Health Policy and Advocacy
Demonstrates skills to promote health, help shape the health delivery system, and advance values through policy processes and advocacy. Use political competence to improve health outcomes of populations and improve the quality of the healthcare delivery system. Understand the principles of healthcare economics, payment methods and the relationship between policy and health economics. Demonstrate understanding of the interdependence of policy and practice. Advocates for ethical policies that promote access, equity, quality and cost. Demonstrates knowledge of HIPAA, CMS, TJC, documentation, coding/reimbursement and other policies that affect health care.
Health Policy and Advocacy is an area I have a great deal of interest in. This competency was met primarily in Social, Cultural & Political Perspectives on Healthcare & Delivery Systems (NURS 5010). I used political competence to advocate improvement of health outcomes by writing a letter to a policy maker, completing a case study about health reform, and examining another country's health plan.
Secondly, this competency was met through my strategic project in Transformational Strategies (NURS 5059 & 5060). My strategic project was heavily influenced by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Oncology Care Model. Through the implementation of this project, I came to understand the relationship between policy and health economics.
With the changing landscape of healthcare reform, transitioning to a value-based model of care, I recognize the interdependence of policy and practice. It all goes back to evidence-based care and improving outcomes. I learned in Financial/Accounting Issues for Nurse Managers (NURS 5054) that we don't know the true cost of providing services unless we switch to time driven activity based coding (see Kaplan & Porter discussion board post below), so maybe fee for service systems should be replaced, and that seems to be the direction we are heading. My goal in practice is to advocate for ethical policies that promote access, equity, quality, and cost.
Letter to Policy Maker for Soc, Cul & Poli Perspectives on Healthcare & Delivery Systems (paper)
Case Study for Soc, Cul & Poli Perspectives on Healthcare & Delivery Systems (video)
Health Plan Case Study for Soc, Cul & Poli Perspectives on Healthcare & Delivery Systems (paper)
Strategic Project for Transformational Strategies II (presentation)
Strategic Project for Transformational Strategies II (paper)
Strategic Project for Transformational Strategies III (in progress)
Kaplan & Porter for Financial/Accounting Issues for Nurse Managers (discussion board post)