Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations

A1 Analysis of position papers for vulnerable populations

 

Develop a 4-6 page position about a specific health care issue as it relates to a target vulnerable population. Include an analysis of existing evidence and position papers to help support your position. Your analysis should also present and respond to one or more opposing viewpoints.

Introduction

Note: Each assessment in this course builds on the work you completed in the previous assessment. Therefore, you must complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.

Position papers are a method to evaluate the most current evidence and policies related to health care issues. They offer a way for researchers to explore the views of any number of organizations around a topic. This can help you to develop your own position and approach to care around a topic or issue.

This assessment will focus on analyzing position papers about an issue related to addiction, chronicity, emotional and mental health, genetics and genomics, or immunity. Many of these topics are quickly evolving as technology advances, or as we attempt to push past stigmas. For example, technology advances and DNA sequencing provide comprehensive information to allow treatment to become more targeted and effective for the individual. However as a result, nurses must be able to understand and teach patients about the impact of this information. With this great power comes concerns that patient conditions are protected in an ethical and compassionate manner.

Position papers are a way for individuals, groups, and organizations to express their views and intentions toward a specific issue. In health care, many position papers address specific policies, regulations, or other approaches to care. As a master’s-prepared nurse, you should feel empowered to express and advocate for your own views on policy and care matters. This is especially important when it comes to populations you or your organization cares for that are not receiving the quality, type, or amount of care that they require.

An important skill in creating a position paper or policy proposal is the ability to analyze and synthesize others’ views about the population or issue of interest to you. By synthesizing the positive and negative views of an issue, you can become better equipped to strengthen your own arguments and to respond to opposing views in an informed and convincing way.

Preparation

As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

• What is the vulnerable population that most interests you?

• • What is the health issue that is most prevalent or severe in the population?
  • How does the health issue impact the daily lives of members of the population?
  • How does the care environment in your chosen context impact both the population and the level of care related to the health issue?
  • What are the biggest challenges that you would need to overcome to improve the outcomes for the population related to the health issue?
• What is your position on how to best work to improve the care and outcomes that the population is receiving?

• • What previously published position papers support your position, or the need to work to improve care and outcomes in general for the population?

• • • How do these position papers support your assertions?
    • How could one or more of the position papers help you to form a treatment plan?
  • What previously published position papers contradict your position?

• • • What, if any, of these differences would make your position stronger if you incorporated them?
    • How could you respond to any irreconcilable differences in such a way as to encourage buy-in for your position from those opposed?

Assessment 1 will be based on an analysis of position papers that are relevant to a health care issue related to a vulnerable population. Think about your experience working with vulnerable populations, and the issues related to health care you have observed for those populations. Refer to the resources listed below:

 

 

• Guiding Questions: Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations [DOC]. See additional attachments

 

• Vila Health: Resources for Topical Research.

 

Vila Health: Resources for Topical Research

• Introduction
• Veterans
• LGBTQ
• Elderly
• Conclusion

Introduction

Vila Health: Resources for Topical Research

Staying on top of the health challenges to diverse populations can be intimidating. Fortunately, there exists a wealth of information relevant to the situations of a wide variety of demographic groups. Consider these collections of resources as starting points from which you might move on to further research and build an annotated bibliography.

Veterans Issues

These resources may help in your research to build an annotated bibliography.

This set of diagnostic criteria is relevant to the issue:

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise. Substance abuse may vary depending on geographical area, age, rural vs. urban settings. Veterans who live in rural settings may not have access to adequate Veteran health care.

What are the symptoms of veteran substance abuse?

• Decreased interest in personal hygiene and appearance.
• Abnormal behavioral responses.
• Abnormal mood swings.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Lethargy and/or excessive sleepiness.
• Sores on the face or mouth.
• Watery or red eyes.
• Giving up cherished activities.
• Withdrawing from company.
• Secretive behavior.
• Spending money without being able to account for the expenses.

This data illuminates a problem related to this issue as well.

A higher percentage of female Veterans than male Veterans had a service-connected disability rating in 2009. A higher percentage of male Veterans used VA health care at all but a higher percentage of female Veterans used VA health care only. Female Veterans were more likely than male Veterans to be uninsured, have no earnings or income, and live below the poverty threshold.

Selected Characteristics of Veterans (in percent)

Has a service-connected disability

• Male: 14.7
• Female: 17.8

Uses VA health care

• Male: 26.1
• Female: 23.1

Uses VA only

• Male: 3.8
• Female: 4.8

No health insurance coverage

• Male: 6.3
• Female: 8.0

No earnings, no income

• Male: 2.6
• Female: 6.9

Below poverty

• Male: 6.2
• Female: 9.5

US Department of Veterans Affairs. 2011. Profile of Veterans: 2009 Data from the American Community Survey. Retrieved from: https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/specialreports/profile_of_veterans_2009_final.pdf

Scholarly Journal Articles

These citations for articles from scholarly journals may be relevant, or may get you started on your own research. Find them – and other articles – by searching the Capella library. https://campus.capella.edu/web/library/home#summon-search-box

Behavior Therapy

Acosta, M., Possemato, K., Maisto, S., Marsch, L., Barrie, K., & Lantinga, L. et al. (2017). Web-Delivered CBT Reduces Heavy Drinking in OEF-OIF Veterans in Primary Care With Symptomatic Substance Use and PTSD. Behavior Therapy, 48(2), 262-276. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2016.09.001

The American Journal On Addictions

Lan, C., Fiellin, D., Barry, D., Bryant, K., Gordon, A., & Edelman, E. et al. (2015). The epidemiology of substance use disorders in US Veterans: A systematic review and analysis of assessment methods. The American Journal On Addictions, 25(1), 7-24. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajad.12319

This position paper from a related professional organization may open other possible lines of research:

AOAAM- Naloxone Public Policy Statement:

The Use of Naloxone for the Prevention of Opioid Overdose Deaths

https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.aoaam.org/resource/resmgr/Docs/AOAAM_NALOXONE_POLICY_2015.pdf

Vila Health: Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

Vila Health is a comprehensive system of health dedicated to preventing and treating illness and improving the health of the people it serves through innovative and compassionate care.

Vision

Vila Health aspires to transform lives through science, education, and exceptional care, locally and globally.

Values

Vila Health is dedicated to providing quality health care by creating a system of care that promotes compassion, integrity, and accountability in all its dealings with patients, staff, and other partners.

LGBTQ Issues

These resources may help in your research to build an annotated bibliography.

This set of diagnostic criteria is relevant to the issue:

Although members of the LGBT community face similar health concerns as the general population, certain disparities are reported at a higher rate among LGBT persons than the heterosexual population (1). These disparities experienced by LGBT persons may be compounded if they are also part of a racial or ethnic minority (1). Of note, LGBT persons are more likely to identify themselves as being in poor health than heterosexual individuals, and different segments of the LGBT population have individual health risks and needs. For example, gay and bisexual men are at increased risk for certain sexually transmitted infections and account for more than half of all persons living with HIV or AIDS in the United States (1); lesbian women are less likely to have mammography or Papanicolaou test screening for cancer (2); lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be overweight or obese (3); and lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons are more likely to become disabled at a younger age than heterosexual individuals

Quote from Daniel & Butkus, 2015 p 137.

 

In 2012, the United States (U.S.) Surgeon General identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) youth as at heightened risk for suicide [1]. Risk factors include depression, substance use, inadequate social support, and not feeling safe at school [1–7]. Large population-based studies over the past 15 years have found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth are at two to four times increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts when compared to their cisgender, heterosexual peers [1–3, 5, 8–16]. Within LGB populations, suicidality disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities, including American Indian and Hispanic people [1, 17, 18]. In numerous surveys and qualitative studies, transgender youth report elevated risk for suicide, depression, and substance use [19–24].

Copied directly from Willging, C.E, Green, A.E., & Ramos, M.M. (2016). Implementing school nursing strategies to reduce LGBTQ adolescent suicide: A randomized cluster trial study protocol. Implementation Science. 11 (145). 1-10 doi: 10.1186/s13012-016-0507-2

This data illuminates a problem related to this issue as well.

HIV Diagnoses Among Transgender People in the United States by Race/Ethnicity, 2009-2014

From 2009 to 2014, 2,351 transgender people were diagnosed with HIV in the United States.b Eighty-four percent (1,974) were transgender women, 15% (361) were transgender men, and less than 1% (16) had another gender identity.

Black/African American

• Transgender Men: 58% (211)
• Transgender Women: 51% (1,002)

Hispanic/Latino

• Transgender Men: 15% (55)
• Transgender Women: 29% (578)

White

• Transgender Men: 16% (56)_
• Transgender Women: 11% (212)

Other

• Transgender Men: 11% (39)
• Transgender Women: 9% (182)

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/gender/transgender/index.html

Scholarly Journal Articles

These citations for articles from scholarly journals may be relevant, or may get you started on your own research. Find them – and other articles – by searching the Capella library. https://campus.capella.edu/web/library/home#summon-search-box

Prevention Science

Ybarra, M., Mitchell, K., Kosciw, J., & Korchmaros, J. (2014). Understanding Linkages Between Bullying and Suicidal Ideation in a National Sample of LGB and Heterosexual Youth in the United States. Prevention Science, 16(3), 451-462. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11121-014-0510-2

Journal Of School Health

Hillard, P., Love, L., Franks, H., Laris, B., & Coyle, K. (2013). “They Were Only Joking”: Efforts to Decrease LGBTQ Bullying and Harassment in Seattle Public Schools. Journal Of School Health, 84(1), 1-9. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/josh.12120

This position paper from a related professional organization may open other possible lines of research:

NASP National Association of School Psychologists Position Statement:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth

https://www.nasponline.org/x26826.xml

Vila Health: Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

Vila Health is a comprehensive system of health dedicated to preventing and treating illness and improving the health of the people it serves through innovative and compassionate care.

Vision

Vila Health aspires to transform lives through science, education, and exceptional care, locally and globally.

Values

Vila Health is dedicated to providing quality health care by creating a system of care that promotes compassion, integrity, and accountability in all its dealings with patients, staff, and other partners.

Elderly Issues

These resources may help in your research to build an annotated bibliography.

This set of diagnostic criteria is relevant to the issue:

Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is the most frequent symptomatic primary immune deficiency in adults. Current estimates suggest a prevalence of approximately one in 25 000 in the general population. Significant ethnic variations exist and the frequency may be lower in some populations such as those in North East Asia.

Patients frequently become symptomatic later in life. Careful clinical history, however, may reveal symptoms in some patients dating back to early childhood. The disorder is characterized by recurrent and/or severe infections, autoimmunity, malignancy and allergic disorders.

CVID probably represents a heterogeneous group of disorders culminating in late-onset antibody failure (LOAF). The genetic basis of these disorders has not been identified in the majority of individuals. It seems likely the majority of CVID patients have a polygenic disorder. Rare patients with single gene defects have been identified. Causative mutations of ICOS, CD19, CD20, CD21 and CD81 lead to a severe cellular or humoral immune defect . Identification of a single gene defect removes these patients from the umbrella diagnosis of CVID.

The significance of mutations and polymorphisms in other genes such as TACI, BAFF receptor and MSH5 is less certain. Mutations of these genes have been identified in healthy people, albeit at a lower frequency than symptomatic individuals. We and others have shown that C104R mutations of the TACI gene do not segregate as expected with symptomatic family members. Current thought is that these genes predispose to CVID rather than cause it. It is possible, of course, that some of these ‘healthy’ people with mutations of TACI and BAFF receptor may become symptomatic later in life. CVID can present in the seventh and eight decades of life.

Because the cause of the CVID is unknown, there is no universally accepted definition of the disorder. Various diagnostic criteria have been proposed. The definition published by the European Society of Immunodeficiencies (ESID) and the Pan American Group for Immune deficiency (PAGID) in 1999 is commonly used. The ESID/ PAGID diagnostic criteria comprise three parts: (1) hypogammaglobulinaemia with IgG levels two standard deviations below the mean; (2) impaired vaccine responses or absent isohemagglutinins; and (3) exclusion of other causes of hypogammaglobulinaemia.

CVID is thus a diagnosis of exclusion. It is important to note that the patient’s symptomatic state and infective sequelae are not part of the ESID/PAGID definition of CVID. This can make it difficult to determine if asymptomatic patients with mild hypogammaglobulinaemia but abnormal vaccine responses have CVID and, more particularly, if they should be treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or subcutaneous immunoglobulin (scIG). The ESID/PAGID criteria were intended primarily for diagnosis, but are often used to make decisions about IVIG/scIG replacement. As discussed below, it is inappropriate to base treatment decisions mainly on vaccine responses, particularly if protective antibody levels are used.

The current standard of care for patients with CVID is lifelong replacement with IVIG/scIG. Studies have shown significant improvement in health outcomes when patients are treated with IVIG/scIG. There is both subjective improvement in quality of life as well as objective improvement in frequency and severity of infections. Immunoglobulin treatment slows progression of complications, including suppurative lung disease.

IVIG use is increasing rapidly, given its efficacy in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. It is an expensive treatment, and in some parts of the world supplies have been subject to shortages. Attempts have been made by various authorities to ensure that it is used effectively. IVIG/scIG use in single gene defects, such as Bruton’s aggammaglobulinaemia, is facilitated by the availability of genetic testing to confirm the diagnosis [18]. In the case of CVID/hypogammaglobulinaemia the indications for IVIG/scIG use can be problematic given the lack of a precise diagnosis and spectrum of severity of the disorder [19]. A scoring system was suggested recently for IVIG/scIG treatment, although difficulties with diagnostic criteria for CVID was not addressed.

Ameratunga, R., Woon, S., Gillis, D., Koopmans, W., & Steele, R. (2013). New diagnostic criteria for Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID), which may assist with decisions to treat with intravenous or subcutaneous Immunoglobulin. Clinical & Experimental Immunology, n/a-n/a. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cei.12178

This data illuminates a problem related to this issue as well.

Recent activity limitations among older adults (mean number of days in past month)

Year: 2011

• 50-54 years: 6.3
• 55-59 years: 6.6
• 60-64 years: 6.4
• 65 years or older: 6

Year: 2012

• 50-54 years: 6.3
• 55-59 years: 6.7
• 60-64 years: 6.4
• 65 years or older: 5.9

Year: 2013

• 50-54 years: 6.5
• 55-59 years: 6.9
• 60-64 years: 6.3
• 65 years or older: 5.8

Year: 2014

• 50-54 years: 6.5
• 55-59 years: 6.8
• 60-64 years: 6.9
• 65 years or older: 5.9

Year: 2015

• 50-54 years: 6.3
• 55-59 years: 6.9
• 60-64 years: 6.7
• 65 years or older: 6

Source: https://chronicdata.cdc.gov/Healthy-Aging/Recent-activity-limitations-among-older-adults-mea/2w5u-agnu

Scholarly Journal Articles

These citations for articles from scholarly journals may be relevant, or may get you started on your own research. Find them – and other articles – by searching the Capella library. https://campus.capella.edu/web/library/home#summon-search-box

Journal Of Clinical Investigation

Montecino-Rodriguez, E., Berent-Maoz, B., & Dorshkind, K. (2013). Causes, consequences, and reversal of immune system aging. Journal Of Clinical Investigation, 123(3), 958-965. https://dx.doi.org/10.1172/jci64096

JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association

Chandra, R. (1997). Graying of the immune system. Can nutrient supplements improve immunity in the elderly?. JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association, 277(17), 1398-1399. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.277.17.1398

This position paper from a related professional organization may open other possible lines of research:

Position statement part one:

immune function and exercise, N.P. Walsh

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21446352

Vila Health: Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission

Vila Health is a comprehensive system of health dedicated to preventing and treating illness and improving the health of the people it serves through innovative and compassionate care.

Vision

Vila Health aspires to transform lives through science, education, and exceptional care, locally and globally.

Values

Vila Health is dedicated to providing quality health care by creating a system of care that promotes compassion, integrity, and accountability in all its dealings with patients, staff, and other partners.

Conclusion

You have completed the Population Health Resources activity. These suggestions should give you an idea of other resources you can locate and include in your annotated bibliography.

 

• Vila Health: Health Challenges in Different Populations .

Vila Health: Health Challenges in Different Populations

• Introduction
• Carl Alomar
• Kevin Millard
• Delia Jensen
• Conclusion

Introduction

Vila Health: Health Challenges in Different Populations

Different populations in varying social contexts face a variety of medical challenges. Certain problems are more prevalent in a big city, for instance, while others might be more common in a small town. Similarly, the details of a person’s life may leave them more exposed to a given health problem.

In this simulation, you will meet three different people from various social contexts, and learn about the health challenges they face. You may choose one of these contexts to follow throughout this course; so feel free to read as many or as few of these as you feel appropriate.

Carl Alomar

Urban Veteran

Carl Alomar, 36, was admitted with signs of acute opiate withdrawal.

I was admitted to St. Anthony Medical Center when I came into the emergency room a total mess. I was sick to my stomach, had really bad muscle cramps, kept throwing up, had to go to the bathroom all the time. I tried to tell them it was the flu at first… but they saw through that pretty fast and got it out of me that it was withdrawal, and that I was trying to get off of Oxycontin cold turkey.

I’m taking another stab at detox. I don’t know. I don’t really expect it to help much, since it hasn’t before. But I don’t know what else to do. I don’t have a choice. I can’t keep doing this or I’m not going to live to be 40.

I got my leg shredded by an IED in Iraq in ’07, and the army doctors were really worried about pain management. And that meant Oxycontin. It was supposed to be temporary, but it wasn’t. And it’s just been downhill since then, especially after my medical discharge. I just kind of slid after that. I had trouble getting used to life out of the army, and my leg was messed up, and I was medicated pretty heavily all the time. Oxycontin, usually, but I couldn’t always get it and sometimes I was out on the street trying to buy the next best thing. That always scares me… but not enough to keep me from doing it.

People were good about favoring vets for job openings, but I had trouble staying in them— aside from my leg and all the medication, I just wasn’t in a very good place in my head then. Or now. I have a job now, doing security at a warehouse, but I think I’m on pretty thin ice with them. I try not to come into work high, or take anything when I’m there, but you know how it goes.

My wife left a couple of months ago. I know I’ve got to stop this or I’m just done.

I wish I could get into one of the VA rehab programs, but they’re the VA, they’re useless. The waiting list is months. If I waited months, I’d be out on the street. Or just dead. I don’t have any choice but to just try to white-knuckle my way through stopping on my own.

Now that you’ve read Carl’s story, you may have some thoughts.

Do you think Carl’s situation is one you would be interested in investigating further for this course? Think about what other considerations you would have to keep in mind if you were trying to help other veterans living in urban areas.

Kevin Millard

Rural LGBTQ Teen

Kevin Millard, 17, came into the clinic with minor injuries after a fight at school.

I got into a fight in the bathroom with Bob Heaney, Justin Collins, and Brad Kelzer. There were three of them but I held my own. They’re not going to mess with me anymore.

They were giving me crap for using the boy’s bathroom. But that’s who I am, and I’m tired of pretending and hiding it. I usually try not to go into the bathroom unless I know nobody’s in there, just to avoid trouble, but I went in today and Heaney and those guys were in there. They just started in on me, calling me freak, asking me to show them how I was going to use the urinal. I told them to knock it off and they didn’t, and then we started pushing. I don’t remember who threw the first punch.

This is the first time I’ve had to fight, but stuff’s been really hard and weird all year. I decided this year I was going to stop hiding and start living as the person I really am. But I didn’t know it’d be so hard. I don’t do much now, and my grades are in the toilet.

The biggest thing is that I feel so alone. There’s nobody in town who’s going through what I’m going through. I have all these questions and I never know where to take them. My mom and dad try to help, but there’s so much they don’t understand. I came home from school last week just crying my head off because Mr. Rossum, my science teacher, kept using my old name even when I kept saying to him “I’m not Kathy anymore, I’m Kevin.” My mom, she mostly doesn’t want to rock the boat, so she asked me if I couldn’t just be understanding that Mr. Rossum’s from another generation and just doesn’t get it. Her saying that just made me feel terrible because she wants to be understanding to this mean old guy but not to me.

I don’t know, maybe they’re all right and I’m just a freak. I mean, they can’t all be wrong.

Now that you’ve read Kevin’s story, you may have some thoughts.

Do you think Kevin’s issue is one you would be interested in investigating further for this course? Think about what other considerations you would have to keep in mind if you were trying to help other GLBTQ youth in rural areas.

Delia Jensen

Elderly Home Health Care

Delia Jensen, 79, an immunocompromised cancer patient. She lives at home alone, and is visited daily by a home health care nurse.

I guess I’m as good as I can be today. My pain’s still there, but it’s not as bad as it can be some days, and I’m far enough out from the last round of chemo that the nausea’s gone. So that’s good.

But it’s just hard. It’s hard living with this checklist of things I have to do to keep from getting some kind of infection. Wash my hands, sure, I can do that. I should be doing that anyway! But I’m not used to having to do it so much! And I lose a lot sleep worrying about what would happen if I got an infection- on top of all the sleep I’m losing worrying about cancer.

It just gets to be a lot. Cooking for myself and washing all the produce. And I’m at the mercy of Sara, my daughter, helping to get groceries for me since I can’t really go out into crowds like that. I don’t mean to complain! She’s been a blessing. but she’s a busy woman and as much as she helps, she has to fit it in between the rest of the things she does in her life- going to work, taking care of the kids. And then every time she comes over, it’s hard for her to have to deal with all the cleanliness, too. She spends a lot of time here when I’m at my worst, right after chemo, but that means that she has less time to spend other times.

It’s also hard for Sara to bring the kids over, because of germs. So feel like I never see my grandkids, right when I really need to see them. We talk on Skype, and that helps a little, but it’s not the same. I used to have a lot of friends at the senior center, but I think I was just making people feel uncomfortable, going there in a surgical mask and washing my hands all the time. I can’t even have a cat for company!

Now that you’ve read Delia’s story, you may have some thoughts.

Do you think Delia’s issue is one you would be interested in investigating further for this course? Think about what other considerations you would have to keep in mind if you were trying to help other elderly members of the community who are receiving home health care.

Conclusion

You have completed the Population Health Resources activity. These suggestions should give you an idea of other resources you can locate and include in your annotated bibliography.

 

Scenario

Pretend you are a member of an interprofessional team that is attempting to improve the quality of health care and the outcomes in a vulnerable population. For the first step in your team’s work, you have decided to conduct an analysis of current position papers that address the issue and population you are considering.

In your analysis you will note the team’s initial views on the issue in the population as well as the views across a variety of relevant position papers. You have been tasked with finding the most current standard of care or evidenced-based practice and evaluating both the pros and cons of the issue. For the opposing viewpoints, it is important to discuss how the team could respond to encourage support. This paper will be presented to a committee of relevant stakeholders from your care setting and the community. If it receives enough support, you will be asked to create a new policy that could be enacted to improve the outcomes related to your chosen issue and target population.

The care setting, population, and health care issue that you use for this assessment will be used in the other assessments in this course. Consider your choice carefully. There are two main approaches for you to take in selecting the scenario for this assessment:

1. You may use one of the issues and populations presented in the Vila Health: Health Challenges in Different Populations and Vila Health: Resources for Topical Research media pieces. For this approach, you may consider the population in the context of the Vila Health care setting, or translate it into the context in which you currently practice or have had recent experience.
2. You may select a population and issue that is of interest to you and set them in the context of your current or desired future care setting. While you are free to choose any population of interest, the issue you choose should fall within one of the following broad categories:
   • Genetics and genomics.
     • Sickle cell, asthma, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis.
   • • Type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), congenital neutropenia syndrome.
   • • Arthritis, any type of cancer or lung or heart disease, obesity.
   • • Abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, tobacco, illegal substances.
   • Emotion and mental health.
     • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, eating disorders, psychosis.

Note: If you choose the second option, contact the FlexPath faculty for your section to make sure that your chosen issue and population will fit within the topic areas for this course.

Instructions

For this assessment you will develop a position summary and an analysis of relevant position papers on a health care issue in a chosen population. The bullet points below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your submission addresses all of them. You may also want to read the Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations Scoring Guide and Guiding Questions: Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations [DOC]

Guiding Questions

Analysis of Position Papers for Vulnerable Populations

This document is designed to give you questions to consider and additional guidance to help you successfully complete the Analysis of Position papers for Vulnerable Populations assessment. You may find it useful to use this document as a pre-writing exercise or as a final check to ensure that you have sufficiently addressed all the grading criteria for this assessment. This document is a resource to help you complete the assessment. Do not turn in this document as your assessment submission.

Explain a position with regard to health outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.

What is the specific health care issue that you are addressing?

What is the population affected by your chosen issue?

• Why is this population relevant or important with regard to the issue?

What are the current states of care and health outcomes related to your chosen issue and target population?

What is your position on how to improve the care and outcomes related to your chosen issue and target population?

• Why is it important to act on the position you are presenting?

Explain the role of the interprofessional team in facilitating improvements for a specific issue in a target population. 

What interprofessional roles will be needed to facilitate the improvements that your position presents?

• How will an interprofessional approach better facilitate improvements for your chosen issue and target population?
• Why is it important that your position and facilitation take an interprofessional team approach?

Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that could support a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.

What other evidence and position papers have you found that discuss the need for improvements for your chosen issue or target population?

• How do specific pieces of evidence or position papers support your position?
• How do specific pieces of evidence or position papers act as guides for developing your position and implementation plans?
• To what degree are specific pieces of evidence or positions applicable to your position?

Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that are contrary to a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.

What other evidence and position papers have you found that are either contrary to your position or express a view that your chosen issue or target population do not need improvements to care or outcomes?

• How do specific pieces of evidence or positions present contrary points of view?
• To what degree are specific pieces of evidence or positions related to your position?
• How would you respond to contrary viewpoints in an effort to illustrate the validity of your position or to build buy-in?

Communicate an initial viewpoint regarding a specific issue in a target population and a synthesis of existing positions in a logically structured and concise manner, writing content clearly with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Have you effectively communicated your initial position?

Is your writing clear and professional?

Is your writing free from errors?

Is your submission 3–5 pages (not including the title page and reference list)?

Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using current APA style.

Did you use 3–5 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that supports your initial position on the issue, as well as 2–3 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that express contrary views or opinions in your assessment?

• Are the sources you used no more than five years old?

Are your sources cited in APA format?

Have you included an attached reference list?

Did you use the APA Style Paper Template for formatting to include running head and title page?

• No abstract is needed for this assessment.

 

 

to better understand how each grading criterion will be assessed.

• Explain a position with regard to health outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.
• Explain the role of the interprofessional team in facilitating improvements for a specific issue in a target population.
• Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that could support a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
• Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that are contrary to a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
• Communicate an initial viewpoint regarding a specific issue in a target population and a synthesis of existing positions in a logically structured and concise manner, writing content clearly with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style.

Example Assessment

You may use the assessment example, linked in the Assessment Example section of the Resources, to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like.

Additional Requirements

• Length of submission: 4-6 double-spaced, typed pages, not including the title and reference pages. Your plan should be succinct yet substantive. No abstract is required.
• Number of references: Cite a minimum of 3-5 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your initial position on the issue, as well as a minimum of 2-3 sources of scholarly or professional evidence that express contrary views or opinions. Resources should be no more than five years old.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Design evidence-based advanced nursing care for achieving high-quality population outcomes.

• • Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that could support a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
  • Evaluate the evidence and positions of others that are contrary to a team’s approach to improving the quality and outcomes of care for a specific issue in a target population.
• Competency 2: Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of interprofessional interventions in achieving desired population health outcomes.

• • Explain the role of the interprofessional team in facilitating improvements for a specific issue in a target population.
• Competency 3: Analyze population health outcomes in terms of their implications for health policy advocacy.

• • Explain a position with regard to health outcomes for a specific issue in a target population.
• Competency 4: Communicate effectively with diverse audiences, in an appropriate form and style, consistent with organizational, professional, and scholarly standards.

• • Communicate an initial viewpoint regarding a specific issue in a target population and a synthesis of existing positions in a logically structured and concise manner, writing content clearly with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
  • Integrate relevant sources to support assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style.