Policies And Practice Guidelines In Healthcare Essay

Policies And Practice Guidelines In Healthcare Essay

Policy Proposal

Healthcare providers worldwide are adopting the benchmarking program to identify and fill up problems with poor performance and gaps in service. When creating a benchmark, the most significant problems are typically addressed first. More people worldwide are working to find cures for chronic diseases like diabetes. Duan et al. (2021) estimate that in 2012, the cost of diabetes in the United States was about $245 billion. Therefore, it is crucial to create proper local, state, and federal policies to handle issues such as diabetes. According to the dashboard benchmarks, the Mercy Medical Center did not meet national standards for medical exams, including diabetes, such as diabetic foot exams and Hgb A1C tests. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the importance of establishing effective policies and procedures for conducting diabetes testing in a manner that is both efficient and accurate at Mercy Medical Center to enhance the effectiveness and quality of services provided.

The Need for Organizational Policy

Mercy Medical Center is one of the most outstanding medical facilities in Minnesota. The total amount of HgbA1c tests performed fell precipitously from 60 to 42 during the first and fourth quarters of 2019 and from 72 to 64 in the first and fourth quarters of 2020. The most critical aspect in reducing the strain of diabetes, according to various studies, is a timely diagnosis, which leads to proactive measures and, ultimately, a positive healthcare outcome. To achieve a correct early diagnosis of diabetes, medical centers must adhere to all medical regulations and recommendations, mainly by completing proper examinations; misdiagnosis is less likely to occur. With nurses at the center of the transformation, Mercy Medical Center and other healthcare providers must develop effective protocols to increase the timely application of diabetic foot examination and Hgb A1C testing for early diagnosis and the prevention of diabetes-related problems. Diabetic foot ulcers, nerve damage, and amputations are some of the unpleasant outcomes of the disease if it is not managed earlier. Therefore, the organization must create methods for routine testing of all people, especially those over 40 (Duan et al., 2021). This will help enhance the quality of Hgb A1c and diabetic foot examination. Even people who have had negative results in the past still need to be checked every three months.

Proposed Policy and Guidelines

The American Diabetes Association’s current guidelines for diabetes management outline six core components that must be considered when formulating a plan to manage diabetes using the Chronic Care Model. Mercy Medical Center must incorporate these aspects into the proposed policies to align with national requirements for correct diabetes diagnosis and evaluation procedures. Suitable means of delivery, patient-specific and population-based support registries for the medical team, procedures to identify and develop resources for fostering positive habits, and establishing a quality-oriented culture are all necessary elements (Nayeri et al., 2020). Clinical visits and follow-up treatment, such as diabetic foot exams and hemoglobin A1C testing, can also be improved with the active participation of healthcare providers.

To streamline the process of gathering information and enlisting patients’ participation, the proposed policy would explore rearranging scheduling systems for exams associated with diabetes. Most patients never get an opportunity to schedule clinic appointments; if they do, they never show up. Due to the new policy, patients can schedule appointments online and receive reminders in advance to get ready for them. More people will seek medical care at Mercy Medical Center as an outcome of these initiatives. It is important to remind patients to schedule annual checkups to learn about all the treatment options available to treat their diabetes. The policy will contain provisions for changing staffing hour shifts and hiring new workers to avoid caregivers from becoming overworked during these yearly visits for diabetes-related exams and improve the quality of care delivered (Kelly et al., 2021). The policy will promote data collection on patients’ adherence, analyze it, and implement the necessary changes. Finally, the evidence has to be published to improve diabetic care consistency and patient outcomes.

Ethical Evidence-Based Strategies

Results and efficiency regarding diabetic foot exams and Hgb A1c testing might be enhanced by implementing evidence-based procedures (EBP). These methods include educating the general population and patients, updating information and standard operating procedures, adding cautionary alerts to patient files, and urging their primary care physician to check the patient’s health history (Yu et al., 2022). As a result, the multidisciplinary group in charge of the exam needs to be educated on the current methods and the proposed methods for diabetes diagnosis, as well as the advantages of the latter. At Mercy Medical Center, this will be achieved by designating particular programs for training all appropriate professionals, with annual deadlines for course completion set. After completing each unit, employees must demonstrate their knowledge by passing a test before providing patient care. Patients will learn about diabetes and their involvement in timely diagnosis and care using various mediums, including films, brochures, PowerPoint slides, and audio excerpts.

Additionally, a standardized method of recording is required before diabetes can be accurately tracked. Increased consistency and cost-effectiveness from the revised documentation approach will aid in calculating the value of the adjustments. To modify client data and ensure correct records, for instance, foot inspection instruments will be incorporated into the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, which only authorized staff can access (Janet & Yeracaris, 2020). This strategy will also include information about the criteria for choosing which exam should be ordered to reduce unnecessary costs associated with testing.

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Potential Environmental Effects

Successfully enforcing organizational policies requires attention to a wide range of contextual factors. For instance, there should be no scarcity of competent individuals to carry out the new test methods to avoid burnout or unpreparedness. Nurses and other medical professionals must be competent in diabetic foot exams and Hgb A1c tests. Training is necessary to acquire such expertise. The organization must ensure that enough licensed nurses are hired and trained to prevent overburdening any one group of workers.

The rooms must be spacious enough for patient examinations and private consultations. Due to the anticipated high volume of diabetic patients, the spacious facility will prevent any potential for crowding. To limit the spread of disease, the organization should provide a sterile working environment free from dirt and disturbances. Acquiring the right examination equipment and the associated resources is crucial for creating an atmosphere helpful for diabetes foot exams and Hgb A1C tests. If so, Mercy Medical Center can boost performance and outcomes for diabetic foot exams and Hgb A1c tests.

Stakeholders’ Involvement in the Policy Implementation

Each involved party must take the initiative to ensure the policy is carried out as intended. In addition to diabetic patients and their loved ones, other people caring for people with the disease include doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, podiatrists, data scientists, wound specialists, friends, and relatives. All parties involved must be kept abreast of the new policies and given specific roles throughout the policy implementation process. As an example, nurses need to be able to help patients get ready for routine exams like foot checks and HgB A1C tests by explaining their importance, encouraging them to show up, and providing emotional support once the results are in. The healthcare team can work together to help the patient manage their condition based on the examination results after the organization reaches a critical mass of people who have come for foot exams and Hgb A1C tests. The information database engineer will then update the EHR with the new details.

Improving cooperation between parties requires well-defined lines of communication between them. All relevant parties should be kept abreast of policy updates. By keeping them updated, the organization will show them that they are valued and important to the team’s success, boosting their motivation and engagement in getting the job done (Silberberg & Martinez-Bianchi, 2019). It is also essential to make sure everyone knows their role and what they are responsible for. The stakeholders should be provided with autonomy. The latter demonstrates the confidence that they will accomplish the task well since they have the necessary abilities. Similarly, adequate systems should be in place to address any problems or concerns that may arise so that everyone feels at ease carrying out their duties. The support system should enable partners to innovate in devising new solutions to existing problems.

Conclusion

In the United States, diabetes and its related complications are significant killers. Several limitations and standards have been implemented to lessen the impact of the condition and find strategies for preventing diabetes from becoming common among the American people. Multiple studies have found that identifying and treating this condition early on is one of the best ways to deal with it. Numerous national guidelines have been produced to encourage thorough diagnostic procedures for the early identification of the disease, which will allow for the timely implementation of effective interventions. Mercy Medical Center, one of the finest hospitals in Minnesota, failed to satisfy national agencies with its level of service in conducting foot inspections and Hgb A1C testing. Several plans have been put out to improve the quality of care and decrease the costs associated with diagnosing and treating diabetes in adults at this facility.

References

Duan, D., Kengne, P., & Echouffo-Tcheugui, B. (2021). Screening for diabetes and prediabetes. Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America, 50(3), 369–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecl.2021.05.002

Kelly, A., Gee, M., & Butler, J. (2021). Impact of nurse burnout on organizational and position turnover. Nursing Outlook, 69(1), 96–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.06.008

Janett, S., & Yeracaris, P. (2020). Electronic medical records in the American health system: Challenges and lessons learned. Ciencia & Saude Coletiva, 25(4), 1293–1304. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232020254.28922019

Silberberg, M., & Martinez-Bianchi, V. (2019). Community and stakeholder engagement. Primary Care, 46(4), 587–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2019.07.014

Nayeri, N., Samadi, N., Larijani, B., & Sayadi, L. (2020). Effect of nurse‐led care on quality of care and level of HbA1C in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized clinical trial. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 28(3), 338-346. https://doi.org/10.1111/wrr.12788

Yu, J., Lee, H., & Kim, K. (2022). Recent updates to clinical practice guidelines for diabetes mellitus. Endocrinology and Metabolism, 37(1), 26–37. https://doi.org/10.3803/enm.2022.105

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Introduction

In advocating for institutional policy changes related to local, state, or federal health care laws or policies, health leaders must be able to develop and present clear and well-written policy and practice guideline proposals that will enable a team, a unit, or an organization as a whole to resolve relevant performance issues and bring about improvements in the quality and safety of health care. This assessment offers you an opportunity to take the lead in proposing such changes.

As a master’s-level health care practitioner, you have a valuable viewpoint and voice on policy development, both inside and outside your care setting. Developing policy for internal purposes can be a valuable process toward quality and safety improvement, as well as ensuring compliance with various health care regulatory pressures. This assessment offers you an opportunity to take the lead in proposing such changes.

Instructions

Propose an organizational policy and practice guidelines that you believe will lead to an improvement in quality and performance associated with the benchmark underperformance you advocated for improving in Assessment 1. Be precise, professional, and persuasive in demonstrating the merit of your proposed actions.

Requirements

The policy proposal 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, be sure to note the requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

Explain the need for creating a policy and practice guidelines to address a shortfall in meeting a benchmark metric prescribed by local, state, or federal health care policies or laws.
What is the current benchmark for the organization and the numeric score for the underperformance?

How is the benchmark underperformance potentially affecting the provision of quality care or the operations of the organization?

What are the potential repercussions of not making any changes?

What evidence supports your conclusions?

Summarize your proposed organizational policy and practice guidelines.

Identify applicable local, state, or federal health care policy or law that prescribes relevant performance benchmarks that your policy proposal addresses.

Keep your audience in mind when creating this summary.

Analyze the potential effects of environmental factors on your recommended practice guidelines.
What regulatory considerations could affect your recommended guidelines?

What resources could affect your recommended guidelines (staffing, financial, and logistical considerations, or support services)?

Explain ethical, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve targeted benchmark performance and the impact the proposed changes will have on the targeted group.

What does the evidence-based literature suggest are potential strategies to improve performance for your targeted benchmark?

How would these strategies ensure performance improvement or compliance with applicable local, state, or federal health care policy or law?

How can you ensure that these strategies are ethical and culturally inclusive in their application?

What is the direct impact of these changes on the stakeholders’ work setting and job requirements?

Explain why particular stakeholders and groups must be involved in further development and implementation of your proposed policy and practice guidelines.

Why is it important to engage these stakeholders and groups?

How can their participation produce a stronger policy and facilitate its implementation?

Present strategies for collaborating with the stakeholder group to implement your proposed policy and practice guidelines.

What role will the stakeholder group play in implementing your proposal?

Why is the stakeholder group and their collaboration important for successful implementation?

Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.

Proofread your proposal, before you submit it, to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on the substance of your proposal.

Use paraphrasing and summarization to represent ideas from external sources.

Be sure to apply correct APA formatting to source citations and references.

Policy Proposal Format and Length

It may be helpful to use a template or format for your proposal that is used in your current organization. The risk management or quality department could be a good resource for finding an appropriate template or format. If you are not currently in practice, or your organization does not have these resources, many appropriate templates are freely available on the Internet.

Your policy should be succinct (about one paragraph). Overall, your proposal should be 4–6 pages in length.

Supporting Evidence

Cite 3–5 references to relevant research, case studies, or best practices to support your analysis and recommendations.