Assignment 3: Policy Analysis Paper

In previous Discussions and Assignments, you have examined various aspects of the policy process: exploring the unintended consequences of policies, agenda setting, and analyzing policy recommendations. In this Assignment, you will have the opportunity to further develop your analysis skills by working through the policy analysis process. To be an effective agent for social change, you must be able to logically and critically analyze policy from multiple perspectives and contexts and then present your insights in a succinct and professional manner. This exercise will afford such an experience.

For this Assignment, you will examine a particular policy of interest to you (perhaps the one you selected for this week’s Discussion) and apply a policy analysis framework to understand the impact associated with the implementation of the policy. You will then develop a policy analysis paper, which is due day 5 of Week 11. This paper will also serve as your Major Assessment for this course.

To prepare:

Select a health care policy and a policy analysis framework to utilize for this Assignment. You may use the policy and framework you identified in this week’s Discussion or change your selection.

To complete:

Write an 8- to 10-page analysis paper (including references) in which you succinctly address the following:

1) An introduction

2) Part 1: Define the policy issue.

a) How is the issue affecting the policy arena?

b) What are the current politics of the issue?

c) At what level in the policy making process is the issue?

3) Part 2: Apply a policy analysis framework to explore the issue using the following contexts:

a) Social

b) Ethical

c) Legal

d) Historical

e) Financial/economic

f) Theoretical underpinnings of the policy

Include in this section:

a) Who are the stakeholders of interest?

b) Is there a nursing policy/position statement on this health care issue? If so, who developed it?

4) Part 3: Policy options/solutions

a) What are the policy options/solutions for addressing the issue? Include at least three levels of options/solutions: no change; partial change; radical change or maximum change.

b) What are the theoretical underpinnings of the policy options/solutions?

c) What are the health advocacy aspects and leadership requirements of each option?

d) How does each option/solution provide an opportunity or need for inter-professional collaboration?

e) What are the pros and cons of each suggested change? Include the cost benefits, effectiveness, and efficiency of each option along with the utility and feasibility of each option.

5) Part 4: Building Consensus

a) Outline a plan for building consensus around your recommended option/solution for solving the policy issue.

6) A Conclusion 

7) Part 5: References

a) Limit your references so this section is no more than 2 pages.

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from appropriate Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to ensure that your in- text citations and reference list are correct.

Required Readings

Blackman, V. S. (2005). Putting policy theory to work: Tobacco control in California. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 6(2), 148–155. doi: 10.1177/1527154405276289

In this article, the author applies Kingdon’s multiple streams theory to agenda setting and the public policy issue of tobacco use. In addition, the author points out two limitations of Kingdon’s model—the need to build alliances and the varying power levels among stakeholders.

Craig, R. L., Felix, H. C., Walker, J. F., & Philips, M. M. (2010). Public health professionals as policy entrepreneurs: Arkansas’s childhood obesity policy experience. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11), 2047–2052.

Fawcett, J., & Russell, G. (2001). A conceptual model of nursing and health policy. Policy, Politics, & Nursing, 2(2), 108–116. doi: 10.1177/152715440100200205 

Fawcett and Russell provide a five-level conceptual model of nursing and health policy and diagram the relationship between the model and new health policies. Guidelines for health policy analysis and evaluation are also provided.

Hewison, A. (2007). Policy analysis: A framework for nurse managers. Journal of Nursing Management, 15(7), 693–6 99. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2934.2006.00731.x

Initially, this article presents a broad analysis of policy making and then provides a specific framework of policy analysis for nurse managers. The author focuses on the necessity for nurses to become involved in health care policy making

Policy analysis: A framework for nurse managers. Journal of Nursing Management, 15(7) by Hewison, A. Copyright 2007 by BLACKWELL PUBLISHING – JOURNALS. Reprinted by permission of BLACKWELL PUBLISHING – JOURNALS via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Howie, W. O. (2009). Mandatory reporting of medical errors: Crafting policy and integrating it into practice. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 5(9), 649–654. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2009.07.012

John, P. (2003). Is there life after policy streams, advocacy coalitions, and punctuations: Using evolutionary theory to explain policy change? Policy Studies Journal, 31(4), 481–4 98. doi: 10.1111/1541-0072.00039

This article advances the use of evolutionary theory as policy theory. The author proposes that aspects of evolutionary theory such as randomness, competition, and selection be applied to policy theory but cautions that more research regarding its applicability is needed.

Rawat, P., & Morris, J. C. (2016). Kingdon’s “Streams” model at thirty: Still relevant in the 21st century? Politics & Policy, 44(4), 608-638. doi: 10.1111/polp.12168

Russell, G., & Fawcett, J. (2005). The conceptual model for nursing and health policy revisited. Policy, Politics, & Nursing, 6(4), 108–116. doi: 10.1177/1527154405283304

In this article, Russell and Fawcett revise their 2001 conceptual model of nursing and health policy and provide guidelines for nursing-specific research.

Optional Resources

Bardach, E. (2004). Presidential address—The extrapolation problem: How can we learn from the experience of others? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 23(2), 205. doi: 613545361

Throughout this course, you have identified, examined, and provided individual as well as collaborative analysis on multiple facets of risk management in the health care setting.

Addressing the knowledge, you have gained, and building on that knowledge to add your evaluation of the role that the managed care organization (MCO) plays in today’s health care environment, develop a 250-500 word reflection to incorporate the following:

1. What is a health care organization’s administrative role regarding oversight of risk management policies and ensuring compliance with managed care organization (MCOs) standards?

2. What is your assessment of the value provided to an organization that stems from the regulatory statutes of a typical MCO? Consider the establishment of conflict resolution and risk management strategies within the health care organization from the employer/employee perspective as well as in regards to patient conflict circumstances.

3. What MCO responsibilities pertain to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focus on fraud, waste, and abuse laws?

In addition to your textbook, you are required to support your analysis with a minimum of four peer-reviewed references

Book used by school. Risk Management in Health Care Institutions: Limiting Liability and Enhancing Care, 3rd Edition.

Application Exercises | Graded Assignment

Chapter 15 Application Exercises 1, 2, 3, and 4

1. Go to DSMO website at http://www.hipaa-dsmo.org (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Review the changes that have been requested in transaction standards. Click on one of the active change requests. Review the details and determine which HIPAA transaction standard is affected by the request and which DSMO has expressed interest.
2. Visit the HL7 website (http://www.hl7.org) and locate information on Version 3. Write a brief report on the reference information model and the requirements for vocabularies.
3. Locate federal regulations for either the Meaningful Use standards and certification program (42 CFR 170) or for HIPAA transactions and code sets. Write a brief report on recent changes to these regulations.
4. Work with a small team; identify a task that could be done more effectively using data exchange standards. Describe how the task is performed today, and how data exchange standards today make this task more efficient. Identify the information systems that are involved. Research the existing standards that could be used to solve this problem. Discover whether anyone is currently working on this problem. Report in your findings. Extra credit: Submit a proposal to a standards or profiling body to develop the use case into a solution.

Chapter 16 Application Exercises 1, 2, and 3

1. Search the internet and identify the vocabulary standards that ONC adopted and against which EHRs must be tested for certification to meet meaningful use criteria. Next access the NLM website (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and locate the information on UMLS metathesaurus source vocabularies (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Develop a table or grid comparing the vocabularies required by ONC and the terminologies required for administrative transactions under HIPAA.
2. Using PHIN VADS, locate the value sets associated with National Healthcare Safety Network Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI). Find the value set for type of adverse reactions to an immunization. Write a report identifying the contents of the value set.
3. Using an Internet search engine, access and listen to the CTS2 in action audio (https://wiki.nci.nih.gov/display/LexEVS/Common+Terminology+Services+Release+2+%28CTS2%29+In+Action (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.). Write a report describing the different ways in which CTS2 can be used.

Assignment Guidelines

• You have the choice to write a two-page paper, double spaced, or create a multimedia presentation to respond to the exercises
• Clearly label your response to each exercise in your submission

While HIV/AIDS is still currently incurable, the prognosis for patients with this infectious disease has improved due to advancements in drug treatments. Consider the case of Kristy Aney. Kristy was diagnosed with HIV in 1992 and was told she would survive, at most, 10 more years. Despite unfavorable odds, Kristy is still alive 20 years later. Since her diagnosis, she has witnessed tremendous improvements in HIV/AIDS treatments which have helped patients live longer with fewer side effects. While she acknowledges that these drug treatments have kept her alive, she fears that improvements in drug therapy have led to more people becoming complacent about the disease (Idaho Statesmen, 2012). In fact, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States is higher than it has ever been (CDC, 2012). This poses the question: Is there a relationship between drug advancements, societal complacency, and infection?

To prepare:

• Review Chapter 49 of the Arcangelo      and Peterson text, as well as the Krummenacher et al. and Scourfield      articles in the Learning Resources.
• Reflect on whether or not the      prevalence of HIV cases might be attributed to increased complacency due      to more advanced drug treatment options for HIV/AIDS.
• Consider how health care      professionals can help to change perceptions and make people more aware of      the realities of the disease.
• Think about strategies to educate HIV      positive patients on medication adherence, as well as safe practices to      reduce the risk of infecting others.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post an explanation of whether or not you think the prevalence of HIV cases might be attributed to increased complacency due to more advanced drug treatment options. Then, explain how health care professionals can help to change perceptions and increase awareness of the realities of the disease. Finally, describe strategies to educate HIV positive patients on medication adherence, as well as safe practices to reduce the risk of infecting others.

This work should have Introduction and conclusion

– This work should have at 3 to 5current references (Year 2012 and up)

– Use at least 2 references from class Learning Resources

The following Resources are not acceptable:

1. Wikipedia

2. Cdc.gov- nonhealthcare professionals section

3. Webmd.com

4. Mayoclinic.com

Required Readings

Arcangelo, V. P., Peterson, A. M., Wilbur, V., & Reinhold, J. A. (Eds.). (2017). Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (4th ed.). Ambler, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

• Chapter 8, “Principles of      Antimicrobial Therapy” (pp. 111-134)
       This chapter covers factors that impact the selection of an antimicrobial      treatment regimen. It also examines the clinical uses, adverse events, and      drug interactions of various antimicrobial agents such as penicillin.
• Chapter 12, “Fungal Infections      of the Skin” (pp. 163-196)
       This chapter explores the pathophysiology of several fungal infections of      the skin as well as related drug treatments and examines the importance of      patient education when managing these infections.
• Chapter 14, “Bacterial      Infections of the Skin” (pp. 181-196)
       This chapter begins by examining causes of bacterial infections. It then      explores the importance of selecting an appropriate agent for treating      bacterial infections.
• Chapter 32, “Urinary Tract      Infection” (pp. 519-526)
       This chapter covers drugs used to treat urinary tract infections and      identifies special considerations when treating geriatric patients,      pediatric patients, and women.
• Chapter 35, “Sexually      Transmitted Infections” (pp. 512-535)
       This chapter outlines the causes, pathophysiology, and drug treatment of      six sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea, syphilis, and      human papilloma virus infection (HPV). It also examines the importance of      selecting the proper agent and monitoring patient response to treatment.
• Chapter 49, “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” (pp.      843-860)
       This chapter presents the causes, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria,      and prevention methods for HIV. It also covers various methods of drug      treatment and patient factors to consider when selecting, administering,      and managing drug treatments.

Krummenacher, I., Cavassini, M., Bugnon, O., & Schneider, M. (2011). An interdisciplinary HIV-adherence program combining motivational interviewing and electronic antiretroviral drug monitoring. AIDS Care, 23(5), 550–561.

This article analyzes medication adherence in HIV patients and examines factors that increase adherence as well as factors that contribute to termination or discontinuation of treatment.

Drugs.com. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.drugs.com/

This website presents a comprehensive review of prescription and over-the-counter drugs including information on common uses and potential side effects. It also provides updates relating to new drugs on the market, support from health professionals, and a drug-drug interactions checker.

Scourfield, A., Waters, L., & Nelson, M. (2011). Drug combinations for HIV: What’s new? Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy, 9(11), 1001–1011.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article examines current therapies and strategies for treating HIV patients. It also examines factors that impact selection of therapy, including drug interactions, personalization of therapy, costs, management of comorbidities, and patient response.

Required Media

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Antimicrobials. Baltimore, MD: Author.

This media presentation outlines principles of antimicrobial therapy 

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.

Mayer, K. H., & Krakower, D. (2012). Antiretroviral medication and HIV prevention: New steps forward and New Questions. Annals of Internal Medicine, 156(4), 312–314.

The American Cancer Society estimates that by the end of 2012, more than 226,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 241,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (American Cancer Society, 2012a; American Cancer Society 2012b). With such prevalence of women’s and men’s cancers, patient education and preventive services are essential. In clinical settings, advanced practice nurses must assist physicians in educating patients on risk factors, preventive services, and for patients diagnosed with cancer, on potential drug treatments. The clinical implications of women’s and men’s cancer greatly depend on early detection, which is primarily achieved through preventive services. In this Assignment, you consider the short-term and long-term implications of cancer and drug treatments associated with women’s and men’s health, as well as appropriate preventive services.

To prepare:

• Select a type of cancer associated with women’s or men’s health such as breast, cervical, or ovarian cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.
• Locate and review articles examining the type of cancer you selected.
• Review the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force article in the Learning Resources. Think about available preventive services that providers might recommend for patients at risk of this type of cancer.
• Select two of the following factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior. Reflect on how these factors might impact decisions related to preventive services.
• Consider drug treatment options for patients diagnosed with the type of cancer you selected including short-term and long-term implications of the treatments.

By Day 7

Write a 2- to 3- page paper that addresses the following:

• Describe available preventive services that providers might recommend for patients at risk of the type of cancer you selected.
• Explain how the factors you selected might impact decisions related to preventive services.
• Describe drug treatment options for patients diagnosed with the type of cancer you selected. Explain the short-term and long-term implications of these treatments.