NR506 Modules Week 3 – Quality Healthcare: Measuring NP Performance
The purpose of this assignment is to have students research the measurement tools of NP performance. Through the use of quality patient outcomes, students will list and discuss three different patient interventions and how they would specifically measure the outcomes, and how these primary care interventions result in improved patient outcomes and cost savings for the practice. In addition, students will discuss how these interventions result in improved patient ratings.
Activity Learning Outcomes
Through this assignment, the student will demonstrate the ability to:
- Employ strategies to impact the development, implementation, and consequences of holistic healthcare policies using evidence-based practice principles (CO1)
- Critically analyze how healthcare systems and APRN practice are organized and influenced by ethical, legal, economic, and political factors (CO2)
- Demonstrate professional and personal growth concerning the advocacy role of advanced practice nursing in fostering policy within diverse healthcare settings (CO3)
- Analyze social, historical, ethical, and political contexts of healthcare policies and advanced practice leadership (CO4)
- Advocate for institutional, local, national, and international policies that fosters person-centered healthcare and nursing practice (CO5)
Preparing the Assignment
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) was formed to ensure the quality of patient care and measurement of patient outcomes with set standards.
Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is a performance measurement tool used by millions of health insurance plans. There are 6 domains of care:
- Effectiveness of Care
- Access/Availability of Care
- Experience of Care
- Utilization and Risk Adjusted Utilization
- Health Plan Descriptive Information
- Measures Collected Using Electronic Clinical Data Systems
You may access the 6 domains of care by clicking this link:
- (NCQA, n.d. https://www.ncqa.org/hedis/Lin
ks to an external site.)
As an APN, productivity will be an important measurement for the practice to determine reimbursement and salary. Fee-for-service practices will require a set number of patients per day to maintain productivity. A capitated practice will require the APN to have a large panel of patients but also will focus on controlling costs. This can be accomplished through effective primary care that is accessible, convenient for the patients, and has a method of measuring the quality of care.
Write a formal paper in APA format with a title page, introduction, the three required elements below, conclusion, and reference page.
You are now employed as an NP in primary care. Choose one performance measure from one of the six domains of care, i.e. Adult BMI Assessment, Prenatal, and Postpartum care, etc.
- Develop three different patient interventions for that one performance measure and how you would specifically implement the intervention and measure the outcomes for that particular performance measure in clinical practice.
- How would these primary care interventions result in improved patient outcomes and healthcare cost savings?
- How can these interventions result in improved NP patient ratings?
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Question
Quality Healthcare: Measuring NP Performance
The HEDIS encompasses numerous performance indicators, including the “Adult BMI Assessment.” This measure involves periodic checks on adults’ BMI, which is crucial in the early detection of obesity-related health complications. This performance measure has been chosen due to the growing incidence of obesity and related complications, which require special attention in primary care. This paper aims to identify three patient interventions of the Adult BMI Assessment and compare their administration and evaluation in terms of patient benefits and cost implications.
Patient Interventions
Nutritional Counseling
The first intervention is the institution of constant nutrition counseling among patients who have high BMI. This intervention entails counseling on better eating habits for the patients with the aim of aiding them in choosing healthier foods (NCQA, 2023). This intervention’s outcome will be evaluated by assessing patients’ BMI at six months by extracting data from EHR. Dietary therapy tackles the issues of food choices, portion sizes, and meal organization, which form the basis of the treatment of obesity. The intervention will consist of the first meetings devoted to assessment, the definition of objectives and outcomes, and control meetings aimed at evaluating successes and identifying potential modifications.
Physical Activity Programs
The second intervention is implementing specialized programs of physical activity for patients to follow. Such programs may include aqua aerobics, gym workouts, and other planned exercise sessions with other people (NCQA, 2023). This intervention will be evaluated by tracking the patient’s physical activity using the fitness trackers and their BMI during follow-up appointments. Dhuli et al. (2022) indicates that maintaining BMI and physical health requires an individual to engage in regular physical activity. The physical activity programs will be implemented to be as easy to perform and fun to ensure that patients become as active as possible. The purpose of this intervention shall be to enhance the level of activity, cardiovascular health, and weight loss.
Behavioral Therapy
The third intervention is to offer behavioral therapy to treat eating patterns and behavioral modifications. This therapy assists the patient to learn and change behaviors regarding food intake and exercise. Patient satisfaction surveys and serial BMI measurements will be used to establish the outcome of this intervention (NCQA, 2023). A systematic review by Olateju et al. (2021) indicates that behavioral therapy is a critical intervention in obesity management owing to its effectiveness in facilitating sustainable behavioral changes. Behavioral therapy will incorporate cognitive-behavioral methods to assist patients in the identification and modification of the faulty thinking and behaviors that cause obesity (Nakao et al., 2021). Specifically, this intervention helps patients acquire more adaptive attitudes toward food and exercise, resulting in effective weight

NR506 Modules Week 3 – Quality Healthcare: Measuring NP Performance
Improved Patient Outcomes
The selected interventions, including nutritional counseling, physical activity programs, and behavioral therapy, have the potential to enhance patient outcomes. Such interventions assist in the management and prevention of obesity-associated diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases. According to Zierle-Ghosh and Jan (2023), a higher BMI is always considered to be an indication of better health and healthy being of the body. Madigan et al. (2022) have provided evidence of the effectiveness of comprehensive weight management programs that show significant improvements in the health status of patients. Since these interventions target different facets of obesity, they give a comprehensive approach to managing weight, thereby improving the health of the patient emotionally and physically.
Cost Savings
These interventions ensure that the management of obesity is effective, hence reducing the costs of the practice significantly. This way, healthcare providers can avoid many cost-intensive treatments and hospitalizations that are associated with obesity and its complications. Further, healthier patients need fewer treatments; thus, the overall costs of the healthcare system are reduced. Research by Ekwaru et al. (2021) has postulated that obesity prevention and management interventions are cost-effective for the healthcare systems in the long run. For instance, the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases can significantly bring down the cost of medication, procedures, and hospital bills.
Patient Ratings
Such interventions will likely enhance patient ratings since they provide appropriate and individualized care. Consumers like it when healthcare providers care for them individually and are able to give them practical solutions to their problems. Patient satisfaction and higher ratings of the nurse practitioner can be achieved through positive experiences of the patient with nutritional counseling, physical activity programs, and behavioral therapy. Research by Levitan and Schoenbaum (2021) shows that there is a correlation between patient-centeredness and patient satisfaction and ratings. These interventions make the patient feel that they are unique and need specific attention, hence the improved ratings and enhanced patient-physician relationship.
Conclusion
One of the key performance indicators for dealing with obesity and enhancing patients’ health is the Adult BMI Assessment. Nutritional counseling, physical activity, and behavioral therapy can control BMI, improving health, reducing costs, and enhancing patient satisfaction. Therefore, by using these theoretical interventions, nurse practitioners can enhance patient outcomes as well as improve nurse practice. Thorough weight loss strategies augment patient outcomes and the performance and stability of healthcare delivery systems.
References
Dhuli, K., Naureen, Z., Medori, M. C., Fioretti, F., Caruso, P., Perrone, M. A., Nodari, S., Manganotti, P., Xhufi, S., Bushati, M., Bozo, D., Connelly, S. T., Herbst, K. L., & Bertelli, M. (2022). Physical activity for health. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, 63(2 Suppl 3), E150–E159. https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2756
Ekwaru, J. P., Ohinmaa, A., Dabravolskaj, J., Maximova, K., & Veugelers, P. J. (2021). Cost-effectiveness and return on investment of school-based health promotion programmes for chronic disease prevention. European Journal of Public Health, 31(6), 1183–1189. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckab130
Levitan, S. E., & Schoenbaum, S. C. (2021). Patient-centered care: Achieving higher quality by designing care through the patient’s eyes. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 10(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-021-00459-9
Madigan, C. D., Graham, H. E., Sturgiss, E., Kettle, V. E., Gokal, K., Biddle, G., Taylor, G. M. J., & Daley, A. J. (2022). Effectiveness of weight management interventions for adults delivered in primary care: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 377(23), e069719. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-069719
Nakao, M., Shirotsuki, K., & Sugaya, N. (2021). Cognitive–behavioral therapy for management of mental health and stress-related disorders: Recent advances in techniques and technologies. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 15(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-021-00219-w
NCQA. (2023). HEDIS and performance measurement. NCQA. https://www.ncqa.org/hedis/
Olateju, I. V., Ogwu, D., Owolabi, M. O., Azode, U., Osula, F., Okeke, R., & Akabalu, I. (2021). Role of behavioral interventions in the management of obesity. Cureus, 13(9). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.18080
Zierle-Ghosh, A., & Jan, A. (2023, November 5). Physiology, body mass index (BMI). Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535456/