MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 1 Discussion
DQ1 Vision for Innovative Health care Delivery
If there were no resource limitations, what would be your vision for the best possible health care delivery system for the United States? Provide a general outline of your vision, and then:
Use evidence to show that your health care system would improve patient outcomes.
Use evidence to show that your health care system would improve coverage and population health to produce an optimal level of wellness in the U.S. population.
Use evidence to explain how your system would maximize the benefits of interprofessional collaboration and how that would influence health outcomes.
State the assumptions (things that you are taking for granted) underlying your vision for the best possible health care system.
Include national policies or regulations that might need to be changed or amended to implement your health care system.
Identify your knowledge gaps and areas of uncertainty that make it difficult for you to propose an improved health care system for the United States.
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, assume the role of a critic who would not approve of your colleague’s proposed health care system.
State what role you are playing in your response, including the job title of your assumed persona.
Provide evidence that suggests that your colleague’s proposed health care system would not improve coverage, patient outcomes, or population outcomes.
Note any additional national policies or regulations that stand in the way of your colleague’s proposed system.
Use evidence to question your colleague’s assumptions or uncover unstated assumptions.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Determine the effects of the health care system on health outcomes.
Determine the effects of specific changes on outcomes.
Set and articulate clearly defined goals.
Recognize the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that produce the best possible outcomes.
Determine the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.
DQ2 Changing Health Care
Resources are among the many components that must be considered when contemplating a new vision for health care.
Briefly outline the vision for improved health care that you described in the first discussion.
What are the most critical resource issues with respect to your vision for health care?
If you were going to explain these issues to a legislator or another policymaker, how might you represent them as opportunities to support how we change and deliver care?
What evidence could you provide to support your position?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following:
If your colleague’s vision for U.S. health care were put into place, what would be the positive consequences?
What would be the negative consequences?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Identify key resources affecting health outcomes.
Determine the potential short- and long-term effects of a proposed change to a health care system or program.
Determine the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 2 Discussion
DQ1 Comparing Health Care Systems
Reflect upon global health care systems by following the steps below.
Briefly state the outcome measures that you consider to be most important for rating global health care systems, citing literature that supports your statements.
Explain how these measures would enable you to rate each health care system in terms of high-, low-, or mid-level performance.
According to the measures that you have suggested, name three countries that have top-performing health care systems.
What are the common themes among these top-performing health care systems, with regard to outcomes?
According to the measures that you have suggested, name three countries that have low-performing health care systems.
What do top performers do or have that is different from low performers?
According to the measures that you have suggested, name three countries that have mid-range performing health care systems.
What do top performers do or have that is different from mid-range performers?
Based on your findings, what three changes would you suggest for the United States health care system for it to become a high-performing system?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, focus on the three changes that your colleague has suggested for the United States health care system. For each suggested change, locate and cite:
Evidence that supports the suggested change.
Evidence that calls the suggested change into question.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Identify applicable outcome measures.
Identify non-U.S. health care systems that afford an opportunity for useful comparison with the United States.
Recognize the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that produce the best possible outcomes.
Recognize the salient similarities and differences among various health care systems.
Determine the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.
Determine the potential short- and long-term effects of a proposed change to a health care system or program.
Identify appropriate community health benchmarks or goals.
Determine how lessons learned from other health care systems can be applied to domestic systems to improve outcomes.
Resources
DQ2 Improving Low- and Mid-Range Performers
High-performing health care systems, with optimal population outcomes, require sufficient resources and mindful intent.
Based on the evidence that you and your colleagues uncovered in this unit’s first discussion, what are three components of health care delivery that could be changed to improve outcomes in low- and mid-range systems?
What additional information would you need to support your answer to this question?
You may address this question in aggregate with specific global targets. You may also choose specific (non-U.S.) countries and outcome measures.
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following question:
What are the positive and negative implications of changing the three components of health care delivery as suggested by your colleague?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Assess community health outcomes.
Determine the effects of the health care system on health outcomes.
Identify key resources affecting health outcomes.
Determine the effects of specific changes on outcomes.
Identify applicable outcome measures.
Determine how lessons learned from other health care systems can be applied to domestic systems to improve outcomes.
Determine the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.
Resources
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 3 Discussion
Enhancing Health Care
Reflect upon the best health care systems worldwide.
Identify the health care systems that you consider having the best outcomes worldwide, citing evidence that supports your claim.
What makes these health care systems so important to overall global health?
What lessons can be learned from countries with the most effective wellness programs and how might the United States apply those lessons?
What are the barriers for the United States to apply those lessons?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
Respond to two colleagues’ posts. In your responses, consider the following questions:
What might be the positive consequences, locally and globally, if the United States applies the lessons learned, as suggested by your colleague?
If the United States applies those lessons, as suggested by your colleague, are there possible negative consequences? If so, what are they?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Identify appropriate community health benchmarks or goals.
Determine how lessons learned from other health care systems can be applied to domestic systems to improve outcomes.
Identify non-U.S. health care systems that afford an opportunity for useful comparison with the United States.
Recognize the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that produce the best possible outcomes.
Recognize the salient similarities and differences among various health care systems.
Determine the feasibility of making specific changes to a health care system or program.
Resources
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 4 Discussion
DQ1 Providing Health Care
As a profession, nurses have seen many changes to the U.S. health care system with the ACA.
What are some of the hopeful new approaches seen in the ACA?
Support your statements with citations of professional literature that show improved health outcomes related to those provisions of the ACA.
In response to the ACA, how has the health care system developed incentives to provide more efficient health care?
What aspects of the ACA do you find confusing or difficult to understand?
What have been some disappointments or shortcomings of the ACA?
Which provisions of the ACA would benefit the U.S. health care system in the future?
Support your statements with evidence.
Which provisions of the ACA would not benefit the U.S. health care system in the future?
Support your statements with evidence.
If you had the power to change the U.S. health care system, what additional information would you need to make the best possible decisions?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, assume the role of a patient who has a debilitating chronic or acute condition. Respond to the points made by your colleague from the perspective of someone who is not as highly educated in health care as you are, but who is very dependent on health care.
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Determine the effects of the health care system on health outcomes.
Determine the effects of specific changes on outcomes.
Recognize the components of a health care system and the contributing factors that produce the best possible outcomes.
Determine the potential short- and long-term effects of a proposed change to a health care system or program.
Resources
DQ2 Health Care Payment
Some would say that the United States is increasing the amount of money spent on health care as a response to increased consumer demand; others would argue that we are wastefully spending with no increase in the quality of care. Multiple programs have been instituted in this country to help provide better care.
Use evidence from the health care literature to support the position that increased spending on health care has resulted in the provision of better care in the United States.
Then, use evidence from the health care literature to support the position that increased spending on health care has not resulted in the provision of better care in the United States.
Present both arguments impartially, so that the reader cannot tell what your own opinion might be.
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, evaluate their arguments.
Are they well supported by evidence?
Could you provide additional evidence that would strengthen either or both arguments?
Did your colleague argue well and impartially for both positions?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Apply basic financial principles to budget development.
Identify the resources needed to effect lasting change.
Resources
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 5 Discussion
Controlling Health Care Costs Through Education
One-way health care costs might be contained is through targeted screenings, prevention, and healthy lifestyle choices. Chances of success are better if education is provided to the members and employers in a health care system.
What are some of the strategies that are available for controlling health care costs by educating employees on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
Examine the literature that is available to show whether these strategies are effective in controlling health care costs.
Which strategies are well supported by evidence?
Which strategies are not well supported by evidence? (“Not well supported” means that there is little to no evidence, or the existing evidence seems weak because of poorly designed studies, inadequate sample size, or other flaws in the research.)
Based on what you see in the research, what are your suggestions for effectively educating employees about a healthy lifestyle that would control health care costs?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
Respond to two colleagues’ posts. In each response, assume the role of your colleague’s friend, who also happens to be the head of human resources for a medium-sized manufacturing business in your town.
Your colleague sent you their post for your feedback, and you are intrigued by the potential of saving on health care costs for your company. However, you are unsure if this idea would be practical for your company and so you have some questions for your friend; what are your questions?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Determine the effects of resource limitations and health care policy on community wellness.
Identify cultural values, norms, and patterns of behavior.
Identify the social factors that influence community health.
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 6 Discussion
DQ1 Health Information Exchanges
Better access to patient medical data by health care providers and their patients can improve the quality and safety of care and lower costs. Digital technologies and the advent of HIEs enable electronic information sharing that helps solve this problem, but building a secure and interoperable nationwide network of independent exchanges presents numerous challenges.
Choose two of the following five issues that you feel have a significant impact on the federal government’s goal of an efficient network of HIEs that permit sharing of patients’ medical data among all health care providers nationwide.
Technology.
Interoperability.
Funding (public and private).
Competition.
Policies and procedures.
Privacy and security.
Then complete the following:
Explain why you consider these issues to be important.
What actions should be taken to address these issues?
What are the implications for providers and patients of not resolving these issues?
What evidence supports your conclusions about the importance of these issues, proposed actions, and the implications of resolving or not resolving these issues?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following questions:
What assumptions underlie your colleague’s position on the issues addressed in their post?
What sources can you cite that offer a different perspective on the issues? For example, consider the point of view of a leader in a private HIE.
What additional sources can you cite that lend support to your colleague’s position?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Identify applicable health benchmarks or goals.
Identify existing health care policies and their effects on current and future outcomes.
Identify the reasons for policy change.
Identify the various types of policies that can affect the provision of health care and patient outcomes.
Resources
DQ2 Improving Access in Underserved Areas
Despite the intention of the ACA, a large segment of the U.S. population remains uninsured, underinsured, or living in an area without adequate numbers of health care providers to meet their needs. Gaps remain in the provision of safe, high-quality health care for small, rural communities; for heavily populated, economically disadvantaged areas; and for diverse and vulnerable populations.
Choose a small rural area or large urban area with particular needs, or an area that you are familiar with, that is underserved or is considered to have a high-risk population.
What makes this area underserved?
Is the reason related to the economy or the location?
What are the two biggest needs of this population?
How can the delivery of care be improved?
What assumptions are you making, if any, about this population?
What evidence supports your conclusions about the needs of this population and improvements in care?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following questions:
Are your colleague’s assumptions valid?
Is your colleague’s assessment of the priority needs supported by the evidence?
If not, what evidence leads you to a different conclusion?
Can you offer other ideas that would help improve the delivery of care?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Evaluate present outcomes.
Identify applicable health benchmarks or goals.
Examine the culture of the organization and community.
Identify the social factors that influence community health.
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 7 Discussion
Using Technology to Increase Access
It is important to consider access to care as we examine the resources and cost of providing care to underserved areas. Improving access is not just about the cost of care or whether a patient has insurance coverage, but also how we can meet the needs of an increasing population with a decreasing pool of resources.
Refer to the underserved population you described in the second discussion in Unit 6.
How can available and emerging technology help to improve access to patient care in the area you described?
What are the potential barriers to implementing this technology?
What ethical, legal, or cultural issues should be examined?
What evidence supports technological solutions to the problem of access?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
Respond to two colleagues’ posts. In your responses, consider the following questions:
Can you provide evidence to indicate whether other technology solutions might also help to improve access in this community?
Can you offer an example of how your colleague’s proposed technology solution improved or did not improve access in another setting or community?
If so, what was the reason for its success or failure?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Examine leadership, management, and communication processes.
Examine the culture of the organization and community.
Determine why people resist change.
Identify the underlying causes of conflict.
Identify cultural values and norms and patterns of behavior.
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 8 Discussion
DQ1 Trends in Nursing Leadership
The collaborative relationship between nursing researchers and practicing nurses supports and optimizes best practices in patient care, using legislative and regulatory policies as a guide and as a standard. Nurse leaders who practice in educational and health care organizations are expected to implement up-to-date information and best practices immediately—with just a click of a mouse. In addition, the nurse leader is tasked with meeting the immediate needs of the organization, using an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to create optimal patient care.
For this discussion, write a letter to a consultant who has been hired to improve patient safety and quality of care in your organization. Address the following points in your letter:
Describe one nursing leadership issue affecting patient safety and quality of care that is of concern in your organization.
Explain how this issue is currently being addressed in your organization.
What questions or uncertainties do you have about how this issue should be addressed in your organization?
Based on evidence-based literature or governmental or regulatory strategies, what is the national standard or benchmark used to address this issue?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, assume the role of the consultant who has been hired to focus on the issue raised in your colleague’s post.
How important is the issue that your colleague raised?
What barriers are typical when addressing this issue?
What risks might be encountered when addressing this issue? What are the risks of not addressing this issue?
What advice can you provide as the consultant on this issue?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Determine what systemic changes are needed to improve outcomes.
Determine desired outcomes.
DQ2 Strategic Planning and Sustainability
For the nursing leadership issue that you addressed in this unit’s first discussion, present and cite references for two evidence-based strategies whereby a nurse leader obtains key stakeholder buy in and proactively and collaboratively implements organizational change.
What can make these changes enforceable and sustainable?
Briefly address budgetary and policy considerations that influence change.
What are the assumptions on which the strategies and considerations are based?
How well do you think the two evidence-based strategies that you cited would work in your organization?
Identify the challenges and opportunities facing the nurse leader implementing the change.
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following:
What has been your own experience with the issues and strategies that your colleague explained in their post?
Locate at least one additional article that could help your colleague implement the desired changes.
What factors or problems your colleague might not have considered?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Assess the relevance and credibility of information sources.
Determine desired outcomes.
Identify existing health care policies and their effects on current and future outcomes.
Identify the various types of policies that can affect the provision of health care and patient outcomes.
Identify underlying assumptions supporting current policies.
Apply basic financial principles to budget development.
Identify the resources needed to effect lasting change.
Formulate a plan for overcoming resistance to change.
Apply applicable change theory.
Articulate a vision and goals for change.
Determine the nature and scope of change and its effects on the organization and community.
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 9 Discussion
Resolving Ethical Issues in Professional Practice
As a professional nurse leader, you are tasked with applying current standards, obtaining key stakeholder buy in to process change, and applying evidence-based strategies to maximize patient safety and improve outcomes in an ethical and culturally competent manner.
Thoroughly describe an ethical situation or dilemma that you have experienced or are experiencing in your workplace.
What is the nature of the ethical issue?
Who are the stakeholders?
What are the facts of the case? Impartially present two or more different and distinct perspectives on this ethical situation or dilemma, with sufficient detail, support, and justification for each perspective, such that the reader cannot determine what your own perspective might be.
What are your knowledge gaps, unknown facts, missing information, unanswered questions, or areas of uncertainty?
What are the actual or potential effects on patient safety and outcomes?
Cite standards or evidence-based strategies that could be applicable in this situation.
How was the dilemma resolved or what must be done before the dilemma can be resolved?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
Respond to two colleagues’ posts. In your responses, consider the following:
Was your colleague able to present the dilemma impartially (without favoring or discounting any of the different perspectives); were you able to uncover their personal perspective?
Suggest at least one additional resource that could be helpful in resolving the issue.
Based on the evidence presented by your colleague, how do you think the dilemma should be resolved?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Determine desired outcomes.
Identify existing health care policies and their effects on current and future outcomes.
MSN6218 Leading the Future of Health Care
Unit 10 Discussion
DQ1 Influences of Regulation and Innovation on Practice
Consider your current professional practice setting or one that you are most familiar with.
Describe the positive or negative effects of two regulatory, professional, or legislative initiatives affecting your professional practice.
What assumptions, beliefs, opinions, or political views underlie or influence these initiatives?
If you could change anything at all about these initiatives, what would it be and why?
What evidence can you cite that would support your recommendation for change?
Provide one example of how innovation is used in your organization to ensure optimal patient care and outcomes.
What is the evidence that this innovation will ensure—or may already have produced—optimal outcomes?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following:
What other factors might be driving the initiatives described by your colleague?
What additional evidence can you provide that would support your colleague’s recommendation for change?
How would you rate the effectiveness of the health care innovation your colleague described?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Identify existing health care policies and their effects on current and future outcomes.
Identify underlying assumptions supporting current policies.
DQ2 Course Reflection
Take some time now to reflect on the relevance and impact of this course on your personal and professional goals.
How have your views about the nurse leader’s role as a change agent changed, if at all, over the course of the past 10 weeks?
As a leader, to what extent do you consider yourself to be a visionary or risk-taker with respect to driving systemic change aimed at improving outcomes in your community?
What general themes, areas of agreement, or contentious viewpoints have emerged in discussions with your colleagues?
What insights have you gained into the effects of evidence-based practices on organizational culture that will be of use to you in your professional practice?
What questions or uncertainties remain unanswered for you about the present and future challenges and opportunities facing health care?
Where will you look for answers and guidance?
What is your assessment of the relevance, credibility, and usefulness of the resources?
Note: Remember to adhere to the requirements listed in the Faculty Expectations Message for unit discussion posts and peer responses.
Response Guidelines
In responding to a colleague’s post, consider the following questions:
How does your perspective on this course align with that of your colleague? What might account for the similarities or differences?
What suggestions might you offer regarding additional resources or support related to the topics addressed in this course?
Learning Components
This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
Reflect on lessons learned and their impact on professional practice.
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