Assignment: Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation
Program/policy evaluation is a valuable tool that can help strengthen the quality of programs/policies and improve outcomes for the populations they serve. Program/policy evaluation answers basic questions about program/policy effectiveness. It involves collecting and analyzing information about program/policy activities, characteristics, and outcomes. This information can be used to ultimately improve program services or policy initiatives.
Nurses can play a very important role assessing program/policy evaluation for the same reasons that they can be so important to program/policy design. Nurses bring expertise and patient advocacy that can add significant insight and impact. In this Assignment, you will practice applying this expertise and insight by selecting an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation and reflecting on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program/policy.
To Prepare:
- Review the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template provided in the Resources.
- Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you.
- Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described.
The Assignment: (2–3 pages)
Based on the program or policy evaluation you selected, complete the Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template. Be sure to address the following:
- Describe the healthcare program or policy outcomes.
- How was the success of the program or policy measured?
- How many people were reached by the program or policy selected?
- How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?
- At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted?
- What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?
- What specific information on unintended consequences was identified?
- What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples.
- Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not?
- Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not?
- Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after 1 year of implementation.
Use at least 2 current, peer-reviewed outside resources in addition to one from the required readings list.
Required Readings
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Chapter 7, “Health Policy and Social Program Evaluation” (pp. 116–124 only)
Solution:
Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template
Use this document to complete the Module 5 Assessment Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation
| Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation |
The Affordable Care Act |
| Description | Obamacare is a plan to expand the number of individuals in the United States who are covered by health insurance. This is accomplished by requiring consumers to either purchase insurance or pay income tax. Since these laws oblige insurance firms to ensure everyone who applies, regardless of their condition, the compulsion to purchase insurance is essential. otherwise, people would only buy insurance when they got sick thus forcing prices up.
The bill establishes marketplaces where you can purchase health insurance. Subsidies are available to help low-income people purchase an insurance (Housten et al., 2018). Medicaid is a government-run healthcare program for the poorest of the poor. A rating system of Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze was developed to help users distinguish between plans. Higher-valued plans
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| How was the success of the program or policy measured?
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The Affordable Care Act’s effectiveness would be determined by how much it lessens the number of uninsured people if it improves healthcare quality and reduces costs, and how it affects jobs and state and federal expenditures. Some consequences might take years to discover.
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| How many people were reached by the program or policy selected? How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected?
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Millions of poor individuals have already gained new coverage thanks to the policy, which is being implemented in states that are enlarging their Medicaid programs with the support of highly generous federal matching money. It has also benefited millions of people by lowering prescription prices for chronically ill Medicare recipients, letting young individuals stay on their parent’s insurance, and offering preventative care at no cost (Rice et al., 2018). Pre-existing medical conditions are also covered.
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| At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted?
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The policy was evaluated after six months of its enactment. |
| What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?
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The evaluation team used various forms of data including the health record data (EHR). The electronic data was retrieved from the 213 OCHIN clinics in Oregon to Medicaid administrative claims data to enable the evaluation of the overall healthcare utilization such as hospitalization, and to compare Medicaid costs among the existing members and the newly insured people (Marino et al., 2018). OCHIN practice-based research network consists of over 1 million patients in 442 community health centers (CHCs) in 8 expansion states and 8 non-expansion states.
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