Identifying a Local Health Care Economic Issue

Health outcomes, at the organizational and national levels, depend on the practicality and productivity of health interventions. Central in health care economics is the efficiency of health interventions since it affects the overall nation’s health spending. In the past decade, health care spending has surged to $4.3 trillion in 2021 (CMS.gov, 2022). As a result, governments and stakeholders in the health industry should be aware of the issues hampering cost-effectiveness locally and nationally. The purpose of this paper is to identify a local health care economic issue, rationale, influence, and the gap contributing to the need to address it.

The Issue and Impacts on a Specific Population

Patients require adequate attention to receive comprehensive care. Unfortunately, inadequate staffing characterized by a nursing shortage is an issue of massive concern at all levels. Inadequate staffing implies a higher patient volume than the available workforce (Gaines, 2022). Impacts vary across populations. According to Waldrop and Gee (2022), the rural population is significantly affected by inadequate staffing, considering that rural settings account for two-thirds of the professional workforce shortage in primary care. Such a shortage expands the health gap between rural and urban populations and increases the health burden in rural areas.

Assessment 1 Instructions

Write a brief 2-3 page report about a health care economic issue that you have identified. Address the reasons why you selected the issue you did; identify how this issue impacts the work of you, your colleagues, and your organization; and describe the gap that you see contributing to this issue.

Introduction

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

Health care economics has the potential to affect each of us either personally or professionally. This impact can be viewed from a health economics point-of-view (where we discuss the value of health care and its efficiency), or it can examine how health care is financed (focus on how health care is funded). Health economics and health care funding have the potential to influence health care outcomes in a variety of ways. As you move through this course, you will work toward developing a potential solution for a health care issue within your current or desired health care system. The goal of this assessment is to identify an economic health care issue that you will address throughout the course.

Context and Background

Health care economics has the potential to affect each of us either personally or professionally. This impact can be viewed from a health economics point-of-view (where we discuss the value of health care and its efficiency) or it can examine how health care is financed (focus on how health care is funded). Health economics and health care funding have the potential to influence health care outcomes in a variety of ways. The bulleted list below outlines topics and health care issues that many institutions encounter. Organizations often have to implement strategies or initiatives to resolve or improve these issues and create positive patient and institution outcomes.

Examples of health care economic issues:

• The influence of health care economics on community health—for example, social determinants of health (such as access to care and health care finance).
• Supply and demand: How do we in the health care environment exist when there are more needs from communities and patients than we have the resources to supply? An example of this would be a high number of patients and low resource levels such as staff, supplies, and equipment.
• The public’s attitude toward health, disease, and the health care system—for example, how money is distributed has the potential to impact the health care outcomes of certain populations. An example of this would be the lack of access and funding for underserved and rural communities.
• Other issues might include access to care, social determinants of health, senior health, food insecurity or food desserts, inadequate staffing, homelessness, rehospitalization environmental issues leading to chronic disease, et cetera.

As you move through this course, you will work toward developing a potential solution for a health care issue within your current or desired health care system. The goal of this assessment is to identify an economic health care issue that you will address throughout the course.

Later in the course, you will (a) conduct a needs analysis to justify your focus on this topic area using the literature of the field, (b) present an argument for change in your organization bolstered by a cost-benefit analysis, and (c) advocate for this change at the state level. Keep these future assessments in mind as you select your topic.

Instructions

For this assessment, you will write a brief 2–3 page report about the health care economic issue that you have identified. In addition, you will also be asked to:

• Address the reasons you selected the issue.
• Identify how the issue impacts the work of you, your colleagues, and your organization.
• Describe the gap that you see contributing to this issue.

Be sure to address each main point. Review the assessment instructions and scoring guide, including performance-level descriptions for each criterion, to ensure you understand the work you will be asked to complete and how it will be assessed. In addition, note the requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

Overall, you will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Describe a health care economic issue and how it impacts a specific community or population.
  • Note the data, information, or observations used to support your description.
• Explain the rationale for choosing your health care economic issue.
• Explain how the health care economic issue has affected your work, your organization, your colleagues, and your community.
• Identify the gap that is contributing to the need to address the economic issue.
  • Cite at least one piece of evidence to support your identification of the gap. This could be public health data, a peer-reviewed journal article, or another scholarly source.
• Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards.

Additional Requirements

• Length of Submission: 2–3 double-spaced pages.
• Number of References: Cite at least one piece of evidence to support your identification of the gap. This could be public health data, a peer-reviewed journal article, or another scholarly source.
• APA formatting: Titles, headings, resources, and citations are formatted according to the APA style.

Note: As you revise your writing, check out the resources listed on the Writing Center’s Writing Support page.

Competencies Measured

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

• Competency 1: Analyze the effects of financial and economic factors (such as cost-benefit, supply and demand, return on investment, and risks) in a health care system on patient care, services offered, and organizational structures and operation.
  • Explain the rationale for choosing the health care economic issue.
• Competency 2: Develop ethical and culturally equitable solutions to economic problems within a health care organization in an effort to improve the quality of care and services offered.
  • Describe a health care economic issue and how it impacts a specific community or population.
• Competency 3: Justify the qualitative and quantitative information used to guide economic decision making to stakeholders and colleagues.
  • Identify the gap that is contributing to the need to address the economic issue.
• Competency 4: Develop ethical and culturally equitable economic strategies to address dynamic environmental forces and ensure the future security of an organization’s resources and its ability to provide quality care.
  • Explain how the health care economic issue has affected your work, your organization, colleagues, and community.
• Competency 5: Produce clear, coherent, and professional written work, in accordance with Capella writing standards.
  • Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards.

Identifying a Local Health Care Economic Issue Scoring Guide

Criteria	Non-performance	Basic	Proficient	Distinguished
Describe a health care economic issue and how it impacts a specific community or population.	Does not describe a health care economic issue.	Describes a health care economic issue. However, does not address, or it is unclear, how it impacts a specific community or population.	Describes a health care economic issue and how it impacts a specific community or population.	Describes a health care economic issue and how it impacts a specific community or population. Notes the data, information, or observations used to support the description.
Explain the rationale for choosing the health care economic issue.	Does not list reasons for choosing the health care economic issue.	Lists reasons for choosing the health care economic issue, but does not provide a full explanation.	Explains the rationale for choosing the health care economic issue.	Explains the rationale for choosing the health care economic issue. Reflects on how personal experiences and values informed the choice of issue.
Explain how the health care economic issue has affected your work, your organization, colleagues, and community.	Does not explain how the health care economic issue has affected any of your work, your organization, colleagues, and community.	Explains how the health care economic issue has affected some but not all of your work, your organization, colleagues, and community.	Explains how the health care economic issue has affected your work, your organization, colleagues, and community.	Explains how the health care economic issue has affected your work, your organization, colleagues, and community. Specifically notes ways in which the issue may be having greater impacts on diverse or lower socio-economic groups.
Identify the gap that is contributing to the need to address the economic issue.	Does not identify a gap.	Identifies a gap, but it is unclear if the gap is contributing to the need to address the economic issue.	Identifies the gap that is contributing to the need to address the economic issue.	Identifies the gap that is contributing to the need to address the economic issue. Cites at least one piece of evidence to support the identification of the gap. This could be public health data, a peer-reviewed journal article, or another scholarly source.
Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards.	Does not convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and writing scholarly standards.	Conveys purpose, in an appropriate tone or style. Clear, effective communication is inhibited by insufficient supporting evidence or minimal adherence to applicable writing standards.	Conveys purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards. Attempts to use APA style and formatting.	Conveys clear purpose, in a tone and style well-suited to the intended audience. Supports assertions, arguments, and conclusions with relevant, credible, and convincing evidence. Exhibits strict and nearly flawless adherence to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards, including APA style and formatting.