Category: Essays

Health Literacy

In order to effectively manage their own health, individuals need to have competencies in two areas—basic literacy and basic health literacy. What is the difference? Basic literacy refers to the ability to read, even simple language. Health literacy is defined as, “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions” (National Coalition for Literacy, 2009). Unfortunately, according to a Department of Education report on health literacy, only 12% of adults aged 16 and older are considered to have a proficient level of health literacy (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Acquiring health literacy skills has become more complicated with the explosion of online health information, some credible and some misleading.

In this Discussion, you focus on how to help individuals find credible information on the Internet and develop strategies nurses can use to increase the health literacy of their patients.

To prepare:

Think about the nurse’s role in improving the health literacy of patients.
Consider the many ways patients access health information, including blogs, social media, patient portals, websites, etc.
Reflect on experiences you have had with patients who self-diagnose using online medical sources.
Using the Internet, the Walden Library, or other trustworthy sources, identify a resource that you could introduce to patients to help them evaluate the credibility of health information found online.
What are some strategies you could employ to improve the health literacy of patients?

Post on or before Day 3 your assessment of the nurse’s role in improving the health literacy of patients. Then, identify the resource you would recommend to patients for evaluating online health information and why it would be beneficial. Describe additional strategies for assisting patients in becoming informed consumers of online health information.

Readings

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 20, “Supporting Consumer Information and Education Needs”

This chapter explores health literacy and e-health. The chapter examines a multitude of technology-based approaches to consumer health education.
Chapter 21, “Using Informatics to Promote Community/Population Health”

In this chapter, the authors supply an overview of community and population health informatics. The authors explore a variety of informatics tools used to promote community and population health.
Chapter 22, “Informatics Tools to Promote Patient Safety”

The authors of this chapter present strategies for developing a culture of safety using informatics tools. In addition, the chapter analyzes how human factors contribute to errors.
Health literacy: How do your patients rate? (2011). Urology Times, 39(9), 32.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The authors of this article define health literacy and emphasize its poor rates in the United States. Additionally, the authors recommend numerous websites that offer patient education materials.
Huff, C. (2011). Does your patient really understand? H&HN, 85(10), 34.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article defines hospital literacy and highlights the barriers that prevent it from increasing. It also emphasizes the difficulties created by language and financial costs.
The Harvard School of Public Health. (2010). Health literacy studies. Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy

This website provides information and resources related to health literacy. The site details the field of health literacy and also includes research findings, policy reports and initiatives, and practice strategies and tools.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (n.d.). Health literacy online. Retrieved June 19, 2012, from http://www.health.gov/healthliteracyonline/

This webpage supplies a guide to writing and designing health websites aimed at increasing health literacy. The guide presents six strategies that should be used when developing health websites.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.a). Quick guide to health literacy. Retrieved June 19, 2012, from http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/quickguide/Quickguide.pdf

This article contains an overview of key health literacy concepts and techniques for improving health literacy. The article also includes examples of health literacy best practices and suggestions for improving health literacy.

Media

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Executive Producer). (2012a). Interview with Rachelle Toman, M.D. Ph.D. Rockville, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/legacy/questions/video/06clinician/

In this interview, Dr. Toman discusses the importance of asking patients questions to ensure they have been able to sufficiently communicate their concerns.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Executive Producer). (2012b). The waiting room video. Rockville, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/patients-consumers/patient-involvement/ask-your-doctor/videos/waitroom/index.html

This video addresses the importance of communication in the patient-health care professional relationship. It highlights the need to ask meaningful questions to the patient to fully understand issues and concerns.

What Can Nurses Do?

Many people, most of them in tropical countries of the Third World, die of preventable, curable diseases. . . . Malaria, tuberculosis, acute lower-respiratory infections—in 1998, these claimed 6.1 million lives. People died because the drugs to treat those illnesses are nonexistent or are no longer effective. They died because it doesn’t pay to keep them alive.

–Ken Silverstein, Millions for Viagra. Pennies for Diseases of the Poor, The Nation, July 19, 1999

Unfortunately, since 1998, little has changed. For many individuals living in impoverished underdeveloped countries, even basic medical care is difficult to obtain. Although international agencies sponsor outreach programs and corporations, and although nonprofit organizations donate goods and services, the level of health care remains far below what is necessary to meet the needs of struggling populations. Polluted water supplies, unsanitary conditions, and poor nutrition only exacerbate the poor health prevalent in these environments. Nurses working in developed nations have many opportunities/advantages that typically are not available to those in underdeveloped countries. What can nurses do to support their international colleagues and advocate for the poor and underserved of the world?

In this Discussion, you will consider the challenges of providing health care for the world’s neediest citizens, as well as how nurses can advocate for these citizens.

To prepare:

Consider the challenges of providing health care in underdeveloped countries.
Conduct research in the Walden Library and other reliable resources to determine strategies being used to address these challenges.
Using this week’s Learning Resources, note the factors that impact the ability of individuals in underdeveloped nations to obtain adequate health care.
Consider strategies nurses can use to advocate for health care at the global level. What can one nurse do to make a difference?

Post by Day 3 a description of at least two challenges related to providing adequate health care in underdeveloped countries. Then, describe two strategies you might use to address those challenges, and explain why. Finally, describe one strategy nurses might use in advocating for health care at the global level, and explain why this would be an effective strategy.
Readings

Knickman, J. R., & Kovner, A. R. (Eds.). (2015). Health care delivery in the united states (11th ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Chapter 4, “Comparative Health Systems” (pp. 53-72)

The chapter showcases different models of health care systems in order to help policymakers and managers critically assess and improve health care in the United States.
Chapter 10, “The Health Workforce” (pp. 213-225)

Review this section of Chapter 10, which details health workforce issues for nurses and nurse practitioners.
Milstead, J. A. (2013). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Chapter 11, “Global Connections” (207–217)

This chapter addresses how the health status of individuals and populations around the world can affect policymaking in a country.
Bloch, G., Rozmovits, L., & Giambrone, B. (2011). Barriers to primary care responsiveness to poverty as a risk factor for health. BMC Family Practice, 12(1), 62–67.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article details a qualitative study that was conducted to explore the barriers to primary care responsiveness to poverty. The authors explicate a variety of health impacts attributable to poverty.
Harrowing, J. N. (2009). The impact of HIV education on the lives of Ugandan nurses and nurse-midwives. Advances in Nursing Science, 32(2), E94–E108.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article explores the impact of an HIV/AIDS education program for Ugandan nurses and nurse-midwives. The author details the motivations behind the program and recommendations for the future.
Koplan, J. P., Bond, C., Merson, M. H., Reddy, K. S., Rodriquez, M. H., Sewankambo, N. K., & Wasserheit, J. N. (2009). Towards a common definition of global health. The Lancet, 373, 1993–1995. Retrieved from http://www.cfhi.org/web/fckeditor/uploaded/File/publications/intro%20page%20links/Toward%20a%20Definition%20of%20GH%20June%202009PracticalGlobal%20PublicHealth.pdf

This article provides a full description of the components that comprise global health care in detail.
Gapminder. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.gapminder.org

This website explains statistical graphs and tables of life expectancy and incomes around the world.
Global Health Council. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.globalhealth.org

This website houses the productivity and efforts of the Global Health Council as the world’s largest alliance dedicated to improving health throughout the world.
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: U.S. Global Health Policy. (2010). Retrieved from http://kff.org/globaldata/

This website focuses on major health care issues facing the United States, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy.
International Council of Nurses. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.icn.ch/

This website documents the efforts of the International Council of Nurses to ensure quality nursing care for all, as well as sound health policies globally through the advancement of nursing knowledge and presence worldwide.
United Nations Statistics Division. (2011). Retrieved from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm

This website examines global statistical information compiled by the United Nations Statistics Division.
University of Pittsburgh Center for Global Health. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.globalhealth.pitt.edu/

This website analyzes health issues that affect populations around the globe through research at the University of Pittsburgh.
The World Bank (n.d.) The costs of attaining the millennium development goals. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/mdgassessment.pdf

This article states that many countries will have to reform their policies and improve service delivery to make additional spending effective because the additional aid for education and health with not be enough

The Research Paper will be a comprehensive research review of the significant principles of management communications used to successfully achieve organizational objectives. For this assignment of a minimum of eight pages, you need to integrate material from the readings, multimedia, and class discussion boards, and also reflect on professional experience where possible. It is mandatory to include research from the classroom text as well as from six scholarly sources to support your views. Consider the validity of your resources carefully before using them in academic papers. Use at least one professional example to address the topics below.

The following components must be included in order for the paper to be complete:

Explain effective communication norms in a business setting.
Describe the role of interpersonal communication both as a manager and as an employee. What specific techniques have you used to overcome barriers to communication? Be sure to specify your role in the communication.
Explore the role of international and intercultural interpersonal communications in today’s global businesses.
Describe both verbal and nonverbal management communication.
Explain approaches for effective written management communication.
Analyze various approaches for engaging an audience during a presentation and encouraging active listening.
Describe effective methods of conflict resolution.
Analyze techniques for leading teams and group meetings.

Writing the Research Paper

The Research Paper:

Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (not including the title and reference pages), and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a title page with the following:
Title of paper
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
Must use at least six scholarly resources, including a minimum of three from the Ashford Online Library.
Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center

Choose one of the topics below.
Write a two-page (double spaced) response and include two references in your response. References should include at least one academic peer-reviewed journal article and you’re an additional source such as your textbook, course notes, lecture notes, reliable online sources, textbooks from other courses, library sources, etc.
APA format required, including title page, in-text citations, and a reference list.
Bring your first draft and the grading rubric to your 25-minute Writing Studio session to review your paper with a writing consultant along with the writing studio visit sheet (found on BB).
Make any revisions, re-writes, changes, and improvements. Decide if you need another visit with the Writing Studio to provide a second round of feedback.
FINAL STEP: Find the submission assignment area in Blackboard. Submit your final version by midnight on the day your paper is due (see chart above) as well as a pdf copy of the writing studio visit sheet. Papers must be in a Word Document and attachments in pdf format via Blackboard.

TOPICS:

Investigate a public health discovery/initiative and answer the following questions:
Gather information about the discovery and form a hypothesis as to the events that lead to that discovery.
How did this discovery affect the health of the overall population?
Did this discovery lead to other public health advances? If so, please describe.
Describe the importance and/or relevance (or lack thereof) as it relates to the health today.
Investigate a chronic disease/lifelong disease and answer the following questions.
How is the disease diagnosed?
Was the chosen illness always a chronic/lifelong disease?
What changes does an individual with this disease have to make to manage their disease?
Is there a new and novel treatment being researched to treat this disease?
Review the Medical Milestones Chare on pages 21-22 of your text. Choose one of the listed milestones and answer the following questions:
Why is this important?
Why did it make the list of medical milestones?
Should it still be considered a medical milestone? Support your answer.
If any, is there an organization or company that has benefitted from or contribute to this medical milestone. This organization can be past or present

This assignment is for you to begin a preliminary draft of that final essay. This paper should be at least three pages and use two outside sources. Please put the paper in MLA format, including a Works Cited page.

After the introduction to your research topic and your thesis sentence, develop your first point. What do you want the reader to see about your book after he/she reads your essay? You will develop this much more in your final essay, but this should be a focused essay on at least one point you plan on making in your final essay. (If you change your mind and go in another direction, you will not be held to using this thesis, but for planning purposes, come as close as you can to what you think you are going to do in your final essay.)

This will require you to focus and narrow your thesis very strictly to something you can do in this limited amount of space. Instead of trying to make three or more points, focus on only one. You will use the analytical skills you have been developing in doing this paper. Find at least two sources which will help you develop that point.

Human Resources

[Pin It]

For the final project, you will need to create an implementation proposal for a HRIS that will manage employee information and Payroll. You will be acting as the HR Director who will be presenting to the executive team of the company. Using the same company that you referenced in the Module 03 writing assignment, create (1) a proposal and (2) PowerPoint that you would pose to the company.

The paper and the PowerPoint presentation need to be 5-8-pages/slides each (not counting the cover page and reference page) and include the following headings, which are denoted in all caps. Â Utilize and cite at least 5 sources on your reference page.

INTRODUCTION: Explains the contents that will be reviewed in the paper. (1/2 page, 1 slide)
BUSINESS ASSESSMENT: Describes the business (size, structure, etc.) If there are unknowns, make assumptions based on typical companies from similar fields and of similar size. (1 page, 1-2 slides)
HRIS NEEDS ANALYSIS: Review the shortfalls and challenges of the current Payroll and employee data tracking systems. Refer to the course reading for additional information on conducting a needs analysis. Answer the following: How might an HRIS application assist the business? What elements should the HRIS contain in order to help the company be more efficient and productive? (1-2 pages, 1-2 slides)
PAYROLL/EMPLOYEE DATA HRIS VENDOR CHOICE: Conduct research to find an HRIS vendor. You want to do a compare and contrast in this section of at least two vendors. Then, choose a vendor. Explain why you chose this vendor over another/others. Include the Web address and proper citations for the vendor applications compared. You must have theory to support your decision. Include the benefits of implementing the suggested system and risks and security precautions that need to be addressed. (2 pages, 2 slides)
CONCLUSION: End the paper with a review of the major points and a concise summary of your recommendation for the company. (1/2 page, 1 slide)
APA, Correct Spelling

 

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Marketing, Product Safety, and Intellectual Property

Due Week 9 and worth 300 points

You are a new associate at the law firm of Dewey, Chetum, and Howe. John, a former researcher at PharmaCARE, comes to your office. He has concerns about PharmaCARE’s use of AD23, one of the company’s top-selling diabetes drugs. Two (2) years ago, after PharmaCARE’s research indicated that AD23 might also slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, John and his team of pharmacists began reformulating the drug to maximize that effect. In order to avoid the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) scrutiny, PharmaCARE established a wholly-owned subsidiary, CompCARE, to operate as a compounding pharmacy to sell the new formulation to individuals on a prescription basis. CompCARE established itself in a suburban office park near its parent’s headquarters. To conserve money and time, CompCARE did a quick, low-cost renovation.

CompCARE benefited from PharmaCARE’s reputation, databases, networks, and sales and marketing expertise, and within six (6) months had the medical community buzzing about AD23. Demand soared, particularly among Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs patients. Seeing the opportunity to realize even more profit, CompCARE began advertising AD23 directly to consumers and marketing the drug directly to hospitals, clinics, and physician offices, even though compounding pharmacies are not permitted to sell drugs in bulk for general use. To circumvent this technicality, CompCARE encouraged doctors to fax lists of fictitious patient names to CompCARE. PharmaCARE sold CompCARE to WellCo, a large drugstore chain, just weeks before AD23 was publicly linked to over 200 cardiac deaths.

As CompCARE and its new parent company enjoyed record profits and PharmaCARE’s stock price approached $300 per share, reports started surfacing that people who received AD23 seemed to be suffering heart attacks at an alarming rate. The company ignored this data and continued filling large orders and paying huge bonuses to all the executives and managers, including John, whose wife recently died from a heart attack after using AD23.

John has come to you with an internal company memo describing the potential problems with AD23, and information describing the company’s willingness “roll the dice” and continue to market the drug.

Your senior partner has asked you to write a memo outlining the following issues for review by the senior partners.

In preparation for this assignment, use the Internet or Strayer Library to research examples of intellectual property theft that occurred within the past two (2) years.

Write an eight to ten (8-10) page paper in which you:

Research three to five (3-5) ethical issues relating to marketing and advertising, intellectual property, and regulation of product safety and examine whether PharmaCARE violated any of the issues in question.
Argue for or against Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) marketing by drug companies. Provide support for your response.
Determine the parties responsible for regulating compounding pharmacies under the current regulatory scheme, the actions that either these parties or the FDA could / should have taken in this scenario, and whether PharmaCARE could face legal exposure surrounding its practices. Support your response.
Analyze the manner in which PharmaCARE used U.S. law to protect its own intellectual property and if John has any claim to being the true “inventor” of AD23. Suggest at least three (3) ways the company could compensate John for the use of his intellectual property.
Summarize at least one (1) current example (within the past two [2] years) of intellectual property theft, and examine the effect on that company’s brand.
Analyze the potential issue surrounding the death of John’s wife and other potential litigants against PharmaCARE as a result of AD23.
Specify both the major arguments that John can make to claim that he is a whistleblower and the type of protections that he should be afforded. Justify your response.
Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia is not an acceptable reference and proprietary Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Select a provided ethical scenario or choose one from section IV of Thinking Critically.

Analyze your chosen scenario from a critical thinking perspective.

Write a 200- to 350-word response to each of the following:

What is the moral responsibility of all participants?
What are the stakeholders’ moral failings?
What ideals or obligations are in conflict?
What is the best outcome, given the consequences?

Write a brief reflection of your analysis by describing the relationship between critical thinking and ethics.

Assigment 2

Write a 200- to 350- word explanation of the relationship between critical thinking and ethics.

Are the principles and rules of critical thinking applicable to ethical reasoning? Why?
If everyone followed the rules and guidelines of logic, would there be a need for ethical decision making? Why?

Use examples

NTRODUCTION

This assignment entails development of a comprehensive strategic marketing plan for a new product or service that is ready to “go to market”. A Project Template is provided that allows you to organize your work in increments and see how the sections come together to produce a comprehensive plan.

PRODUCT/SERVICE

This assignment requires application of concepts learned to build a strategic marketing plan for a new product or service that is ready to “go to market”. You will not be allowed to mimic plans or ideas from larger or already “in-place” campaigns. You must develop the business concept in its entirety.

Describe the new product or service.
Discuss the qualities that make this product/service new to the marketplace and the rationale for your decision to pursue the concept. Be sure to pick a product or service that is ready to market. If you are developing a new product, assume that the development phase is over and you are ready to launch the product into the marketplace.

OBJECTIVES/MISSION STATEMENT

Create a Mission Statement. State your short-term MARKETING objectives (one year). Assume that the product/service is ready to launch at the beginning of the year (planning and testing have been completed).

Marketing objectives include goals for sales, profits, market share (as examples)
Objectives need to be quantifiable. Use the SMART acronym—simple, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific—in formulating your objectives. An objective with a 100% goal is not acceptable

TARGET MARKET

Identify your target market. Provide a specific demographic profile and rationale for this decision. Another source that may help you: The US Census Bureau’s American Fact Finder. Consider the size of the market and its purchasing power. Research is required to back-up your selection and to provide statistics to show that it is a viable market.

COMPETITION

Analyze your competition. Who are they? Who are the biggest players? How large is the market? What are the trends/forecasts in the industry? How does your product/service fit in? Hoover’s Pro in the Library is a good tool for this section; it may be accessed under Find Web Resources.

PRODUCT/SERVICE FEATURES

Provide a brief overview of the product or service.

State the features of your product/service. Show how it’s innovative and different. It may be unique because of the area in which you plan to market it.
Discuss legal and ethical implications that could affect the marketing process. This will require research.

CORE STRATEGY

Discuss your Core Strategy and make sure to connect it to your Mission & Objectives. Include a discussion on Product/Service Positioning.

MARKETING MIX: COMMUNICATIONS & PROMOTION

The Marketing Mix is the set of decisions about communications and promotion, price, channels of distribution, and customer relationship management. An integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach delivers a clear and consistent message to your consumers and is connected to your Core Strategy.

Discuss the aspects of the IMC. (The elements of the communication mix include: advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, publicity/public relations and personal selling.) Define each and discuss the pros and cons of the individual elements.
Provide a detailed description of your IMC approach. Explain your rationale for choosing or rejecting the specific elements (include applications to the earlier research section). What changes do you expect to make as the product/service matures?
Describe the message you wish to communicate based on your core strategy. Explain your rationale for the message. Formulate how you will communicate with your target market? Be specific. How will the internet be used in your IMC approach?
Select and explain the most suitable method for measuring advertising effectiveness. Your decision must include research to back up the selected method. Be sure to explain why this is the most effective method to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.

MARKETING MIX: PRICE

Discuss what pricing objectives you would consider for your product/service. The Objectives should be based on the various theories presented in marketing literature and take in to account competitor pricing. Including background on value proposition, positioning, and target market is necessary. All of these components provide rationale for the chosen pricing scheme.

MARKETING MIX: CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION

Channels of Distribution: Specify the type of distribution channel you will use and include rationale.

MARKETING MIX; CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Customer Relationship Management -Detail how you will incorporate CRM into your plan. Be sure to include a discussion on the role of technology that will be used to support your CRM.

CONCLUSION

THIS IS THE BUSINESS:

I will be assisting everyone with their financial future. Manay people assume that they have it covered to sum extend however, the uniqueness of my firm is to assist them in saving monies. I will review the financial history of each client, no matter the age and assist accordingly with certain recommendations. What differenciates me from other similar firms would be the personal one on one service that would be offered. My role would be the minute you enter the doors of my office, I litterally hold your hands and walk you through a better financial future. Whether you are overloaded with debt or not.