Policy & Advocacy for Pop Health: Application: Developing a Health Advocacy Campaign

The Case for Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD)

(Part 2)

NURS-6050N-23: Policy & Advocacy for Pop Health

Introduction

The present US health care policies and regulations established by the various government agencies, insurance companies and other healthcare organizations pose certain challenges to us as nurses and of course the patients who are generally the ones caught in the middle of cost and payment constraints and access to applicable quality care. According to the 2005 data from the United States Census Bureau about 50 million Americans are uninsured while at the same time the cost of health care is still rising. With the continued rising costs of care, degenerating and lack of access to comprehensive care, and poor-quality services, there is an urgent need to improve our health care performances in the United States. (Carey, 2006). As such, changes are required in government, health care organizations and insurance policies that tackles most of the health-related issues. (Kendig, 2006). This project focuses on the development of an advocacy campaign with a view towards addressing how current laws or regulations may affect how to proceed in advocating for a proposed policy and how to influence legislators and other policymakers to enact a policy. The project also examined possible barriers to the legislative steps that could impede a proposed policy from being enforced as designed. (WaldenU, 2017).

The existing laws and regulations that are used can address the situation and contribute to changing the chronic illnesses that plague the world but using these strategies by themselves will not be suffice for addressing the problems associated with Non-Communicable Diseases across the world. This is because many countries have weak health care systems, even those that are considered “First” world countries such as America. The existing laws and regulations are encapsulated in global legal doctrines as well as national doctrines to provide budgeting for healthcare prevention but this often is negatively impacted by under-budgeting that occurs, poor demand forecasting, and poor distribution of services to those most in need. (Cherry, & Trotter Betts, 2005).

Governments across the world are implementing fiscal policies that are predicated upon raising taxes, utilization of subsidiary statutory instruments such as regulations that establish standards that must be met toward cigarettes, alcohol, and other major contributors to NCDs, and the improvement of access to NCD treatments. Government agencies also play a role in monitoring and enforcing regulations that are established to address this global healthcare problem. Other measures that are taken by governments are predicated upon the allocation of resources to train healthcare providers, developing policies that ensure the retention of healthcare providers, establishment of financing mechanisms for the provision of healthcare services, and universal access to essential medicines to treat NCDs in some countries. There are also investments into the infrastructure within these countries predicated upon capital investments. There are also mechanisms that are in place to try to ensure accountability regarding governance over these issues, and the accountability begins at the highest-levels of governance. (Cherry, & Trotter Betts, 2005).

Methods of Influencing Legislators & Policymakers to Support the Policy

The policy can be influenced through evidence-based research that focuses upon the economic losses that occur because of these chronic diseases within countries. This is especially true for low and middle-income developing countries wherein the losses could exceed $500 billion per year if they fail to address these NCDs within their populations. More employees dying early or more employees afflicted with chronic illnesses that take them out of the workplace will impact the GDP of these countries with some losing on average 4% per year. The objective for any lobbying effort should be to focus on the prevention of diseases by empowering citizens to engage in more healthy practices and behaviors while also providing the opportunities for those within the lowest and least economically advantaged classes to access more quality food, lifestyles, etc. It is imperative to recognize that governments cannot simply throw money toward this problem as this strategy will fail. There must be an investment into the people wherein the policies that are cultivated are capable of empowering citizens to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Summary of Obstacles Arising in the Legislative Process and the Solution

There are many obstacles that will arise throughout the legislative process and these include the fact that industries such as Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and Big Pharma are intent upon ensuring that the negative lifestyles led by global citizens continue. Other industries with vested interests toward preventing these policies from coming into fruition include the Soft Drink Industry and the Fast Food Industry. These stakeholders spend millions of dollars lobbying their cause to governments across the world. Therefore, they are formidable foes who will continue to prevent legislation from cutting into their profits. In addition, many countries have weak health care systems, and before these systems can effectively be reformed, the ability to transform their citizens will be almost impossible as this is mandatory.

To address these problems requires the adoption of a comprehensive approach by leadership wherein the use of community-based programs is included within the strategic plan with investments made in healthcare systems at the forefront of the strategy. To improve how citizens, engage in lifestyle behaviors requires an improvement in healthcare infrastructures so that these vital and critical functions will be there to guide, monitor, and serve patients. There must be an approach toward reducing suffering among the most vulnerable citizens wherein the objective is to ensure that the government can increase expenditures affixed toward these NCDs while also defining who within society are entitled to receive government assistance as governmental safety nets are required for assuring that the most vulnerable and most likely to suffer from NCDs are not unable to access the required variables to succeed in improving their lifestyle behaviors.

These expenditures can be characterized by publicly-funded services for the most vulnerable citizens, the use of taxation and compulsory insurance contributions, and financing for healthcare that includes the right to health within national budgets. Quintessentially, the World Health Organization has proposed the adoption of a universal access to healthcare approach that all governments should implement, but this has yet to come into fruition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, for a successful advocacy to be implemented to improve and bring meaningful changes to our health care system, it requires insistence to access and to the resources of power, the will to advocate, time and commitment, and the energy that goes along with all the necessary political skills. As nurses, we must take action in the public health policy sector; determine and analyze the known power bases available to us as we consider the role of an advocacy for change and improvement in our health care system; promote and discuss the various processes in the legislative sector; search for different strategies in our pursuit of effective action plan; and compile a list of resources available to boost our morale and develop the tenacity and ability to model, shape and impact the health policies. Finally, we must initiate proposals that will bring about change and improvements, and use our nursing power to veto any unfavorable proposals to substantially influence the implementation of effective and efficient health policies. (Fawcett, & Russell, 2001).

References

Carey, M.A. (2006). U.S. scores poorly on health scorecard. Washington Health Policy Week in Review. Retrieved from www.cmwf.org/healthpolicyweek/healthpolicyweek_show.htm?doc_id=405005

Cherry, B., & Trotter Betts, V. (2005). Health policy and politics: Get involved! In B. Cherry & S. Jacobs (Eds.) Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends & management (pp.211-233). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Inc.

Fawcett, J. & Russell, G. (2001). A conceptual model of nursing and health policy. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice 2(2), 108-116.

Kendig, S.M. (2006). Advocacy, action, and the allure of butter: A focus on policy. Highlights of the Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health 8th Annual Conference. Retrieved from www.medscape.com/viewarticle/523631.

Magnusson R. S., & Patterson, D. (2014). The role of law and governance reform in the global response to non-communicable diseases. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4077679/

Milstead, J. A. (2016). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.