assignment

Topic 1:

Limited Access to Healthcare

Short Description:

Consumers face barriers to healthcare access for assorted reasons. For example: due to geographic location, provider availability, transportation issues and mobility.

Potential Intervention Approaches:

· – Healthcare information online

· – Telemedicine

· – In–home healthcare services

Keywords for Articles:

online health information seeking, health care access, health information systems, consumer health information, chronic disease, health information search, health seeking behavior, rural nursing

Topic 2:

Healthcare Disparities

Short Description:

In 2010, the Federal Department of Human and Health Service (DHHS) launched the Healthy People 2020 goals to include a goal to eliminate health inequality/disparity. Healthy People 2020 defines a health disparity as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017, p.1).

Potential Intervention Approaches:

· – Federal goals

· – Community health improvement plans

· – Patient advocacy efforts

· – “Triple Aim” for populations

Keywords for Articles:

health disparities, community health assessment, community health improvement plan, strategic planning, local health departments, health inequities

Topic 3:

Medication Errors

Short Description:

A medication error is a preventable adverse effect of a patient taking the wrong medication or dosage, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. Medication errors can be a source of serious patient harm, including death.

Potential Intervention Approaches:

· – Medical staff education

· – Packaging improvements

· – Patient medication safety training

Keywords for Articles:

medication administration, medication errors, medication safety

Topic 4:

Healthcare System Errors

Short Description:

The health care system in the United States has been the subject of much debate as experts try to determine the best way to deliver high-quality care. In Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine (2001) called for the redesign of health care delivery systems and their external environments to promote care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.

Potential Intervention Approaches:

· – Systemwide transformation

· – Process redesign

· – Electronic health records

Keywords for Articles:

multi-stakeholder collaboration, healthcare system redesign