Patient, Family, or Population Health Problem Solution

Patient, Family, or Population Health Problem Solution

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the healthcare issue of concern in this project. It is incurable and impacts an individual’s memory, interpersonal relationships, and thought processes. The disease is the most common form of dementia and is more prevalent among older adults (CDC.gov, 2020). I selected AD as the focus of my capstone because it has significant economic and health impacts. For instance, in 2022, the annual cost of managing the disease in the USA was more than $320 billion (ALZ.org, n.d.-b). Also, AD impedes a person’s ability to execute daily living activities (Galvin et al., 2021). AD is relevant to nursing practice because nurses provide holistic care, including patient education, screening, making care plans, and administering medication. Patients and families should be educated about AD to ensure they achieve better symptomatic control of the disease. This paper discusses leadership and change management strategies, collaboration strategies, and governmental policies and identifies the proposed intervention for managing Alzheimer’s disease.

Leadership and Change Management

Change management enables leaders to successfully plan, initiate, and implement their evidence-based practices (EBP). This can be accomplished by adopting various strategies. Examples of change management strategies include adequate planning, upholding honesty, open communication, engaging other stakeholders, training, and monitoring, as well as assessment (Krakoff, n.d.). Planning facilitates the development of a road map and the formulation of goals and key milestones. Open communication promotes information sharing and eliminates confusion. It keeps the team in harmony to promote the success of the EBP (Krakoff, n.d.). Stakeholder engagement creates buy-in and bolsters the success of the EBP. For instance, patients and other healthcare providers should be involved in the implementation of an EBP. Krakoff (n.d.) reports that training and education enhance the competency of all stakeholders, whereas monitoring and assessment determine the success or impact of an EBP.

Zainol et al. (2021) report that leadership strategies that impact the implementation of an EBP include creating clear goals, excellent interpersonal communication, decisiveness, and collaboration. Clear goals inform all stakeholders about the anticipated roadmap and outcomes of an EBP. As such, adherence to the intervention is achieved. Excellent communication skills avert confusion, create openness, and establish a rapport between leaders and team members to promote the success of an EBP (Zainol et al., 2021). Also, excellent communication promotes collaboration. For instance, communication skills will enable nurses to create therapeutic relationships with patients and increase the likelihood of adherence to treatment plans.

I embraced nursing ethics when developing the intervention. Firstly, I upheld veracity by remaining honest and truthful to the patient, her family, and my colleagues. Secondly, I upheld justice by avoiding discriminatory practices toward the patient. Thirdly, I upheld autonomy by allowing the patient and her family to select various evidence-based interventions. Fourthly, I upheld beneficence and non-maleficence by formulating an intervention that optimizes patient outcomes and promotes patient safety.

Communication and Collaboration Strategies

The patient is a 74-year-old Hispanic American with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). According to her family (spouse and two children), the patient was diagnosed with AD five years ago. They report that she has struggled with medication adherence for the past five years. Currently, she presents with muscle twitches, confusion, and vocalization of repetitive statements. Additional evaluation reveals that the patient experiences difficulty recognizing her children. The patient’s spouse reports that the patient has demonstrated anterograde amnesia over the past two months. Her thought process and impulse control are preserved. As such, the patient is likely to have moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

Patients and their families should be involved in disease management. Firstly, this involvement promotes patient-centeredness and improves patient outcomes and satisfaction levels (AHRQ.gov, n.d.). This is attributed to the fact that patients’ needs and preferences are acknowledged and respected. Secondly, a positive therapeutic relationship is created when patients and their families are involved in the treatment process (AHRQ.gov, n.d.). A therapeutic relationship improves the quality of healthcare by enhancing information sharing and improving adherence to the treatment plan.

Therapeutic communication is a strategy that should be used to optimize communication and collaboration with patients and their families. This strategy promotes patient-centeredness by promoting empathy, honesty, respect, and building a strong therapeutic relationship (Xue & Heffernan, 2021). Therapeutic communication uses various techniques: active listening, sharing humor and observations, appropriate use of silence and touch, paraphrasing, and clarifying (Xue & Heffernan, 2021). These techniques create an atmosphere of mutual respect and improve communication and collaboration.

State Board Nursing Practice Standards and Organizational or Governmental Policies

The American Nurses Association’s (ANA) practice standards impacted the formulation of my intervention. According to these standards, nurses should use the nursing process to assess patients, perform accurate diagnoses, develop and implement care plans, and monitor patients (MO.gov, n.d.). Also, nurses should be actively involved in quality assurance and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize the quality of care (MO.gov, n.d.). Furthermore, ANA’s practice standards advocate for practice guidelines to standardize patient care (MO.gov, n.d.). These provisions guided the formulation of my intervention. For instance, I embraced evidence-based practices and patient-centeredness and adhered to current guidelines.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) impacted the use of telehealth technology in my intervention. According to HIPAA, covered entities should uphold the privacy and confidentiality of personal health information (PHI) (Edemekong et al., 2022). In the context of my intervention, I should secure the patients’ PHI from unauthorized personnel. This is relevant because my project embraces telehealth technology, such as mobile health, video conferencing, and wearable devices.

Proposed Intervention and the Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Costs

My proposed intervention entails the use of pharmacological approaches and lifestyle modification. To begin with, pharmacological approaches provide symptomatic therapy for AD (Galvin et al., 2021). These approaches give optimal outcomes for patients with mild to moderate AD. As such, early diagnosis of AD and initiation of therapy improves the prognosis of the disease. Regarding pharmacological approaches, my interventions promote medication adherence using techniques such as recorded audio messages, alarms, and the use of drug calendars (De Marchi et al., 2021). Secondly, lifestyle modification addresses dietary measures and physical activity. Dietary measures embrace nutritional plans comprising alkylidene, fresh fruits and vegetables, and limited simple carbohydrates (Galvin et al., 2021). Physical activity is beneficial because enhanced cardiorespiratory activity slows brain atrophy associated with AD (Galvin et al., 2021).

The intervention will improve the quality of care and patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Firstly, it aims to promote adherence to pharmacological approaches using recorded audio messages, alarms, and drug calendars (De Marchi et al., 2021). Adherence to pharmacological approaches is associated with better symptomatic control of AD and improved patient outcomes. Improved patient outcomes reduce AD-associated hospitalizations, hence lowering healthcare costs. Secondly, the intervention embraces physical activity and dietary measures. As stated earlier, cardiorespiratory activity slows brain atrophy associated with AD (Galvin et al., 2021). This improves patient outcomes. Dietary approaches such as alkylidene provide ketones that act as energy sources when the brain’s ability to use glucose is impaired.

Benchmark information on AD can be found on the Alzheimer’s Association website. It offers yearly reports on several facets of AD. In particular, it discusses the prevalence and incidence of the disease, the morbidities and deaths linked to AD, how AD is managed, the cost of managing AD, and how AD affects society (Alzheimer’s Association, n.d.). The group also releases reports on AD awareness. These reports give healthcare facilities the necessary information to make sound decisions and start effective AD management plans. Additionally, the reports allow healthcare facilities to assess how well their benchmark indicators are performing and develop personalized improvement plans.

Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources

Healthcare technology impacts AD management. Relevant technologies include mobile health, wearable devices, and videoconferencing (De Marchi et al., 2021). Firstly, mobile health improves communication and promotes adherence to the treatment plan. This is accomplished via strategies such as alarms and reminder messages (De Marchi et al., 2021). These messages can be recorded by patients and their families and played at specified intervals or can be sent by healthcare providers periodically. Wearable devices enable healthcare providers to monitor patients remotely (De Marchi et al., 2021). Patients can send their vitals periodically for evaluation. Also, patients’ activities, such as physical activities, can be monitored via wearable devices. Videoconferencing creates flexibility in caring for patients with AD (De Marchi et al., 2021). For instance, patients can seek clarification on the use of medication via real-time sessions.

Care coordination is accomplished by members of the interdisciplinary team. Nurses are involved in patient education, safe medication administration, and formulation of evidence-based care plans. Physicians diagnose patients and develop patient-centered treatment plans, whereas pharmacists educate patients on medication use and potential side effects. Dieticians educate patients and their families about various nutritional measures. Laboratory technicians perform and provide timely test results to facilitate accurate diagnosis.

The Alzheimer’s Association provides a range of community-friendly programs. Its local programs include educational opportunities and face-to-face support groups (ALZ.org, n.d.-a). AD patients and their families can interact with others and share their experiences of coping with the disease through support groups (ALZ.org, n.d.-a). As such, their social relationships are enhanced. During educational workshops, patients and their families learn about AD and how to manage the condition (ALZ.org, n.d.-a).

References

AHRQ.gov. (n.d.). How Patient and Family Engagement Benefits Your Hospital. https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/professionals/systems/hospital/engagingfamilies/howtogetstarted/How_PFE_Benefits_Hosp_508.pdf

Alzheimer’s Association. (n.d.). Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Help. https://www.alz.org/

ALZ.org. (n.d.-a). Programs and Support. https://www.alz.org/help-support/i-have-alz/programs- support#:~:text=Call%20the%20Alzheimer's%20Association%2024,crisis%20assistance%3B%20and%20emotional%20support.

ALZ.org. (n.d.-b). Quality of Care. https://www.alz.org/professionals/public-health/public-health-topics/quality-of-care#:~:text=Alzheimer's%20places%20a%20huge%20burden,share%20of%20costly%20residential%20care.

CDC.gov. (2020). Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm

De Marchi, F., Contaldi, E., Magistrelli, L., Cantello, R., Comi, C., & Mazzini, L. (2021). Telehealth in neurodegenerative diseases: Opportunities and challenges for patients and physicians. Brain Sciences, 11(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11020237

Edemekong, F. P., Annamaraju, P., Hayde, J. M. (2022). Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500019/

Galvin, J. E., Aisen, P., Langbaum, J. B., Rodriguez, E., Sabbagh, M., Stefanacci, R., Stern, R. A., Vassey, E. A., de Wilde, A., West, N., & Rubino, I. (2021). Early Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease: Evolving the Care Team for Optimal Patient Management. Frontiers in Neurology, 11(January), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2020.592302

Krakoff, S. (n.d.). The 10 Best Organizational Change Management Strategies. https://online.champlain.edu/blog/best-organizational-change-management-strategies

MO.gov. (n.d.). Standards of Nursing Practice. https://health.mo.gov/living/lpha/phnursing/standards.php.

Xue, W., & Heffernan, C. (2021). Therapeutic communication within the nurse-patient relationship: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 27(6), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12938

Zainol, N. Z., Kowang, T. O., Hee, O. C., Fei, G. C., & Kadir, B. Bin. (2021). Managing Organizational Change through Effective Leadership: A Review from Literature. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v11-i1/8370

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

Develop an intervention (your capstone project) as a solution to the patient, family, or population problem you’ve defined. Submit the proposed intervention to the faculty for review and approval. This solution needs to be implemented (shared) with your patient, family, or group. You are not to share your intervention with your patient, family, or group or move on to Assessment 5 before your faculty reviews/approves the solution you submit in Assessment 4. In a separate written deliverable, write a 5-7 page analysis of your intervention.

Please submit both your solution/intervention and the 5-7 page analysis to complete Assessment 4.

Introduction
In your first three assessments, you applied new knowledge and insight gleaned from the literature, from organizational data, and from direct consultation with the patient, family, or group (and perhaps with subject matter and industry experts) to your assessment of the problem. You’ve examined the problem from the perspectives of leadership, collaboration, communication, change management, policy, quality of care, patient safety, costs to the system and individual, technology, care coordination, and community resources. Now it’s time to turn your attention to proposing an intervention (your capstone project), as a solution to the problem.

Preparation
In this assessment, you’ll develop an intervention as a solution to the health problem you’ve defined. To prepare for the assessment, think about an appropriate intervention, based on your work in the preceding assessments, that will produce tangible, measurable results for the patient, family, or group. In addition, you might consider using a root cause analysis to explore the underlying reasons for a problem and as the basis for developing and implementing an action plan to address the problem. Some appropriate interventions include the following:

Creating an educational brochure.
Producing an educational voice-over PowerPoint presentation or video focusing on your topic.
Creating a teaching plan for your patient, family, or group.
Recommending work process or workflow changes addressing your topic.
Plan to spend at least 3 direct practicum hours working with the same patient, family, or group.

In addition, you may wish to complete the following:

Review the assessment instructions and scoring guide to ensure that you understand the work you will be asked to complete and how it will be assessed.
Conduct sufficient research of the scholarly and professional literature to inform your work and meet scholarly expectations for supporting evidence.
Note: As you revise your writing, check out the resources listed on the Writing Center’s Writing Support page.

Instructions
Complete this assessment in two parts: (a) develop an intervention as a solution to the problem and (b) submit your proposed intervention, with a written analysis, to your faculty for review and approval.

Part 1
Develop an intervention as a solution to the problem based on your assessment and supported by data and scholarly, evidence-based sources.

Incorporate relevant aspects of the following considerations that shaped your understanding of the problem:

Leadership.
Collaboration.
Communication.
Change management.
Policy.
Quality of care.
Patient safety.
Costs to the system and individual.
Technology.
Care coordination.
Community resources.
Part 2
Submit your proposed intervention to your faculty for review and approval.

In a separate written deliverable, write a 5–7 page analysis of your intervention.

Summarize the patient, family, or population problem.
Explain why you selected this problem as the focus of your project.
Explain why the problem is relevant to your professional practice and to the patient, family, or group.
In addition, address the requirements outlined below. These requirements correspond to the scoring guide criteria for this assessment, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

Define the role of leadership and change management in addressing the problem.
Explain how leadership and change management strategies influenced the development of your proposed intervention.
Explain how nursing ethics informed the development of your proposed intervention.
Include a copy of the intervention/solution/professional product.
Propose strategies for communicating and collaborating with the patient, family, or group to improve outcomes associated with the problem.
Identify the patient, family, or group.
Discuss the benefits of gathering their input to improve care associated with the problem.
Identify best-practice strategies from the literature for effective communication and collaboration to improve outcomes.
Explain how state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies guided the development of your proposed intervention.
Cite the standards and/or policies that guided your work.
Describe research that has tested the effectiveness of these standards and/or policies in improving outcomes for this problem.
Explain how your proposed intervention will improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety, and reduce costs to the system and individual.
Cite evidence from the literature that supports your conclusions.
Identify relevant and available sources of benchmark data on care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
Explain how technology, care coordination, and the utilization of community resources can be applied in addressing the problem.
Cite evidence from the literature that supports your conclusions.
Write concisely and directly, using active voice.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references.
Additional Requirements
Format: Format the written analysis of your intervention using APA style. APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] is provided to help you in writing and formatting your paper. Be sure to include:
A title page and reference page. An abstract is not required.
Appropriate section headings.
Length: Your paper should be approximately 5–7 pages in length, not including the reference page.
Supporting evidence: Cite at least five sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your central ideas. Resources should be no more than five years old. Provide in-text citations and references in APA format.
Proofreading: Proofread your paper, before you submit it, to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on its substance.
Portfolio Prompt: Save your intervention to your ePortfolio. After you complete your program, you may want to consider leveraging your portfolio as part of a job search or other demonstration of your academic and professional competencies.

Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

Competency 1: Lead people and processes to improve patient, systems, and population outcomes.
Define the role of leadership and change management in addressing a patient, family, or population health problem.
Competency 3: Transform processes to improve quality, enhance patient safety, and reduce the cost of care.
Explain how a proposed intervention to address a patient, family, or population health problem will improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety, and reduce costs to the system and individual.
Competency 4: Apply health information and patient care technology to improve patient and systems outcomes.
Explain how technology, care coordination, and the utilization of community resources can be applied in addressing a patient, family, or population health problem.
Competency 5: Analyze the impact of health policy on quality and cost of care.
Explain how state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies guided the development of a proposed intervention.
Competency 6: Collaborate interprofessionally to improve patient and population outcomes.
Propose strategies for communicating and collaborating with a patient, family, or group to improve outcomes associated with a patient, family, or population health problem.
Competency 8: Integrate professional standards and values into practice.
Write concisely and directly, using active voice.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references.