Nurs 8310 Week 11
Discussion 2: Factors That Impact Population Health
In this Discussion, you bring together the concepts that have been presented throughout this course by analyzing a current population health topic from an epidemiological approach. Consider the cultural, ethical, regulatory, and legal factors that may influence your selected topic.
To prepare:
· Review the case study, presented on page 288 of your course text, Population Health: Creating a Culture of Wellness. Consider the cultural, ethical, and legal factors presented in the case study and how they influence the Michigan Primary Care Transformation Project.
· With these thoughts in mind, select a current public health initiative that has been discussed in the popular press or available at the CDC website or your state’s health department website.
· Consider this initiative through the lens of an epidemiologist, and identify what you think are the three most important issues related to culture, ethics, regulatory, or legal aspects of the public health initiative.
· Consider how current health care legislation might impact your selected public health initiative. Conduct additional research as necessary.
By Day 4
Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:
· Provide a summary of your selected public health initiative, and include a reference to the article (and URL to the article, if possible).
· Analyze the cultural, ethical, regulatory, and legal factors that influence your specified population health topic.
· Evaluate how current health care legislation may positively or negatively impact your selected public health initiative.
Write 1.5 page and cite at least 3 sources
Answer:
Introduction Public health initiatives play a vital role in promoting and improving population health. However, the success of these initiatives is dependent on several factors, including cultural, ethical, regulatory, and legal factors. In this discussion, I will analyze the current public health initiative on childhood vaccination from an epidemiological approach. I will identify and discuss the three most critical issues related to culture, ethics, regulatory, or legal aspects of the initiative. Additionally, I will evaluate how current healthcare legislation may impact the success of the childhood vaccination initiative.
Selected Public Health Initiative: Childhood Vaccination Childhood vaccination is a public health initiative aimed at protecting children from preventable diseases. Vaccination is essential in reducing the spread of infectious diseases such as measles, polio, rubella, and influenza. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccines are responsible for preventing over 2.5 million deaths annually (CDC, 2022). However, despite the importance of vaccines, there is still a significant number of unvaccinated children, which increases the risk of disease outbreaks.
Cultural Factors Culture plays a significant role in the decision to vaccinate children. In some cultures, vaccination is viewed as a Western practice and not a traditional way of maintaining health. For instance, a study conducted in Nigeria found that some parents refused to vaccinate their children because of religious and cultural beliefs (Oku et al., 2015). Therefore, healthcare providers need to consider the cultural beliefs of families when advocating for childhood vaccination.
Ethical Factors Childhood vaccination has raised ethical concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Some parents have concerns about the side effects of vaccines, and there have been cases of adverse events associated with vaccines. Additionally, some parents have argued that vaccines should be a matter of personal choice, and the government should not impose mandatory vaccination laws.
Regulatory and Legal Factors The regulation of childhood vaccination varies from state to state. Some states have implemented mandatory vaccination laws, while others have allowed for religious or philosophical exemptions. However, in recent years, there has been a push to eliminate non-medical exemptions, with some states mandating vaccination for school enrollment. Additionally, the legal liability of vaccine manufacturers has been a controversial issue. Vaccine manufacturers are shielded from liability for any injuries or deaths resulting from vaccines, which has led to calls for the repeal of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.
Impact of Current Healthcare Legislation The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased access to vaccines for children by requiring insurance companies to cover the cost of vaccines without cost-sharing. Additionally, the ACA has provided funding for immunization programs, which has contributed to increased vaccination rates. However, the ACA has also been criticized for not addressing the issue of vaccine hesitancy and the increasing number of non-medical exemptions.
Conclusion Childhood vaccination is a crucial public health initiative that protects children from preventable diseases. However, cultural, ethical, regulatory, and legal factors have impacted the success of the initiative. To address these challenges, healthcare providers need to consider the cultural beliefs of families and engage in ethical discussions about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Additionally, policy makers need to address regulatory and legal issues that affect vaccine uptake. The ACA has made significant strides in increasing access to vaccines, but there is still a need to address vaccine hesitancy to achieve optimal vaccination rates.
References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Vaccine-preventable diseases. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/index.html Oku, A., Oyo-Ita, A., Glenton, C., Fretheim, A., & Eteng, G. (2015). Factors affecting the implementation of childhood vaccination communication strategies in Nigeria: A qualitative study. BMC Public
