Asthma and Policy Action Addendum Essay
Asthma and Policy Action Addendum Essay
Asthma and Policy Action Addendum Essay
Public Health and Policy
Public health policies vary and thus range from formal regulations, legislation, and laws to community outreaches. In New Jersey, the practice of public health is governed by a set of state laws that are implemented and regulated by various local boards. Asthma is one of the commonest public health concerns among children and young adults in Patterson, New Jersey. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to describe the benchmark and strategies to address asthma prevention in Patterson County, New Jersey, and to brainstorm two specific strategies providing creative, well-thought insights into improving these strategies.
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Benchmark and Strategies
Patterson is one of the major cities in New Jersey. Patterson City is located in Passaic County, New Jersey. Asthma poses a significant health burden to residents in New Jersey, especially Patterson and other regions in the state. According to New Jersey’s public health data resource, in 2020, more than 600000 adults and 167000 children had current asthma. This represented 9.0% of adults and 8.7% of children in New Jersey. Passaic County, where Paterson City is located, has been recording a significant prevalence of asthma over the last decade.
Asthma Prevention Benchmarks
Some of the benchmarks of asthma burden that have been documented are emergency department visits, inpatient hospitalization, and the number of asthma patients with plans. The rates of emergency visits due to asthma exacerbations may not necessarily reflect the burden of asthma in Patterson City because most cases of exacerbations can be managed at home through avoidance of triggers and the use of rescue medications. However, when these cases increase, the burden of the disease can also go up because of the cost of care that the patients and the system will incur. It is also unnecessary that asthma patients seeking emergency care through unplanned emergency visits will be hospitalized. Therefore, inpatient hospitalization from asthma-related complaints would greatly signify the burden and severity of the disease.
New Jersey State Department of Health reported that the rate of inpatient asthma hospitalizations had been gradually reducing over the past two decades. In 2000, 15.0 persons per 10,000 residents were hospitalized with asthma. In 2020, only 3.8 persons per 10,000 were hospitalized with asthma (New Jersey State Department of Health, 2020). Even though this shows marked population health improvement, the rates should go even beyond the recent data because this would reflect the benefits of preventive asthma management.
Asthma Prevention Strategies
Achieving these benchmarks can be realistic when various evidence-based interventions are implemented. Treatment adherence, asthma education, patient-centered approach, and improvement of the quality of air. According to Maciag & Phipatanakul (2020), a more personalized approach to asthma prevention is the future of care for asthma patients. Reduction of allergen exposure and preventing re-exposure to triggers prevent recurrent asthma exacerbations. Triggers are varied; thus, different patients get attacks from different allergens (Papi et al., 2020). Reduction in air pollution is a strategy that has been employed in Patterson City through various policies to prevent asthma.
New Jersey policies for asthma prevention also apply to Paterson City. In new jersey, the Asthma Awareness and Education Program (AAEP) aims to empower the public and healthcare professionals. The state also passed a bill that promotes health for asthma patients and those at risk. Statute Amendment (18A:40-12.3) is a state law that was passed to allow schools to allow asthmatic students to administer their asthma medications while in school and also required these schools to provide nebulizers for these students. Occupationally, the Work-Related Asthma Program by the New Jersey Department of Health’s Occupational Health Service educates employers and workers on asthma prevention strategies in the workplace.
Ethically, these strategies are evidence-based and aimed at the best practice in asthma prevention. However, cultural beliefs and health-seeking behaviors in Paterson City may impede their successful implementation. Patterson is a metropolitan city and has various cultures and races. For example, some traditional Hispanic remedies for asthma may interfere with medication adherence. In such cases, the principles of patient autonomy and patient-centered approaches are upheld.
Policy Action Addendum
The passage of the Statute Amendment (18A:40-12.3) is a vital step towards ensuring the health and well-being of our asthmatic students (New Jersey State Department of Health, 2020). By granting these students the ability to self-administer their necessary asthma medications while on school grounds, we are empowering them to take control over their own medical needs – an essential aspect of developing independence and confidence in managing one’s condition. Furthermore, this law also mandates that schools provide nebulizers for asthmatic students, ensuring timely access to treatment and serving as a powerful statement about the value we place on supporting those with chronic conditions. Statute Amendment (18A:40-12.3) represents both compassionate policy-making and practical solutions-based thinking when it comes to addressing healthcare needs in educational settings. Furthermore, by mandating schools provide nebulizers for emergencies, this statute ensures that asthmatic students have all necessary resources available at their fingertips – promoting a safe and secure learning environment for all.
This policy is a crucial step in ensuring the safety and well-being of students in schools. However, there are additional measures that can be implemented to further enhance its effectiveness not only at tertiary but primary and secondary levels of asthma prevention (Polk & Bacharier, 2019). By prioritizing the minimization of allergen exposure within school environments, we can prevent potential triggers for asthma attacks. To accomplish this goal, it is imperative that we take proactive steps to establish comprehensive guidelines for ventilation systems and restrict the use of certain pollutants within school buildings. Furthermore, regular inspections and maintenance checks on HVAC systems should be mandatory to ensure they meet rigorous health standards. By adopting these strategies as part of our overall approach towards promoting primary health prevention among young people at educational institutions across the state, we will not only safeguard their physical well-being but also empower them with essential skills needed for success later in life.
Conclusion
Asthma is a chronic lower airway disease that usually starts in childhood life. The current state health data in New Jersey show that more adults than children have current asthma with significant incidence rates of emergency visits from acute attacks. This benchmark points towards the effectiveness of current policies and asthma prevention strategies. One such strategy is the Statute Amendment (18A:40-12.3) which focuses on promoting asthma self-management in schools. This policy is a crucial step in ensuring the safety and well-being of students in schools. However, there are additional measures that can be implemented to further enhance its effectiveness. These additional measures can include guidelines to prescribe ventilation systems, impose limitations on specific pollutants usage, and mandate routine inspection and upkeep of HVAC installations.
References
Maciag, M. C., & Phipatanakul, W. (2020). Prevention of asthma: Targets for intervention. Chest, 158(3), 913–922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.04.011
New Jersey State Department of Health. (2020). NJSHAD – Complete Health Indicator Report – Asthma Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits. State.Nj.Us. https://www-doh.state.nj.us/doh-shad/indicator/complete_profile/NJEPHTAsthmaHosp.html
Papi, A., Blasi, F., Canonica, G. W., Morandi, L., Richeldi, L., & Rossi, A. (2020). Treatment strategies for asthma: reshaping the concept of asthma management. Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology: Official Journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 16, 75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-020-00472-8
Polk, B. I., & Bacharier, L. B. (2019). Potential strategies and targets for the prevention of pediatric asthma. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America, 39(2), 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iac.2018.12.010
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When writing this paper please imagine that you are involved as a masters prepared nurse in providing health related services in Paterson, NJ (direct care, administration and/or education). In order to serve, you will want to better understand the health needs/concerns of the population and to explore effective means of improvement. For the purposes of this paper, please Asthma as your focus on population health concern/issue in Paterson, NJ.
Section 1:
Benchmarks and Strategies to Address this Health Concern: Discuss relevant established benchmarks for progress in this area of health concern (may be state, national and/or international benchmarks). Discuss recommended strategies to address this health concern and the evidence supporting these recommendations. Please discuss your opinion of the relevance and cultural implications of these benchmarks and strategies to the population you are focusing on.
Section 2:
Policy Action Addendum: Of the strategies to address this health care concern discussed to this point, please identify one or two strategies and discuss potential options for policy advancement that would support the strategy. Please recall that the policy advancement may be related to judicial, legislative, administrative or regulatory policy, institutional policy or other non-governmental policy. You might ask yourself: ‘what needs to change to better be able to engage this strategy and address this health issue, how might this relate to policy change and how would this change be made?’ This is an opportunity to be intellectually creative and your ideas here should be informed by, but not limited to, the methods and examples covered thus far in your course work. Several policy advancement options should be covered. (1-2 pages of the paper)