Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations Essay

Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations Essay

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder affecting various organs and organ systems. It is global health with some variation of prevalence based on age, gender, or gender. It causes other diseases like renal failure, hypertension, permanent blindness, peripheral vascular diseases, and stroke. These diseases are difficult to treat and negatively affect people’s lives. Diabetes management entails diet restrictions, exercises, and medications that significantly affect individuals. Diabetes and its complications are a leading cause of death globally. This essay focuses on diabetes effects on healthcare costs, care quality, and patient safety and

Medication Errors Quality, Safety, and Cost Consideration Analysis

Diabetes severely affects the quality of patient care. Diabetes causes severe limitations in activities of daily living through limiting physical capacity. Diabetes complications such as peripheral vascular diseases and permanent blindness lead to a severe loss of patients’ functionality, affecting their quality of care (Speight et al., 2020). It also complicates the management of other diseases. For example, surgical and other wounds in diabetes patients require extra care and take too long to heal, affecting the patients’ quality of care. Other conditions such as hypertension are difficult to manage and quickly develop complications. Depression often sets in these patients, severely affecting their medication adherence, adversely affecting their recuperation (Speight et al., 2020). Diabetes affects its management and compromises the management of other conditions.

One of the significant presentations of diabetes is chronically high glucose blood sugar levels. Management of this condition involves regulating the amount of food, exercise, and a daily insulin dose (Haltbakk et al., 2019). In some instances, a patient may take a lot of insulin or less food, leading to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia results in syncope, which negatively affects patient safety and exposes them to much environmental harm such as fall injuries or machinery industries. Diabetes is significant in syncope because 30% of syncope instances are associated with hypoglycemia (Haltbakk et al., 2019). High blood sugar levels also increase the risk for infection because hyperglycemia reduces an individual’s immunity. The patient is thus exposed to nosocomial and other community-acquired infections. Diabetes patients are more likely to succumb to conditions such as COVID-19 due to their low immunity. Thus, diabetes negatively affects patient safety.

Diabetes costs are relatively high to the individual and the systems. According to current studies by the American Diabetes Association, managing a patient with diabetes is relatively 2.4 times the middle management of a patient without diabetes (Riddle & Herman, 2018). These costs are attributed to the various underlying conditions in diabetes and its complications that negatively affect an individual’s recuperation. More than 34M US citizens have diabetes, and the annual healthcare costs exceed $324B (Riddle & Herman, 2018). $1 in every $7 spent in healthcare is used to treat diabetes and its complications. These costs are associated with the daily management such as inpatient healthcare services, insulin and other medications (anti-diabetic patients), inpatient admissions, and physician visits for follow-ups, consultation, and diabetic foot and eye examinations. Other diabetes costs include absenteeism, lost productivity due to physical limitations, and early mortality productivity loss (Riddle & Herman, 2018). Thu diabetes has high costs to the systems and the individuals. Generally, diabetes compromises the care quality for diabetic patients, co promises their safety, and imposes high costs to the individual and the systems.

Nursing Practice Standards and/or Organizational or Governmental Policies Effects on Diabetes

The government is proactive in preventing the discrimination of individuals and protecting their rights. AS mentioned, diabetes cayuse significant changes in the individuals’ functional ability, thus affecting their work-life and productivity. The American government classifies people with diabetes as people with disabilities and protects them under the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Blank, 2019) The Equality Act of 2010 also protects against the discrimination of diabetic patients at the workplace (Barnard-Kelly & Cherñavvsky, 2020). These acts prevent the unfair dismissal of qualified individuals from the workplace because they have diabetes. They also ensure individuals enjoy all the company/institution benefits without limitations due to their condition. These rights advocate for diabetic patients’ reasonable accommodations, which entail allowances to help these patients manage their diabetes. These provisions include taking their medications and time for regular check-ups and follow-ups with the physicians (Barnard-Kelly & Cherñavvsky, 2020).

The Equality act of 2010 and the Americans with Disability Act improve the quality of care of individuals by giving them fair treatment (Blank, 2019). They ensure diabetic patients access care when they most need it, preventing complication and their associated high healthcare costs. They also ensure individuals do not lose their jobs despite declining physical capacities, thus preventing depression and poor quality of life resulting from employment loss. Therefore, these interventions improve the quality of care patients receive, promote their safety, and prevent them from incurring high healthcare costs.

Effects of Local, State, and Federal Policies or Legislation on the Nursing Scope of Practice

The state government does not directly regulate the scope of nursing practice but delegates the roles to state boards of nursing under the Nursing Practice Act, which have the mandate to determine their nurses’ scope of practice. Thus, the nurses’ scope of practice varies slightly from state to state. The nursing scope of practice generally requires nurses to have adequate knowledge in managing diabetes and other healthcare conditions (Cassiani et al., 2020). Nurses should deliver healthcare services depending on the current practice standards, aligning with ANA stipulations on quality of practice standards. “The registered nurse systematically enhances the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice” (Cassiani et al., 2020). Nurses should thus ensure they continually update their knowledge to ensure they maintain ethical, evidence-based practices and high-quality diabetic patient care.

Proposed Strategies to Manage Diabetes

Patient education is the backbone of managing many healthcare conditions, and people with diabetes would greatly benefit from diabetes education. An evidence-based lifestyle change program would be important for diabetic patients (Ghisi et al., 2021). Diabetes has some genetic causes (type 1), but it is majorly attributed to lifestyle. Lifestyle modifications would help prevent the population from acquiring diabetes. A program (online or in community centers) provides the populations with the necessary information to adequately care for their health. Informing patients is an important strategy in promoting their adherence (Ghisi et al., 2021). Lifestyle modifications include limiting calories intake to the required minimums, taking balanced diets, and promoting physical activity through jogging and bike riding exercises.

The program would also help prevent individuals from developing diabetes complications. The program would help educate the newly diagnosed patients on the importance and routine of medication administration and follow-up visits to ensure they adequately manage their diabetes, preventing complications. With the program in place, individuals and the systems will incur fewer costs in managing diabetes or its complications (Ghisi et al., 2021). Patients will receive high-quality care free from any harm. Thus, the Diabetes Prevention Program will be integral in cubing healthcare costs, improving the care quality, and promoting patient safety.

Another effective strategy is mandatory diabetes screening in the inpatient and outpatient departments. With the high rates of diabetes in the nation, governments should place mandatory screening tests to rule out diabetes and diabetic complications. The people at risk for diabetes include obese and overweight individuals, those with African origins, and adults above age 45 with or without diabetes (Kalra & Sharna, 2018). Mandatory screening for inpatients would help unearth underlying conditions and prevent care complications arising from the management of diabetic patients. According to the American Diabetes Association, these screening tests should include “a fasting plasma glucose level, 2-hour plasma glucose level during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, or HbA_1c level” (Kalra & Sharma, 2018). These tests help diagnose diabetes or prediabetes, preventing acquiring the disease or developing its complications.

The disease complicates the management of many conditions such as hypertension and hyperkalemia due to the changing glucose levels (Haltbakket al., 2019). With the establishment of the underlying condition, healthcare providers can vigilantly provide the necessary care hence high-quality care delivery and improved patients’ quality of life. However, some studies communicate problems with the intervention because there is no solid criterion for inclusion in the mandatory screening for individuals below the age of 45. However, healthcare institutions should leverage mandatory screening and patient education to enhance the management of diabetes in healthcare institutions

Conclusion

As seen above, diabetes presents significant issues on care quality, patient safety, and costs to the individual and the systems. The disease complicates the management of other conditions and interferes with the individuals’ function and cognitive abilities. The Equality Act of 2010 and the Americans with Disabilities Act are some regulations that protect diabetic patients and significantly affect the quality of care patient safety and costs the individuals and the system. Healthcare institutions should leverage patient education and clearly defined mandatory screening to promote patients’ safety, improve care quality and reduce healthcare costs.

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References

Barnard-Kelly, K. D., & Cherñavvsky, D. (2020). Social inequality and diabetes: a commentary. Diabetes Therapy, 11(4), 803-811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-020-00791-4

Blanck, P. (2019). Why America is better off because of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Touro L. Rev., 35, 605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-021-01141-4

Cassiani, S. H. D. B., Lecorps, K., Cañaveral, L. K. R., da Silva, F. A. M., & Fitzgerald, J. (2020). Regulation of nursing practice in the Region of the Americas. Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 44. https://dx.doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2020.93

Haltbakk, J., Graue, M., Harris, J., Kirkevold, M., Dunning, T., & Sigurdardottir, A. K. (2019). An Integrative review: Patient safety among older people with diabetes in-home care services. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(11), 2449-2460. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13993

Kalra, S., & Sharma, S. K. (2018). Diabetes in the Elderly. Diabetes Therapy, 9(2), 493-500. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-018-0380-x

Riddle, M. C., & Herman, W. H. (2018). The cost of diabetes care; An elephant in the room. Diabetes Care, 41(5), 929-932. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci18-0012

Speight, J., Holmes‐Truscott, E., Hendrieckx, C., Skovlund, S., & Cooke, D. J. D. M. (2020). Assessing the impact of diabetes on quality of life: what have the past 25 years taught us?. Diabetic Medicine, 37(3), 483-492. https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.14196

I would like to focus on MEDICATION ERRORS

In a 5-7 page written assessment, assess the effect of the patient, family, or population problem you\’ve previously defined on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual. Plan to spend approximately 2 direct practicum hours exploring these aspects of the problem with the patient, family, or group you\’ve chosen to work with and, if desired, consulting with subject matter and industry experts. Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form. Report on your experiences during your first two practicum hours.

Introduction

Organizational data, such as readmission rates, hospital-acquired infections, falls, medication errors, staff satisfaction, serious safety events, and patient experience can be used to prioritize time, resources, and finances. Health care organizations and government agencies use benchmark data to compare the quality of organizational services and report the status of patient safety. Professional nurses are key to comprehensive data collection, reporting, and monitoring of metrics to improve quality and patient safety.

Preparation

In this assessment, you’ll assess the effect of the health problem you’ve defined on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual. Plan to spend at least 2 direct practicum hours working with the same patient, family, or group. During this time, you may also choose to consult with subject matter and industry experts.

To prepare for the assessment:

Review the assessment instructions and scoring guide to ensure that you understand the work you will be asked to complete and how it will be assessed.
Conduct research of the scholarly and professional literature to inform your assessment and meet scholarly expectations for supporting evidence.
Review the Practicum Focus Sheet: Assessment 2 [PDF], which provides guidance for conducting this portion of your practicum.
Note: Remember that you can submit all, or a portion of, your draft assessment to Smarthinking for feedback, before you submit the final version. If you plan on using this free service, be mindful of the turnaround time of 24–48 hours for receiving feedback.

Instructions

Complete this assessment in two parts.

Part 1
Assess the effect of the patient, family, or population problem you defined in the previous assessment on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual. Plan to spend at least 2 practicum hours exploring these aspects of the problem with the patient, family, or group. During this time, you may also consult with subject matter and industry experts of your choice. Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form. Use the Practicum Focus Sheet: Assessment 2 [PDF] provided for this assessment to guide your work and interpersonal interactions.

Part 2
Report on your experiences during your first 2 practicum hours, including how you presented your ideas about the health problem to the patient, family, or group.

Whom did you meet with?
What did you learn from them?
Comment on the evidence-based practice (EBP) documents or websites you reviewed.
What did you learn from that review?
Share the process and experience of exploring the influence of leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, and policy on the problem.
What barriers, if any, did you encounter when presenting the problem to the patient, family, or group?
Did the patient, family, or group agree with you about the presence of the problem and its significance and relevance?
What leadership, communication, collaboration, or change management skills did you employ during your interactions to overcome these barriers or change the patient’s, family’s, or group’s thinking about the problem (for example, creating a sense of urgency based on data or policy requirements)?
What changes, if any, did you make to your definition of the problem, based on your discussions?
What might you have done differently?
CORE ELMS

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Update the total number of hours on the NURS-FPX4900 Volunteer Experience Form in CORE ELMS.

Requirements

The assessment requirements, outlined below, correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

Explain how the patient, family, or population problem impacts the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Cite evidence that supports the stated impact.
Note whether the supporting evidence is consistent with what you see in your nursing practice.
Explain how state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies can affect the problem’s impact on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Describe research that has tested the effectiveness of these standards and/or policies in addressing care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Explain how these standards and/or policies will guide your actions in addressing care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Describe the effects of local, state, and federal policies or legislation on your nursing scope of practice, within the context of care quality, patient safety, and cost to the system and individual.
Propose strategies to improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety, and reduce costs to the system and individual.
Discuss research on the effectiveness of these strategies in addressing care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Identify relevant and available sources of benchmark data on care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form.
Use paraphrasing and summarization to represent ideas from external sources.
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.
Additional Requirements
Format: Format your paper using APA style. APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] is provided to help you in writing and formatting your paper. Be sure to include:
A title page and reference page. An abstract is not required.
Appropriate section headings.
Length: Your paper should be approximately 5–7 pages in length, not including the reference page.
Supporting evidence: Cite at least 5 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your central ideas. Resources should be no more than five years old. Provide in-text citations and references in APA format.
Proofreading: Proofread your paper, before you submit it, to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on its substance.
Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

Competency 3: Transform processes to improve quality, enhance patient safety, and reduce the cost of care.
Explain how a patient, family, or population problem impacts the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Propose strategies to improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety, and reduce costs to the system and individual and document the practicum hours spent with these individuals or group in the Core Elms Volunteer Experience Form.
Competency 5: Analyze the impact of health policy on quality and cost of care.
Explain how state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies can affect a patient, family, or population problem’s impact on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Competency 8: Integrate professional standards and values into practice.
Use paraphrasing and summarization to represent ideas from external sources.
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.