I enjoyed reading your post and agree with your comment that knowing the population to be served is a key indicator for success. I was particularly impressed in this case study that they recognized the fear their patients might have regarding receiving official mail due to their immigration status (Dlugacz, 2006). This is something I had not considered prior to reading this case.
I thought your ideas for improvement were very insightful, particularly with regard to the number of teen suicides and the number of opioid prescriptions written. I was interested to see how significant these issues are in my state and I am sad to report that according to the Utah department of health (2016), Utah has the 7th highest drug overdose rate in the country, reportedly 80 percent of Heroin users started with prescription pain kills and 6 people die every week in Utah from opioid overdose (www.opidemic.org) . Suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in Utah. Utah ranks in the top ten states in the nation for high suicide rates and suicide is the number one cause of death for youth ages 10-17. This statistic surprised me; I thought the leading cause of death for this age group would be accidents (Utah Suicide Prevention Plan 2017-2021). I have lived in Utah most of my life and have been in healthcare for over 30 years and I had no idea the magnitude of the problems in my
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2). Failure to recognize the demographics and challenges of the population being served could lead to missed opportunities for engagement and access to resources for patients.
What do you think are some ways as healthcare providers that we can assess our vulnerable populations? How can we help our patients gain access to
There are several risk factors that put Joanne at High Risk for suicide. She states that she did not want to stay and talk, but that she “just wanted to go for a drive” and has a gun in the car, so she is at a high risk given the methods and accessibility to those methods (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2018). She has previous suicide attempts, while there is no time frame on when those prior attempts took place, it places her in at a moderate risk at the very least (if 1 to 5 years ago) (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2018). She does not report loneliness or hopelessness at this current moment, but given her history of depression, past divorce and no significant other, admissions of guilt over an affair, having no hobbies and getting “all her satisfaction” from work, it is likely that she has or current is experiencing some level of loneliness, and her past attempts are potentially indicative of hopelessness; all these factors put her at a minimum of a moderate risk, but further information would probably lead to a high risk. The divorce, lack of relationship or mention of friendships does put the loneliness at a high risk due to having limited support (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2018). There is no mention of substance abuse. There is also no point that she states suicidal plans or ideation, but her behaviors show some ideation present. Her risk factors for chance of intervention are dependent on
Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve a healthy life and have comprehensive health care services available to them. To achieve this healthy life, people need to have access to the health care system and to a health care provider with whom they can develop a trusting relationship. However, existing barriers to attaining health care services often lead to disparities which in turn lead to differences in life expectancy, health status and a higher prevalence of certain chronic diseases (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012).
In the United States, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 10 to 14-year-olds (CDC, 2015) and for 15 to 19-year-olds (Friedman, 2008). In 2013, 17.0% of students grades 9 to 12 in the United States seriously thought about committing suicide, 13.6% made a suicide plan, 8.0% attempted suicide, and 2.7% attempted suicide in which required medical attention (CDC, 2015). These alarming statistics show that there is something wrong with the way mental illness is handled in today’s society. Also, approximately 21% of all teenagers have a treatable mental illness (Friedman, 2008), although 60% do not receive the help that they need (Horowitz, Ballard, & Pao, 2009).
Jim Lafferty is retiring from MHA in Delaware, effective October 31st. Emily Vera will succeed John as executive director. Emily previously served as community educator, suicide prevention specialist and program director for MHAD’s suicide prevention program. Most recently, Emily served as assistant director and deputy director at MHAD. I have listed her contact information below for your
A vulnerable population is defined as “ people who are at risk of developing health problems” by “ their sociocultural status, their limited access to economic resources, or their personal characteristics such age and gender.” (Chesnay & Anderson, 2012) Some of these vulnerable populations can be labeled and are treated differently in our healthcare system. There are many families that are labeled to in a status of their wealth, race and age. Specific types of specific population is immigrants and homeless individuals
Effective healthcare is dependent on understanding vulnerable individuals and populations with respect to biases and prejudices of healthcare providers. According to de Chesnay (2008), “Vulnerability is a general concept meaning susceptibility, and its specific connotation in terms of healthcare is at risk for health problems” (p. 3). Anyone can be vulnerable at different times in his or her life under specific circumstances. According to de Chesnay (2008), “Vulnerable populations are those at risk for poor physical, psychological, or social health.
The first health concern I would like to discuss is the opioid epidemic facing the entire country. “States with statistically significant increases in drug overdose death rates from 2014 to 2015 included Rhode Island” (CDC, 2017). The amount of opioids prescribed has increased since 1999 even though there has been no change in the quantity of pain reported by patients. Deaths from prescription opioids including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone have exploded since 1999. 25% of people who are prescribed opioids long term with addiction. It is reported that more than 1,000 patients are treated in emergency rooms for abusing opioid prescriptions. “Individuals with disabilities have a substance abuse rate 2 to 4 times that of the non-disabled population, according to the Department of Health and Human Services” (Lane, 2015). It is reported that between 1999 and 2015, an estimated 183,000 people have died from overdoses related opioids. In Rhode Island the number of deaths in 2016 is 336.
Maintaining an organization with industry-leading levels of diversity and inclusion is critical to fulfilling our mission, sustaining our business objectives, and providing the highest quality, affordable, and culturally competent care to our members and patients and the communities we serve.” ("Kaiser Permanente",
The heath center leadership has failed to establish and support a program for culturally and linguistically appropriate services. This commitment should include multidisciplinary discussion of cultural issues and support of the use of qualified interpreters.
In conclusion, the primary concern of the DoD is to strive to reach an aspirational goal of zero suicides by our military members by implementing these strategies, and taking responsibility for protecting the men and women who defend our country that is consistent with the National Strategy in preventing
In a changing nation, population trends, along with other upcoming trends are affecting the healthcare industry. Changes in demographic trends, such as the aging population, the increased presence of minority groups, and rising fertility rates are very much present within our nation, making the need for healthcare providers to adapt their care to fit the entire population. Assessments of areas in terms of the age and race must be conducted annually if the healthcare system is to accommodate the change in healthcare needs. Latinos are more likely to suffer from Lupus than any other race in America. African-Americans are more likely to face diabetes. In fact, over the next few decades, the non-white population is expected to be the fasted growing group (Vespa, Armstrong, & Medina, 2018) in the United States.
Conserving the patient-provider interaction is vital to delivering excellent care to patients and ensuring patient follow up. There is a dire need for health care professionals to drive home the necessity for everyone regardless of age to come in for a yearly checkup. There is also a need for these visits to be fully effective for patients and one way a provider can do this is by being fully invested, compassionate, and interested. The thing is much of the underserved population has been raised with the notion that doctor visits are reserved for when disease is more than evident. We need to restore the patient-provider relationship. Being a member of an underserved ethnic group, I can attest to the struggles of growing up without health insurance
Medical care often conducted within poverty and ethical community are often left with gaps. This study “Patients’ engagement in primary care: powerlessness and compounding jeopardy. A qualitative study” by Nicolette F Sheridan, Timothy W. Kenealy, Jacquie D. Kidd, Jacqueline I G Schmidt-Busby, Jennifer E. Hand, Deborah L Raphael, Ann M. McKillop and Harold H. Rea is just one that aims to answer the many unanswered questions about medical care in poor older adults with chronic conditions. Ultimately, this study documents and evaluates the breach older adults face when visiting a professional. Additionally, the affect race, poverty and chronic illness may have on the overall experience at a health care facility.
Involve the communities in identifying their health care needs and problems to access of health care. Providing
Access to healthcare is a factor of great importance that needs to be addressed by any healthcare system. Issues such as the