Begin reviewing and replying to peer postings/responses early in the week to enhance peer discussion. See the rubric for participation points. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing viewpoints with a rationale, challenging aspects of the discussion, or indicating relationships between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Always use constructive language, even in criticism, to work toward the goal of positive progress.

TASK

Post your initial response to one of the two topics below

Topic 1

Review the Healthy People 2020 objectives for Access to Care. 

• Of all the objectives listed under this topic, which do you think would be most beneficial to the patients with chronic illness? 
• Provide rationales for your selection and support responses with examples from references. 

Topic 2

• Discuss how you feel nurses can positively impact the Healthy People 2020 goals. 
• Support your response with examples from Healthy People 2020, textbook lectures and the library.

Peer 1

Access to comprehensive, quality health care services is important for promoting and maintaining health, preventing and managing disease, reducing unnecessary disability and premature death, and achieving health equity for all Americans (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2020). The objective that stood out most to me on Healthy People 2020 was reducing the number of patients who are unable to obtain or delay in necessary medical care. As nurses, we know firsthand how much medical expenses can be which can be burdensome for individuals which can lead to needed care being swept under the rug causing more problems. A total of 6,375,000 people in the United States could not get hospitalization, prescription medications, medical equipment/supplies, or emergency, pediatric, mental health, or home care, and although the uninsured were more likely to forego care unavailable, three quarters of those unable to obtain services were insured too (Himmelstein and Woolhandler, 2018). I hope that we can continue to make a positive impact and provide care regardless. 

Himmelstein, D. U., & Woolhandler, S. (1995). Care denied: US residents who are unable to obtain needed medical services. American journal of public health, 85(3), 341–  344. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.85.3.341

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020). Cancer. In Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/

Peer 2

  Access to health care services means the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2020). Nurses can positively impact the Healthy People 2020 goals. Nurses play a key role in advocating for patient needs in the community and one way was by improvement of educating in prevention of chronic diseases. Among one important factor a nurse can include in setting up community base programs based on prevention of certain chronic illnesses like diabetes.  A nurse can be an advocate to make wellness programs about diabetes known throughout the community. Adds can be placed in local newspapers and brochures can be made place on the billboards in clinics advertising the wellness programs. The program will have to remain cost effective to the participant. Many times, people wait to late until sick, then must be hospitalized, in order to receive health care. “Healthy People 2020 really shapes the agenda for many public health and community-oriented program and initiatives, so important for public health nurse, in particular, and nurse to pay attention to and participate in creating document,” (Trossman, 2008).