Assessing the Problem: Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources Considerations 

Assessing the Problem: Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources Considerations 

 

Assessing the Problem: Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources

Cancer is a major public health concern that impacts different health populations differently. Cancer negatively impacts the quality of life, patient outcomes, and safety of the diagnosed individuals. Due to high treatment and management costs, it also exerts considerable financial pressure on individuals, their families, and the healthcare system. African Americans are a minority health population that faces health inequality and disparities. Minority health populations bear a disproportionate burden of the disease, thus requiring consideration and attention in every way possible. Different healthcare technology equipment and platforms can be used to address the problem. In addition, care coordination can be applied to enhance all-round cancer care provision. Community resources are also instrumental in cancer care improvement. In this assessment, the impact of healthcare technology on the population problem will be assessed, and the use of care coordination and community resources in addressing the problem will be discussed. The state board nursing practice standards and organizational/government policies on healthcare technology, coordination of care, and community resources will also be explored.

Healthcare Technology and its Impact on African Americans with Cancer

Rapid technological advancement and increased adoption of technology in various fields have mandated the uptake of technology in healthcare. Coccia (2020) notes that technology has easily been adopted across healthcare departments over time. Similarly, technology has been found to be integral in making cancer care more efficient. Technological devices have been developed to help cancer patients monitor their health at home. Additionally, equipment to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer has also been developed, thus improving care delivery and enhancing patient outcomes across populations (Coccia, 2020).

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI, n.d.), technology impacts cancer care by improving cancer detection, advancing cancer drug development, making oncology accessible and, efficient, and affordable. Early cancer detection and screening programs aim to identify the disease at an early stage and recommend the commencement of treatment and management as soon as possible, thus improving patient health outcomes and life quality. Technology has improved screenings and early detection of cancer through the development of imaging technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify signs of cancer. These technologies have impacted the African American population by increasing the number of cancer cases that are detected early, thus promoting seeking medical attention.

Furthermore, AI and machine learning in pharmaceuticals have been seen to fasten the drug development process by ranking cancer drugs using their anti-proliferative efficacy on cancer cells, thus helping identify the most effective cancer drugs (Penedo et al., 2020). The availability of effective cancer drugs not only helps promote patient health outcomes for high-risk and minority populations like African Americans but also identifies ways in which drugs can be tested and further developed to enhance efficacy.

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The current technology used in professional oncology care includes artificial intelligence, telehealth, CRISPR, and Cryo-electron microscopy (NCI, n.d.). As mentioned earlier, AI is being used to identify signs of cancer, explore available treatment options, and predict possible outcomes, thus making cancer care more efficient and producing better outcomes. Telehealth enables cancer patients, especially from underserved and minority populations, to access cancer care services remotely, including follow-ups and making inquiries. CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that is being used to facilitate immunotherapy in cancer treatment. Cryo-electron microscopy is a high-resolution imaging technology used to understand cancer cells and how they survive, interact and proliferate, thus identifying how cancer medications can be used to manipulate them. Based on this analysis, there is consistency in the literature on the use of technology in cancer care and the current use in professional practice.

However, there are various limitations and barriers to technology use in cancer care, especially in minority populations such as African Americans. According to Kemp et al. (2021), one of the major barriers to digital health implementation and the use of technology in cancer care is inadequate digital health literacy. Apart from health literacy, digital health literacy is as critical as the implementation itself. Kemp et al. (2021) note that many cancer patients are unaware of the available technology solutions used in cancer care, and those who know lack adequate information on how to use the technologies, including telehealth and remote monitoring devices. Therefore, it is essential to embark on health promotion plans to train health populations on the use of digital technology in cancer care, thus improving digital health literacy and the use of technology by the patient.

Another major barrier is cost. Technology equipment is costly for both the healthcare institutions and the patients using them. Most African American cancer patients are socioeconomically deprived and come from low-resource settings; hence cannot afford remote monitoring equipment and constant use of telehealth. Additionally, the majority of healthcare institutions have not acquired oncology technology equipment due to high initial and maintenance costs.

Care Coordination and Community Resources Utilization

Care coordination and the use of community resources can be used to address cancer among African Americans. Care coordination entails the deliberate organization of care activities, and information dissemination to all participants concerned in patient care, thus enhancing efficiency and better patient care outcomes. In oncology, care coordination involves the participation of a multidisciplinary team in a comprehensive approach aimed at achieving care continuity for patients receiving cancer treatment (Litzelman, 2019). Care coordination is the responsibility of the whole interprofessional team, and effective care coordination is a hallmark of ensuring quality cancer care. According to Okado et al. (2020), the interdisciplinary team members that can be used to address cancer among the African American health population include nurses, oncologists, physical therapists, community health workers, pharmacists, radiologists, home health aides, family caregivers and pathologists among others. These team members will work together in synthesizing care goals, using shared decision-making, and mutually aligning the goals with the role that each member plays to facilitate effective and efficient patient care. Hence, the cancer problem in this population will be effectively addressed through holistic and effective cancer care, producing desirable patient outcomes and improved life quality.

However, research shows that most cancer patients receive poorly coordinated care across different health settings. Potential barriers to effective care coordination include conflict in health professional roles and responsibilities, inadequate communication between specialists and primary care, and scarcity of cancer health services and resources (Okado et al., 2020).

Community resources can be resourceful in addressing the cancer health problem among African Americans. They go a long way in offering social support, referring cancer patients to the best institutions to acquire cancer care, encouraging patients diagnosed with cancer to seek medical treatment and management, and acquiring funding sources to cater to cancer patients from vulnerable populations. There are various local, state, and national community resources that exist to help cancer patients in their journey to achieve health outcomes and improved life quality. Local religious, non-governmental, and community-based organizations are also available to assist and offer social support to cancer patients. Furthermore, some of these community resources mainly focus on minority populations such as African Americans, thus effectively contributing to addressing the problem of cancer in these populations.

Some of the specific community resources that can be used to address cancer among African Americans include community cancer foundations, cancer support groups, cancer websites such as the American Cancer Society, and the United Way organization. Community cancer foundations and support groups can offer African Americans emotional and social support that will help them cope with cancer treatment and management and life after surviving cancer. They also involve cancer survivors to offer social support and encouragement to cancer patients. Additionally, cancer websites will provide information on cancer management best practices and self-care during cancer treatment. More so, organizations such as the united way embark on health promotion programs to create awareness of cancer and encourage African Americans to embrace lifestyle changes, cancer screenings, and early detection programs, thus addressing the problem from primary and secondary prevention standpoints (Rock et al., 2020). Therefore, community resources can be used to address the cancer problem in the African American population effectively. The primary barrier to the utilization of community resources among African Americans is inadequate awareness of the resources and how they can help them.

State Board Nursing Practice Standards and Organizational/ Governmental Policies Related to Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources used in Cancer

There are various nursing practice standards and government policies relating to healthcare technology, care coordination, and community resources in which interventions to address the problem of cancer in the African American population should be considered. First and foremost, the use of health technology such as telehealth should maintain the HIPAA guidelines. According to Qin (2019), HIPAA guidelines stipulate that telehealth applications should maintain high privacy and security standards to enhance patient privacy and safety. It also provides guidelines for sharing protected health information, stipulating that it should only be shared with patient consent to authorized persons.

The nursing practice standards guidelines mandate nurses to apply and maintain high ethical and professional standards. Being on the frontline of care coordination in cancer care, it is the nurses’ responsibility to ensure ethical standards such as patient confidentiality is maintained among the interprofessional team. In addition, nurses should ensure high-quality patient care is maintained and decisions benefit the patient and do not cause harm.

Furthermore, government policies regulate the conduct of community organizations and their effectiveness in helping address health problems across different populations. For instance, the government has developed policies to support health promotion interventions by allocating funds for programs such as cancer screening and early detection, thus contributing to addressing the problem.

Conclusion

The cancer problem among African Americans requires to be addressed using healthcare technology, care coordination, and available community resources. The analysis of these factors above has shown consistency between research and practice and pointed out limitations and potential barriers. Strategies to overcome these barriers will help promote technology use, care coordination, and community resources to address the problem. Interventions to address cancer among African Americans should be developed considering the nursing, governmental, and organizational practice guidelines.

 

References

Coccia, M. (2020). Deep learning technology for improving cancer care in society: New directions in cancer imaging driven by artificial intelligence. Technology in Society, 60, 101198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2019.101198

Kemp, E., Trigg, J., Beatty, L., Christensen, C., Dhillon, H. M., Maeder, A., Patricia, A. H. & Koczwara, B. (2021). Health literacy, digital health literacy and the implementation of digital health technologies in cancer care: the need for a strategic approach. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 32, 104-114. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.387

Litzelman, K. (2019). Caregiver well-being and the quality of cancer care. In Seminars in oncology nursing (Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 348-353). WB Saunders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soncn.2019.06.006

National Institute of Cancer (NCI). (n.d.). The Tech Revolutionizing Cancer Research and Care. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/nca50

Okado, I., Cassel, K., Pagano, I., & Holcombe, R. F. (2020). Assessing Patients’ Perceptions of Cancer Care Coordination in a Community-Based Setting. JCO Oncology Practice, 16(8), e726–e733. https://doi.org/10.1200/JOP.19.00509

Penedo, F. J., Oswald, L. B., Kronenfeld, J. P., Garcia, S. F., Cella, D., & Yanez, B. (2020). The increasing value of eHealth in the delivery of patient-centred cancer care. The Lancet Oncology, 21(5), e240-e251. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30021-8

Qin, F. (2019). The Debilitating Scope of Care Coordination Under HIPAA. NCL Rev., 98, 1395. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/nclr98&section=53

Rock, C. L., Thomson, C., Gansler, T., Gapstur, S. M., McCullough, M. L., Patel, A. V. & Doyle, C. (2020). American Cancer Society guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention. CA: A Cancer Journal For Clinicians, 70(4), 245-271. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21591

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Seth Parker   

Assessment 3 Instructions: Assessing the Problem: Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources Considerations

 

In a 5-7 page written assessment, determine how health care technology, coordination of care, and community resources can be applied to address the patient, family, or population problem you’ve defined. In addition, 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 Capella Academic Portal Volunteer Experience Form. Report on your experiences during the second 2 hours of your practicum.

 

As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, you’ll be positioned to maximize the use of technology to achieve positive patient outcomes and improve organizational effectiveness. Providing holistic coordination of patient care across the entire health care continuum and leveraging community resource services can lead both to positive patient outcomes and to organizational improvements.

 

In this assessment, you’ll determine how health care technology, coordination of care, and community resources can be applied to address the health problem you’ve defined. 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 sufficient research of the scholarly and professional literature to inform your assessment and meet scholarly expectations for supporting evidence.

Review the Practicum Focus Sheet: Assessment 3 [PDF], which provides guidance for conducting this portion

of your practicum.

 

Note: As you revise your writing, check out the resources listed on the Writing Center’s Writing Support page.

 

Complete this assessment in two parts.

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Part 1

Determine how health care technology, the coordination of care, and the use of community resources can be applied to address the patient, family, or population problem you’ve defined. 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 Capella Academic Portal Volunteer Experience Form. Use the Practicum Focus Sheet: Assessment 3 [PDF] provided for this assessment to guide your work and interpersonal interactions.

Part 2

Report on your experiences during the second 2 hours of your practicum.

 

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 effect of the problem on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.

Did your plan to address the problem change, based upon your experiences?

What surprised you, or was of particular interest to you, and why?

 

Update the total number of hours on the NURS-FPX4900 Volunteer Experience Form in Capella Academic Portal.

 

The BSN Capstone Course (NURS-FPX4900 ) requires the completion and documentation of nine (9) practicum hours. All hours must be recorded in the Capella Academic Portal. Please review the BSN Practicum Campus page for more information and instructions on how to log your hours.

 

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.

Analyze the impact of health care technology on the patient, family, or population problem.

Cite evidence from the literature that addresses the advantages and disadvantages of specific technologies, including research studies that present opposing views.

Determine whether the evidence is consistent with technology use you see in your nursing practice. Identify potential barriers and costs associated with the use of specific technologies and how those technologies are applied within the context of this problem.

Explain how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address the patient, family, or population problem.

Cite evidence from the literature that addresses the benefits of care coordination and the utilization of community resources, including research studies that present opposing views.

Determine whether the evidence is consistent with how you see care coordination and community resources used in your nursing practice.

Identify barriers to the use of care coordination and community resources in the context of this

problem.

Analyze state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health care technology, care coordination, and community resources and document the practicum hours spent with these individuals or group in the Capella Academic Portal Volunteer Experience Form.

Explain how these standards or policies will guide your actions in applying technology, care coordination, and community resources to address 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 technology, care coordination, and community resources.

Explain how nursing ethics will inform your approach to addressing the problem through the use of

applied technology, care coordination, and community resources.

Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Capella Academic Portal Volunteer Experience Form.

Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.

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 five 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.

 

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

Competency 4: Apply health information and patient care technology to improve patient and systems outcomes.

Analyze the impact of health care technology on a patient, family, or population problem.

Competency 5: Analyze the impact of health policy on quality and cost of care.

Analyze state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health technology, care coordination, and community resources and document the practicum hours spent with these individuals or group in the Capella Academic Portal Volunteer Experience Form.

Competency 6: Collaborate interprofessionally to improve patient and population outcomes.

Explain how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address a patient, family, or population problem.

Competency 8: Integrate professional standards and values into practice.

Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.

Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.

 

 

 

SCORING GUIDE

Use the scoring guide to understand how your assessment will be evaluated.

 

 

VIEW SCORING GUIDE