Overview

The final project for this course is the creation of a health issue presentation.

Healthcare managers must recognize that changes in healthcare policy can alter the economic landscape of an organization. In understanding healthcare economic principles, healthcare mangers can develop healthcare delivery models designed to address critical healthcare issues. Ultimately, the goal must always be improving population health and outcomes. This assessment will provide you with a real-world opportunity to assume the role of healthcare administrator and analyze key legislation for its impacts on the delivery of care and public health.

In this assessment, you will select an economic issue that has impacted the healthcare system from the provided list and identify a corresponding health policy addressing the issue. Your task will be to examine relevant macroeconomic and microeconomic forces to arrive at an informed opinion on the benefits and consequences of that policy. Based on your investigation, you will create a presentation articulating the value of the policy initiative for the overall health of American society. Ultimately, your aim is to influence an audience of healthcare administrators and managers, as well as healthcare policy makers and legislators, to care about your key health topic and support your identified solution.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules One, Three, and Five. The final submission is due in Module Seven. 

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes: 

• Analyze fundamental economic principles and indicators for determining operational strategies that improve healthcare quality, costs, and accessibility for patients and caregivers 
• Evaluate contemporary economic policies and practices for their positive and negative impacts to the American healthcare system and the healthcare consumer 
• Assess the market power of healthcare organizations for their potential to influence healthcare consumer behavior 
• Illustrate socioeconomic factors that influence community health needs by identifying specific catalysts for and obstacles to change in the American healthcare system

Prompt

Your presentation should be a polished artifact using slides and speaker notes that are supportive of a five- to ten-minute talk. In the talk, you should passionately address an audience of healthcare administrators and managers, as well as healthcare policy makers and legislators. The content should address each of the critical elements listed below.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

1. Analysis of the Health Issue: Describe for your audience the nature of your chosen public health issue, so that they will be able to understand and appreciate your presentation. Specifically, be sure that you address the following: 
   1. Outline the underlying economic principles and indicators at play, using specific examples. To what extent do those principles and indicators apply in understanding your chosen public health issue? 
   2. Demonstrate the economic impacts of your public health issue. Provide specific examples of each impact. 
   3. Analyze the larger context within which your chosen public health issue exists. To what extent is the issue a product of larger socioeconomic factors? 
   4. Examine the major healthcare organizations impacted by the public health issue. How are they currently acting and reacting to the issue? 
2. Evaluation of Policy 
   1. Discuss the current economic and legal landscape related to your public health issue. To what extent do existing policies (or the lack thereof) have positive or negative impacts to the American healthcare system? 
   2. Explain your proposed policy using evidence and examples to illustrate.
      1. What are the specific operational strategies that you believe are necessary for addressing your chosen issue and why?
      2. What role do the major healthcare organizations play in your proposed policy? To what extent can their position in the marketplace be harnessed? 
   3. Defend your proposed policy for addressing the public health issue with specific research and evidence. 
      1. How will your proposed public policy improve the American healthcare system in terms of healthcare quality, costs, and accessibility? 
      2. In what ways is your proposed policy informed by the larger socioeconomic factors that can influence public health? 
3. Implementation 
   1. Identify potential socioeconomic barriers to policy change and describe each with specific details. 
   2. Identify possible socioeconomic supports for policy change and describe each with specific details. 
   3. Illustrate the value proposition for the major healthcare organizations you referenced earlier. To what extent will there be beneficial outcomes for their organizations if your policy is enacted? How would you mobilize them to support change? 
   4. End your presentation with a final, persuasive call to action tailored to your target audiences.

Milestones

Milestone One: Topic Selection 

In Module One, you will submit your topic selection. After reviewing the requirements in the final project document, explore the four focus areas identified by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. From these broad topics, identify a specific public health issue to use as the basis for your final project presentation. For example, if you are interested in mental health as a broad topic, you may narrow your focus and select healthcare for veterans as your specific topic. Using the template provided, begin to compile important information and resources that you can use to develop your presentation. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Analysis of Health Issue (Draft of Section I) 

In Module Three, you will submit your analysis of the health issue. Describe for your audience the nature of your chosen public health issue, so that they will be able to understand and appreciate your presentation. Your analysis will include the economic principles and impacts involved with your public health issue, related socioeconomic factors, and the healthcare organizations impacted. Use the feedback you received on Milestone One to assist you in developing your introduction. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. 

Milestone Three: Letter to Stakeholder (Draft of Section II) 

In Module Five, you will submit a letter to a stakeholder. Address the critical elements in the Evaluation of Policy section and write a letter to the stakeholders involved to describe and defend your proposed policy. Stakeholders could include policy makers, healthcare providers, insurers, and healthcare consumers. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.

Final Submission: Health Issue Presentation

In Module Seven, you will submit your health issue presentation. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This final submission will be graded using the Final Project Rubric.

What to Submit

Your presentation should be a polished artifact using slides and speaker notes that are supportive of a 5- to 10-minute talk. Any citations should be in APA format.