Write a 4-6 page policy proposal and practice guidelines for improving quality and performance associated with the benchmark metric underperformance you advocated for improving in Assessment 1.

Write a 4-6 page policy proposal and practice guidelines for improving quality and performance associated with the benchmark metric underperformance you advocated for improving in Assessment 1.

Write a 4-6 page policy proposal and practice guidelines for improving quality and performance associated with the benchmark metric underperformance you advocated for improving in Assessment 1.

Policy Proposal

Policy Proposal
Globally, healthcare providers are taking benchmarking programs designed to identify and address areas of underachievement and gaps in service, with the ultimate goal of improving healthcare. Most of the time, the most pressing problems are tackled first when developing the benchmark. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are one example of such a field where more efforts are being implemented around the globe. According to Avilés-Santa et al. (2020), the overall financial burden connected with diabetes in the United States was around $245 billion in the year 2012. Therefore, it is vital to adopt appropriate policies to address concerns such as diabetes at the local, state, and federal levels. The Mercy Medical Center did not satisfy the national criteria for diabetes-related medical exams, such as diabetic foot exams and Hgb A1C tests, as indicated by the dashboard benchmarks. As a result, this paper aims to analyze the necessity of implementing efficient policies and procedures to appropriately conduct diabetes tests at Mercy Medical Center to improve the performance and quality of the services offered.

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The Need for Organizational Policy
Mercy Medical center is among the most prestigious medical facilities in the state of Minnesota. It has been observed that between the first and fourth quarters of 2019, the number of HgbA1c tests performed declined drastically from 60 to 42, and between the first and fourth quarters of 2020, the number dropped from 72 to 64. The most significant factor in lowering the burden of diabetes is an early diagnosis, which results in aggressive intervention and, consequently, a favorable healthcare result (Avilés-Santa et al., 2020). Healthcare facilities must comply with all diagnostic regulations and recommendations, including conducting appropriate examinations, to make an accurate early diagnosis of diabetes. This reduces the likelihood of making an incorrect diagnosis. With the nursing staff at the core of change, Mercy Medical Center and other healthcare workers must devise appropriate procedures to improve the efficient usage of diabetic foot examination and Hgb A1C tests for early diagnosis to avoid complications linked to diabetes. These complications include diabetic foot ulcers, neuropathy, and amputations. Hence, for the organization to improve its quality of Hgb A1c and diabetes foot examination, it must develop strategies aimed at regular testing of all people, particularly those who are over the age of 40 years (Casadei et al., 2021). Individuals with normal findings must be evaluated once every three months.
Proposed Policy and Guidelines
According to the current diabetes care standards provided by the American Diabetes Association on strategies to control diabetes by utilizing the Chronic Care Model, six fundamental components need to be considered. For Mercy Medical Center to comply with the nationally established standards for accurate diabetes diagnosis and examination processes, they must include these components in the suggested policies. These components include the suitable design of the delivery mechanism, a self-management support structure, a decision-making support system, patient-specific and population-based support registers for the medical team, appropriate processes for determining and creating resources for promoting healthy behaviors, and the creation of a culture that is quality-oriented (Nayeri et al., 2020). In addition, healthcare practitioners are expected to assume a proactive role in enhancing clinical visits and follow-ups, including the performance of diabetes foot exams and Hgb A1C tests.
The proposed policy will consider reorganizing booking systems to plan diabetes-related exams to improve the procedure of information collecting and patient cooperation. Most patients do not get a chance to book their clinic visits, or when they do, they forget to show up. This new policy will ensure that patients can book their visits online and are reminded before the material date to prepare for their visit. These efforts will ensure that Mercy Medical Center sees more patients coming in for examination. Patients need to be urged to attend their annual physical examinations where they can receive all diabetes-related treatment interventions. During these once-a-year visits for diabetes-related exams, the policy will include provisions for adjusting staffing hour shifts and recruiting new personnel to prevent nurses from being overworked and thereby enhance the standard of treatment provided (Nayeri et al., 2020). After then, the information on patient compliance needs to be obtained and analyzed for subsequent adjustments and the execution of any necessary improvements. Ultimately, the evidence needs to be documented to enhance the consistency of diabetes care and produce better results for patients.
Ethical Evidence-Based Strategies
Evidence-based practices (EBP) must be implemented to improve outcomes and performance concerning diabetic foot exams and Hgb A1C tests. These strategies include increased public and patient awareness, revising the documentation and standard operating procedures, using warning sign alerts on patients’ files, and encouraging the clients’ primary healthcare physician to review the patient’s health history (Yu et al., 2022). As a result of this, the members of the interdisciplinary team that is responsible for conducting the examination need to be trained on the current procedures for diagnosing diabetes, as well as the newly proposed procedures and the benefits associated with them. This will be accomplished at Mercy Medical Center by allocating special education courses to the training of all relevant interprofessional workers; the timeframes for completion of the courses will be specified annually (Kinney, 2019). Upon the completion of each module, there will be a test that each staff member is expected to pass successfully to be competent in serving these patients. The patients will be educated using a variety of mediums including, but not limited to, films, pamphlets, PowerPoint presentations, and audio snippets about diabetes and their roles in early diagnosis and management.
In addition, a systematic documentation process needs to be developed to begin appropriate record-keeping of the processes used to diagnose diabetes. The newly implemented documentation procedure will increase consistency, resulting in cost-effectiveness that will assist in evaluating the benefits of the changes. For example, foot inspection instruments will be integrated into the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, which only approved workers can access to update client information and ensure correct documentation (Wu et al., 2019). This approach will also include details concerning the criteria for selecting which examination should be ordered to avoid additional expenditures connected with tests that are not necessary.
Potential Environmental Effects
It is necessary to consider several environmental aspects to succeed while implementing organizational policies. For example, there should be enough skilled individuals to carry out the newly implemented examination procedures to prevent either exhaustion or a lack of readiness. Nurses and other medical personnel must have the skills and knowledge to perform diabetes foot exams and Hgb A1C testing correctly. Acquiring this knowledge and abilities requires relevant training (Kinney, 2019). The organization is responsible for ensuring that a sufficient quantity of registered nurses is recruited and given the training to avoid overworking a select group of individuals.
The working area should be large enough to allow for examinations and provide privacy to the clients. Since many diabetic patients are expected to stream in, the large area will ensure no overcrowding and transmission of communicable infections. For the organization to prevent contamination, the surroundings must be clean and free of distractions such as noise or overcrowding. It is of the utmost importance to acquire suitable examination gear and the resources linked with it to foster an environment conducive to performing diabetes foot exams and Hgb A1C testing. Suppose all of the conditions above are met. In that case, Mercy Medical Center can improve efficiency and results concerning diabetic foot exams and Hgb A1C testing for people with diabetes.
Stakeholders’ Involvement in the Policy Implementation
To guarantee the effective execution of the policy, each concerned party must take an active role. These stakeholders include, amongst others, physicians, nurses, hospital management, podiatrists, database engineers, wound care specialists, relatives, and diabetic patients. The stakeholders must be informed about the new policies and given particular responsibilities throughout the policy implementation process. For instance, nurses must be able to prepare clients for foot exams and Hgb A1C screenings; this includes educating patients on the necessity of the process, motivating patients to show up for routine examinations, and supporting patients when the results are released. As soon as the organization reaches a sufficient number of patients who have presented themselves for foot exams and Hgb A1C screening, the healthcare workers can then collaborate to assist the patient in managing their condition centered on the examination results. Afterward, the database engineer will make any necessary changes to the information stored on the electronic health record program.
Enhancing collaboration among the different stakeholders requires that there are clear communication channels in place. The stakeholders should be kept up to date with all the developments in the policy. Keeping them informed shows them that they are appreciated and an essential part of the team; this increases their motivation and active participation toward achieving the desired outcomes (Martínez et al., 2021). It is also vital to ensure that the responsibilities of all the stakeholders are clearly outlined for everyone to play their part. Autonomy should be given to the stakeholders. The latter shows that they trust them to do good work because they have the right skills and are fit for the task. Similarly, suitable support structures should be in place to help solve any arising issues or concerns to ensure everyone is comfortable performing their responsibilities. The support system should allow the stakeholders to be innovative and creative in developing new solutions to solve the existing challenges (Martínez et al., 2021). Having motivated team members increases performance and productivity.

Conclusion
In the United States, diabetes and the health issues often connected with it are among the top causes of death. In an effort to decrease the burden connected with the condition and seek ways to prevent diabetes from becoming more prevalent among American residents, several regulations and recommendations have been put into place. Among the most effective strategies to combat this problem is to diagnose and treat it at an early stage. As a result, several national guidelines have been developed to promote proper examinations for the early diagnosis of the disease, ultimately resulting in the execution of appropriate interventions. Despite being one of Minnesota’s most reputable medical facilities, Mercy Medical Center did not live up to the requirements set forth by the national agencies regarding the performance of foot inspections and Hgb A1C screenings. As a result, several different policies have been presented to encourage efficiency and enhance the healthcare outcome in this establishment regarding the diagnosis and management of diabetes among adults.

References
Avilés-Santa, L., Monroig-Rivera, A., Soto-Soto, A., & Lindberg, M. (2020). Current state of diabetes mellitus prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in Latin America: challenges and innovative solutions to improve health outcomes across the continent. Current Diabetes Reports, 20(11), 1-44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-020- 01341-9
Casadei, G., Filippini, M., & Brognara, L. (2021). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as a biomarker for diabetic foot peripheral neuropathy. Diseases, 9(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases9010016
Kinney, C. (2019). A quality improvement project to enact evidence-based guidelines to improve documentation of hemoglobin a1c for inpatient diabetes populations. Accessed March 21st 2023 from https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/kcon_projects/20
Martínez, J., Piersol, V., Holloway, S., Terhorst, L., & Leland, E. (2021). Evaluating stakeholder engagement: stakeholder-centric instrumentation process (SCIP). Western Journal of Nursing Research, 019394592110042. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459211004274
Nayeri, N., Samadi, N., Larijani, B., & Sayadi, L. (2020). Effect of nurse‐led care on quality of care and level of HbA1C in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized clinical trial. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 28(3), 338-346. https://doi.org/10.1111/wrr.12788
Wu, S., Chan, S., Bae, J., & Ford, W. (2019). Electronic clinical reminder and quality of primary diabetes care. Primary Care Diabetes, 13(2), 150–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcd.2018.08.007
Yu, J., Lee, H., & Kim, K. (2022). Recent updates to clinical practice guidelines for diabetes mellitus. Endocrinology and Metabolism, 37(1), 26–37. https://doi.org/10.3803/enm.2022.105

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Write a 4-6 page policy proposal and practice guidelines for improving quality and performance associated with the benchmark metric underperformance you advocated for improving in Assessment 1.

Introduction

In advocating for institutional policy changes related to local, state, or federal health care laws or policies, health leaders must be able to develop and present clear and well-written policy and practice guideline proposals that will enable a team, a unit, or an organization as a whole to resolve relevant performance issues and bring about improvements in the quality and safety of health care. This assessment offers you an opportunity to take the lead in proposing such changes.

As a master’s-level health care practitioner, you have a valuable viewpoint and voice on policy development, both inside and outside your care setting. Developing policy for internal purposes can be a valuable process toward quality and safety improvement, as well as ensuring compliance with various health care regulatory pressures. This assessment offers you an opportunity to take the lead in proposing such changes.

Instructions

Propose an organizational policy and practice guidelines that you believe will lead to an improvement in quality and performance associated with the benchmark underperformance you advocated for improving in Assessment 1. Be precise, professional, and persuasive in demonstrating the merit of your proposed actions.

Requirements

The policy proposal requirements outlined below correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, be sure to note the requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

Explain the need for creating a policy and practice guidelines to address a shortfall in meeting a benchmark metric prescribed by local, state, or federal health care policies or laws.

What is the current benchmark for the organization and the numeric score for the underperformance?

How is the benchmark underperformance potentially affecting the provision of quality care or the operations of the organization?

What are the potential repercussions of not making any changes?

What evidence supports your conclusions?

Summarize your proposed organizational policy and practice guidelines.

Identify applicable local, state, or federal health care policy or law that prescribes relevant performance benchmarks that your policy proposal addresses.

Keep your audience in mind when creating this summary.

Analyze the potential effects of environmental factors on your recommended practice guidelines.

What regulatory considerations could affect your recommended guidelines?

What resources could affect your recommended guidelines (staffing, financial, and logistical considerations, or support services)?

Explain ethical, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve targeted benchmark performance and the impact the proposed changes will have on the targeted group.

What does the evidence-based literature suggest are potential strategies to improve performance for your targeted benchmark?

How would these strategies ensure performance improvement or compliance with applicable local, state, or federal health care policy or law?

How can you ensure that these strategies are ethical and culturally inclusive in their application?

What is the direct impact of these changes on the stakeholders’ work setting and job requirements?

Explain why particular stakeholders and groups must be involved in further development and implementationyour proposed policy and practice guidelines.

Why is it important to engage these stakeholders and groups?

How can their participation produce a stronger policy and facilitate its implementation?

Present strategies for collaborating with the stakeholder group to implement your proposed policy and practice guidelines.

What role will the stakeholder group play in implementing your proposal?

Why is the stakeholder group and their collaboration important for successful implementation?

Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.

Proofread your proposal, before you submit it, to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on the substance of your proposal.

Use paraphrasing and summarization to represent ideas from external sources.

Be sure to apply correct APA formatting to source citations and references.

Policy Proposal Format and Length

It may be helpful to use a template or format for your proposal that is used in your current organization. The risk management or quality department could be a good resource for finding an appropriate template or format. If you are not currently in practice, or your organization does not have these resources, many appropriate templates are freely available on the Internet.

Your policy should be succinct (about one paragraph). Overall, your proposal should be 4–6 pages in length.

Supporting Evidence

Cite 3–5 references to relevant research, case studies, or best practices to support your analysis and recommendations.

Portfolio Prompt: You may choose to save your policy proposal to your ePortfolio.

Competencies Measured

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

Competency 1: Analyze relevant health care laws, policies, and regulations; their application; and their effects on organizations, interprofessional teams, and professional practice.

Explain and interpret for stakeholders the need for creating a policy and practice guidelines to address a shortfall in meeting a benchmark metric prescribed by local, state, or federal health care policies or laws.

Competency 2: Lead the development and implementation of ethical and culturally sensitive policies that improve health outcomes for individuals, organizations, and populations.

Summarize a proposed organizational policy or practice change guideline and analyze the potential effects of environmental factors on recommended practice guidelines.

Competency 3: Evaluate relevant indicators of performance, such as benchmarks, research, and best practices, to inform health care laws and policies for patients, organizations, and populations.

Explain how ethical, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve targeted benchmark performance will impact a stakeholder group needed for successful implementation of the policy or practice change.

Competency 4: Develop strategies to work collaboratively with policy makers, stakeholders, and colleagues to address environmental (governmental and regulatory) forces.

Explain why particular stakeholders and groups must be involved in further development and implementation of a proposed policy or practice change to improve quality and outcomes.

Present strategies for collaborating with a stakeholder group to implement a proposed policy and practice guidelines.

Competency 5: Produce clear, coherent, and professional written work, in accordance with Capella’s writing standards.

Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions.

Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.