Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations
Develop a 4-page position about a specific health care issue as it relates to a target vulnerable population. Include an analysis of existing evidence and position papers to help support your position. Your analysis should also present and respond to one or more opposing viewpoints.
Introduction
This assessment will focus on analyzing position papers about an issue related to addiction, chronicity, emotional and mental health, genetics and genomics, or immunity. Many of these topics are quickly evolving as technology advances, or as we attempt to push past stigmas. For example, technology advances and DNA sequencing provide comprehensive information to allow treatment to become more targeted and effective for the individual. However as a result, nurses must be able to understand and teach patients about the impact of this information. With this great power comes concerns that patient conditions are protected in an ethical and compassionate manner.
Position papers are a way for individuals, groups, and organizations to express their views and intentions toward a specific issue. In health care, many position papers address specific policies, regulations, or other approaches to care. As a master’s-prepared nurse, you should feel empowered to express and advocate for your own views on policy and care matters. This is especially important when it comes to populations you or your organization cares for that are not receiving the quality, type, or amount of care that they require.
An important skill in creating a position paper or policy proposal is the ability to analyze and synthesize others’ views about the population or issue of interest to you. By synthesizing the positive and negative views of an issue, you can become better equipped to strengthen your own arguments and to respond to opposing views in an informed and convincing way.
Preparation
- What is the vulnerable population that most interests you?
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- What is the health issue that is most prevalent or severe in the population?
- How does the health issue impact the daily lives of members of the population?
- How does the care environment in your chosen context impact both the population and the level of care related to the health issue?
- What are the biggest challenges that you would need to overcome to improve the outcomes for the population related to the health issue?
- What is your position on how to best work to improve the care and outcomes that the population is receiving?
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- What previously published position papers support your position, or the need to work to improve care and outcomes in general for the population?
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- How do these position papers support your assertions?
- How could one or more of the position papers help you to form a treatment plan?
- What previously published position papers contradict your position?
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- What, if any, of these differences would make your position stronger if you incorporated them?
- How could you respond to any irreconcilable differences in such a way as to encourage buy-in for your position from those opposed?
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Scenario
Pretend you are a member of an interprofessional team that is attempting to improve the quality of health care and the outcomes in a vulnerable population. For the first step in your team’s work, you have decided to conduct an analysis of current position papers that address the issue and population you are considering.
In your analysis you will note the team’s initial views on the issue in the population as well as the views across a variety of relevant position papers. You have been tasked with finding the most current standard of care or evidenced-based practice and evaluating both the pros and cons of the issue. For the opposing viewpoints, it is important to discuss how the team could respond to encourage support. This paper will be presented to a committee of relevant stakeholders from your care setting and the community. If it receives enough support, you will be asked to create a new policy that could be enacted to improve the outcomes related to your chosen issue and target population.
The care setting, population, and health care issue that you use for this assessment will be used in the other assessments in this course. Consider your choice carefully. There are two main approaches for you to take in selecting the scenario for this assessment:
You may select a population and issue that is of interest to you and set them in the context of your current or desired future care setting. While you are free to choose any population of interest, the issue you choose should fall within one of the following broad categories:
- Genetics and genomics.
- Sickle cell, asthma, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis.
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- Type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), congenital neutropenia syndrome.
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- Arthritis, any type of cancer or lung or heart disease, obesity.
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- Abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, tobacco, illegal substances.
- Emotion and mental health.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, eating disorders, psychosis.
Instructions
For this assessment you will develop a position summary and an analysis of relevant position papers on a health care issue in a chosen population. The bullet points below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your submission addresses all of them.
- Explain a position with regard to health outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.
- Explain the role of the interprofessional team in facilitating improvements for a specific issue in a target population.
- Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that could support a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
- Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that are contrary to a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
- Communicate an initial viewpoint regarding a specific issue in a target population and a synthesis of existing positions in a logically structured and concise manner, writing content clearly with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
- Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style.
Additional Requirements
- Length of submission: 4 double-spaced, typed pages, not including the title and reference pages. Your plan should be succinct yet substantive. No abstract is required.
- Number of references: Cite a minimum of 3-5 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your initial position on the issue, as well as a minimum of 2-3 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that express contrary views or opinions. Resources should be no more than five years old.
- APA formatting.
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By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Design evidence-based advanced nursing care for achieving high-quality population outcomes.
- Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that could support a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
- Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that are contrary to a team’s approach for improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
- Competency 2: Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of interprofessional interventions in achieving desired population health outcomes.
- Explain the role of the interprofessional team in facilitating improvements for a specific issue in a target population.
- Competency 3: Analyze population health outcomes in terms of their implications for health policy advocacy.
- Explain a position with regard to health outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.
- Competency 4: Communicate effectively with diverse audiences, in an appropriate form and style, consistent with organizational, professional, and scholarly standards.
- Communicate an initial viewpoint regarding a specific issue in a target population and a synthesis of existing positions in a logically structured and concise manner.
- Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using current APA style.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Analysis of Paper Position
Capella University
Alexander Ruche
March, 2021
Introduction
The elderly people are the most affected population in this country. Aging-related problems, Diabetes arthritis, mental health different type of cancer are some of the health issues facing the elderly when it comes to living a longer life. Living longer comes with its troubles, not only to the families and society but to the older people as well. Staying for additional years is a chance to pursue activities with good opportunities including the advancement of technology. (Wanget al 2020).
However, aging is associated with cellular and molecular damage leading to a decrease in capacity on physical and mental states. According to the Department of Elderly People, the health risk vulnerability of the elderly is high at this stage. Diabetes is a result of long-term effects from resistance to insulin and impaired functioning of the pancreases. The elderly tend to experience some complex health problems as they are usually connected with other issues and are hardly singled out. These can be delirium, falls, incontinence of urinary and associative ulcers.
Various factors are resulting in elderly diseases, some are related to genetics, and in some areas the results of the social and physical environment. Maintaining health behaviors has a great impact on the environment. Eating a balanced diet could be a result of some diseases because an inadequate intake of nutrients required by the body will lower immunity.
Diabetes is a result of long-term effects from the resistance of insulin and impaired functioning of the pancreas. In this context, we are going to discuss the health outcomes for a specific issue in a target population, the role of the interprofessional team for improvements for this issue, and evaluating evidence and positions that would support a team approach in improving this issue.
Health Outcomes for Elderly with Diabetes and Depression
Elderly people with diabetes are very common in the U.S. rural areas. Thanks to the advance of technology and treatments, solutions have been found that allow them live their normal lives. However, most people who are diagnosed with Diabetes also end up suffering from some form of depression. This of course will affect their mental health and general physical fitness. Subsequently, the introduction of home testing kits for diabetes and antidiabetic medication to decrease the effects is Skyrocketing throughout the country.
One of the solutions is Semaglutide prescriptions for the diabetic elderly. This is not a miracle drug unfortunately, therefore insulin is also recommended. Half of the population of the elderly people were diagnosed with diabetes type 2 in 2019 with some of the elderly having other mental challenges such as depression, according to the Department of Social Service report in 2021.
Gregory is an elderly person who has been suffering from diabetes type 2 for the last 10 years. Due to his prescription, he has been taking medication that has caused some impairments in his body such as microvascular and macrovascular damage. Also, the resulting situation has caused the patient to spiral into depression. The caregiver is aware of these effects and willing to seek further advice about this case. In providing help to Gregory with his mental health problem, an interdisciplinary team approach will be necessary.
The Role of Interprofessional Team in Treating depression as a result of diabetes
Community Health Care in the US has brought many changes concerning mental health. Depression is a mental disorder where the person’s daily activities are interfered with. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that in 2016 an estimate of 8.1% of American adults suffered from depression. The conditions that are leading to depression include Diabetes, cancer, obesity, asthma, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. It is normal to feel down but if it happens regularly, it signals you may be suffering from depression. Major symptoms associated with depression include sadness, thoughts of suicide, restless delayed conversation response, and inability to concentrate.
As you can tell by this case with Mr Gregory, medical depression is common to the elderly population and can make their day to day living difficult. With the help of specialists, depression treatment can be managed by combining therapies and medication. A collaborative approach between physicians and psychologists is going to result in a better outcome.
Physicians can proactively help to decrease diabetic complications if they can reach out to psychologists during prescription diabetic treatment. Psychologists will help in approving the treatment and correct prescriptions and advise on available counseling around rural areas. The goal of an interprofessional team is to create healthy habits and treatments to better patient’s quality of life.
The interprofessional team in facilitating outcome improvements
The interprofessional team is looking forward to providing efficient, quality, and improved care for elderly health. In the case of Mr. Gregory, a team approach is important. (Martinet al 2018). Primary practitioners are going to start with his diabetic treatment before proceeding to the psychologist. A psychologist will proceed to provide a therapist which will assist with the mental care barriers of a patient.
Due to the rising number of elderly people with difficulties in hospitals, the interdisciplinary approach is necessary to address their mental health. Elderly require close attention, therefore the collaboration of family and the healthcare team is needed. The World Health Organization proposed integrated health care for diabetic people who have developed depression. This includes an introduction, provision management, and organizing of health services like treating, diagnosing promotion of health, and even counseling.
Corporations of the medical administration and the professional’s affiliates will work towards the success of quality health service to Mr. Gregory. The research has shown a health improvement on the elderly when the interprofessional team is involved. However, the elderly might not be willing to participate in health engagement because of the increased rate of dementia as the age advances. In the case of Gregory, the team needs to be effective so that the patient will not hesitate to undergo the process.
Administering services in healthcare needs frequent focus, as well as medication adherence to the prescribed treatments. Paying attention to the prescription given by the physicians will be essential to manage the patient’s personal condition. This responsibility should be delegated to the family and caregiver of Mr. Gregory. The interprofessional team is needed to be able to follow up with him so that prescribed medications are strictly followed, and frequent mental therapies are performed appropriately. Home testing kits will be given by the physician so that he can give his patients, and their blood glucose can be monitored.
Evaluating evidence of others that could support team approach
According to today’s system in health facilities, service delivery involves many processes from different health practitioners which varies based on different education levels and training in their occupation. A contrary approach to team collaboration, telehealth. Telehealth technology has been implemented to provide remote control of patients away from the facilities. Technology is providing a platform where the patient will interact with the physician and can have counseling sessions with the psychologist.
It is facilitating faster delivery of service and it is saving on health costs. Gregory is approaching his late 70s and his mobility is becoming limited. Through the approach, medical depression is reducing as therapies can be completed any time without necessarily booking appointments. This approach tends to reduce the medication error probabilities that may lead to accidental death.
Another contrary approach to dealing with mental health for the elderly care is the use of the multidisciplinary technique. This is where each person focuses on his/her discipline in the healthcare plan. This category-specific assessment is done by the individual rather than the joint assessment used in the interprofessional team. (Taylor et al 2018). According to the research, it states that the process is done hierarchically, with every member working on the same problem at the same time. The technique has limitations toward disciplinary roles and communication among the healthcare specialist.
Physicians, nurses, and other specialists are limited with the knowledge of the role. For the case of Mr. Gregory, fighting with diabetes which has resulted in depression, the physician could be handling the primary disease disregarding the patient’s probable mental illness. Concentrating on using the interprofessional approach, the team is working on both problems of diabetes and depression and even the elderly caregivers are involved. Effective communication between the team is continuous, and that is the reason why the outcome of this approach tends to be a more positive experience. In the other disciplinary approaches, occurrence of treatment error is common which can lead to loss of life and administering of treatment takes time.
Currently, Interprofessional Professional Education Collaboration (IPEC) is providing education on Interprofessionalism. This is preparing future health professionals for teamwork-based on care to the patients that will improve the health outcomes of the population. The World Health Organization is advising the same to health facilities when considering an acquisition of health professionals. It encourages the building of relationships among the team, to enhance performances and improve the healthy life in the elderly population.
References
Lewin, S., Booth, A., Glenton, C., Munthe-Kaas, H., Rashidian, A., Wainwright, M., … & Noyes, J. (2018). Applying GRADE-CERQual to qualitative evidence synthesis findings: introduction to the series
Martin, A., & Manley, K. (2018). Developing standards for an integrated approach to workplace facilitation for interprofessional teams in health and social care contexts: a Delphi study. Journal of interprofessional care, 32(1), 41-51.
.Taylor, C., Munro, A. J., Glynne-Jones, R., Griffith, C., Trevatt, P., Richards, M., & Ramirez, A. J. (2010). Multidisciplinary team working in cancer: what is the evidence?. BMJ, 340.
Wang, L., He, W., Yu, X., Hu, D., Bao, M., Liu, H., … & Jiang, H. (2020). Coronavirus disease 2019 in elderly patients: characteristics and prognostic factors based on 4-week follow-up. Journal of Infection, 80(6), 639-645