Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper

Public health influences a country’s productivity level and economic growth. Therefore, federal and state governments must improve public health to achieve desired economic growth. The desired outcomes can only be achieved by considering other factors influencing health issues, including the political system, sociocultural norms, and health policies. Additionally, healthcare stakeholders must consider various social determinants of health (SDoH) factors contributing to individuals’ health or illness. This reflection paper discusses how new federal policies can apply the framework to address SDoH in the US. Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper

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Description of SDoH Presented in the Framework and the Impact of Health Problems

SDoH are multiple non-medial factors influencing health status, quality of health-related life (QoHRL), functioning capacity, risks, and well-being. These conditions emerge in the environments where individuals were born, reside, play, or work. The framework presents five significant SDoH conditions, including healthcare quality and access, neighborhood and surrounding environment, community and social context, economic stability, and education quality and access. These factors contribute to individuals’ health or illnesses. The first SDoH factor is healthcare quality and access, which are significant determinants of individuals’ health and the burden of the community’s disease. Persons with readily accessible quality healthcare services enjoy good health and improved QoHRL. On the contrary, persons with limited access to quality medical care report poor health outcomes. Studies show that diversities in healthcare access in the United States predispose minorities to disproportionately high disease burden and premature deaths (Zavala et al., 2021). Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper

Additionally, neighborhood and environment determine individuals’ health. Persons living in polluted neighborhoods are more likely to develop respiratory illnesses than those living in areas with fresh air (Simkovich et al., 2019). These respiratory infections are caused by various air pollutants, including smoke, carbon monoxide, or chemicals emitted by neighboring factories. Moreover, community and social context influence individuals’ health. These factors include cohesion among community members, discrimination, civic participation, and workplace conditions. Individuals experiencing social isolation are those discriminated against in the community, such as minorities and the LGBTQ population, who distrust local healthcare providers, thereby becoming reluctant to seek treatment services, which leads to adverse health outcomes (Livingston et al., 2019). Furthermore, economic status influences an individual or household’s health outcomes. Persons with high incomes or economic stability seek timely and quality medical care, improving their health outcomes and QoHRL. On the contrary, people living below the poverty line and uninsured citizens fail to seek costly medical care, predisposing them to serious health complications or even death.  Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper Lastly, quality and accessible education impact health and diseases. Education attainment level is directly proportional to health literacy. Therefore, educated individuals understand the benefits of quality medical care, including vaccination, seeking healthcare services if needed, and improving their overall health status and quality of life. Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper

Applying the Framework to the New Federal Policies to address SDoH in the US

The US federal government resolves various public health issues through health policies. This goal is achieved by aligning the federal public health policy with desired clinical outcomes (Erickson et al., 2020). Thus, new federal policies should be formulated and adopted to improve health outcomes across the US. These health policies will address different SDoH elements presented in the framework. First, these federal policies will boost healthcare quality and access. This goal will be achieved by expanding medical insurance coverage to vulnerable populations, including citizens living below the poverty line and minorities, to enhance their access to quality healthcare services. Secondly, federal policies will ensure that the areas surrounding residents are free from pollutants, reducing the risk of respiratory diseases among individuals living in the neighborhood. Moreover, these policies will address community and social aspects that influence access to medical care, particularly discrimination against LGBTQs and minorities in healthcare settings (Livingston et al., 2019). The new federal policies will ensure vulnerable groups are represented in healthcare providers’ teams, encouraging them to seek medical care services. Furthermore, these policies will consider economic stability by ensuring affordable healthcare services to enhance access irrespective of one’s economic status. Lastly, the policy will ensure all access to quality and affordable education nationwide to boost Americans’ health literacy, enhancing their access to medical care. Therefore, incorporating the SDoH framework during the implementation of the new policy would modify contributing factors, thereby improving public health. Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper

Overall, health is a complex issue that is influenced by several factors. An individual’s health outcomes significantly depend on various aspects of SDoH. The federal government focuses on improving the public health through new health policies. SDoH factors contribute to differences in individuals’ health outcomes and QoHRL. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the SDoH framework during the formulation and implementation of new federal policies to develop a holistic and multidimensional approach to improving individuals’ health status and quality of life.  Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper

References

Erickson, S. M., Outland, B., Joy, S., Rockwern, B., Serchen, J., Mire, R. D., … & Medical Practice and Quality Committee of the American College of Physicians*. (2020). Envisioning a better US health care system for all: health care delivery and payment system reforms. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(2_Supplement), S33-S49.

Livingston, N. A., Berke, D. S., Ruben, M. A., Matza, A. R., & Shipherd, J. C. (2019). Experiences of trauma, discrimination, microaggressions, and minority stress among trauma-exposed LGBT veterans: Unexpected findings and unresolved service gaps. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(7), 695.

Simkovich, S. M., Goodman, D., Roa, C., Crocker, M. E., Gianella, G. E., Kirenga, B. J., … & Checkley, W. (2019). The health and social implications of household air pollution and respiratory diseases. NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, 29(1), 12.

Zavala, V. A., Bracci, P. M., Carethers, J. M., Carvajal-Carmona, L., Coggins, N. B., Cruz-Correa, M. R., … & Fejerman, L. (2021). Cancer health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. British Journal of Cancer, 124(2), 315-332.

Assignment Directions Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper

This exercise highlights the importance of motivation and the role of the leader in encouraging motivation in employees or team members so their fullest potential can be reached. It is also intended to address beliefs about discrimination related to gender, race, socioeconomic status, and mental illness. Additionally, you will learn about one person’s ability to change a community health issue.

Review the framework below for health policy determinants. (You can also find it on page 26 of the Shi text.)
See also the chart pertaining to the specific Social Determinants of Health. Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper
Reflect on how the framework might be applied to new federal policies in response to addressing the Social Determinants of Health in the United States.

Instructions
The written assignment should be no longer than 3 pages (excluding the title and reference pages).
Include citations/references within 5 years of publication from credible sources to support your topic including at least 2 scholarly peer reviewed sources..
The paper should be in APA 7th ed. format with a title page and reference page.
Check your syllabus for the specific due date. Week 11 Assignment: Determinants of Healthcare Policy Paper