NURS 8100: Economic and Technological Influences on Policy

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NURS 8100/8100F/8100M/8100A Week 5: Economic and Technological Influences on Policy essay assignment

NURS 8100/8100F/8100M/8100A: Healthcare Policy and Advocacy | Week 5 essay assignment

Economic factors have long been a key driver of health care policy and reform efforts. As noted in previous weeks, for instance, health policies have attempted to improve the situation for millions of uninsured or underinsured individuals and to address the barriers to health care access that have arisen as a result of the high costs associated with insurance and health service delivery.

NURS 8100: Economic and Technological Influences on Policy essay assignment

This week, you will examine how economics influences health policy and health care reform efforts. You will explore cost containment strategies from increasing administrative efficiency to health care rationing and the role of technology in health care reform and cost control efforts.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • Evaluate the use of technology to achieve health care reform and cost containment goals
  • Analyze the economic consequences of a health care policy

In response to continually rising health care costs, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provision was created to promote the meaningful use of health care information technology through numerous incentive programs for health care providers. By enhancing data collection, streamlining electronic medical records, and increasing transparency, it is believed that significant cost savings can be realized as well as other positive outcomes. What are some of the tradeoffs involved in this type of policy?

To prepare:

  • Reflect on the challenges of containing health care costs in the U.S. presented in the Learning Resources and discussed by Dr. Kominski and Dr. Zelman in the media.
  • Consider how information technology may be used to address health care issues related to cost.
  • Examine the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) provision and its goals.

NURS 8100: Economic and Technological Influences on Policy

By Day 3

Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:

  • Briefly summarize a significant challenge to containing health care costs.
  • How do policy makers envision technology could be utilized to address this challenge (above)? Provide at least one example to support your response.
  • Do you agree or disagree with the policy makers? Describe why you agree or disagree and include one or more insights from this analysis that relate to the question of how information technology could, or could not, help contain costs while supporting health care reform initiatives.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

  • Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence or research.
  • Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
  • Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
  • Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
  • Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
  • Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.