in 442 community health centers (CHCs) across eight expansion states and eight non-expansion states.NURS 6050 Assignment: Assessing
