Distress Screening for Cancer Patients
Write an executive summary of a recent (within the past 2 years) article from the CTU online library related to health care policy processes that is centered on improving health care quality and outcomes. Your summary must include the following:
Describe the health policy development process and the roles that various stakeholders have in that process associated with the article.
Include a brief description of the key health policy issues, and evaluate the potential of these issues to transform health care delivery in the United States.
Assess how this health care policy will impact the structure of the health care industry and the distribution of resources and services.
It should be 3-4 pages, in APA format, and with 4 quality references, 2 of which are from peer-reviewed sources and published within the last 5 years.
Sample Answer
Distress Screening for Cancer Patients
Ehlers et al. (2019) explored cancer patients’ distress screening policies and procedures. Since 2015, psychosocial distress screening within oncology has been mandatory. The purpose was to enhance comprehensive care outcomes for the patients. Hence, the article will elaborate on the policy development process and assess the policy’s impact o healthcare services in the United States.
Policy Development Process and Stakeholders
Ehlers et al. (2019) used the Triple Aim Framework. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) developed Triple Aim to allow healthcare policymakers and implementors to pursue healthcare excellence in three dimensions: patient experience, population health, and cost reduction (Mery et al., 2017). Patient experiences include metrics such as satisfaction and overall quality, while population health promotes wellness within a community. Finally, lowering costs enhances accessibility, resulting in more equitable outcomes.
The authors identified various stakeholders for the promotion of psychosocial distress screening. First, there are allied health professionals, particularly psychologists. Their role includes identifying psychosocial patterns among cancer patients and developing evidence-based clinical solutions (Ehlers et al., 2019). The main care providers (doctors and nurses) are also crucial since they better understand their patients’ overall health. Family members also contribute to psychosocial distress screening and management since they can report any changes in the patient’s behavioral health that clinicians cannot determine by themselves. Finally, patients’ input to the screening process is critical. Their adherence to professional advice and cooperation in psychological interventions determines the policy’s effectiveness. Furthermore, a detailed description of their psychosocial status allows caregivers to customize their interventions to promote the best possible outcomes.
Policy Issues
Psychosocial screening in oncology is essential since it facilitates comprehensive documentation of a patient’s health factors. The associated pain and stigma may impact a patient’s mental health. Thus, screening allows clinicians to explore a patient’s health status exhaustively. It also enables practitioners to integrate family members and cultural practices into the treatment process (Barrera et al., 2018). Hence, psychosocial screening can improve cancer outcomes throughout the United States. It would address mental stressors in patients, avoiding major anxiety and depression cases. It would also enhance patients’ experience as they would receive care in culturally acceptable avenues as possible. Finally, the care provision burden would be shared through family integration, resulting in lower costs.
Impact on Healthcare Structure and Resource Distribution
Ehlers et al. (2019) visualized a community-based structure for psychosocial screening mandates. All stakeholders (patients, family members, healthcare professionals, organizations, and community caregivers) share the burden for identifying and addressing psychosocial stress factors. Hence, the policy facilitates the adoption of an integrated healthcare structure. Next, with better healthcare outcomes such as fewer hospital visits and shorter stays, healthcare providers can attend to more patients, improving resource distribution and access in a community. Fewer misdiagnosis cases also ensure minimal resource wastage, allowing healthcare organizations to optimize the available services, equipment, and medication. Finally, with better mental health screening services, cancer patients are more optimistic, resulting in more adherence (Zebrack et al., 2017), enhancing the efficient use of medical resources
Conclusion
Cancer patients undergo a lot of mental stress, making psychosocial screening an integral part of the treatment process. The article uses the Tripe Aim policy development approach to visualize the screening process and potential outcomes. Thus, if successfully implemented, the initiative would result in better individual outcomes, equitable resource distribution, and a lighter burden on all stakeholders.
