1. Directly respond to at least one classmate in a way that extends meaningful discussions, adds new information, and/or offers alternative perspectives.

Racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to have healthcare coverage, which may have minor interaction with the healthcare system (CDC, 2017). They are more than likely to get dental care and preventative care such as cancer screenings, blood pressure checks, and vaccinations. Racial and ethnic minorities also have a high probability of going to the emergency department for a condition that is not deemed an emergency that could have been treated at a routine appointment (Gindi, Cohen, & Kirzinger, 2012). According to Shi, we should be mindful of vulnerable populations (2014, p.122). We should care because everybody should be entitled to quality healthcare. If we focused more on quality care given to vulnerable populations, it could provide more awareness into health system issues or identify complications that could go unnoticed.

             Vulnerable populations affect healthcare administrators in many ways. Language barriers are common factors that limit access to care. Providers have a hard time screening ethnic minorities that are not proficient in English. The lack of not having a regular source of care (RSC) decreases the possibility of receiving coordinated care, which could impact quality treatment (Shi, 2014). To promote equity, we must first acknowledge the underlying causes and circumstances of vulnerable populations and provide solutions.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (28 Dcember, 2017). Minority health events. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/events/index.html

Gindi, R., Cohen, R., Kirzinger, K. (2012). Emergency room use among adults ageds 18-64: early release of estimates from the national health interview survey. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/emergency_room_use_january-june_2011.pdf

Shi, L. (2014). Health policy for diverse populations. In Introduction to health policy, pp. 118-149. Chicago: Health Administration Press. Available in the Trident Online Library.

In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to review a reliable and valid process for reviewing and evaluating professional practice standards, The framework is the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE Tool II).

1. Access the links provided for the AGREE process for evaluating professional practice guidelines. Explore the websites provided: AGREE Information and Resources and UpToDate Database. Review this document to provide background information for you.

2. Review the assessment tool (link provided). AGREE Assessment Tool. 

Note: the tool you will use to evaluate the required guideline is the AGREE II Tool. Once you access the document in the link, the tool is all the way at the bottom of the document Entitled: AGREE Tool II. You may need to reproduce the tool in a MS Word document or you may develop each domain in a narrative format but be sure to score each domain per the tool. 

3. Access the assessment form via the link provided. Use the tool to evaluate the practice guideline selected. 2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure

4. As the AGREE tool is used, it is evident that the guidelines are evidence-based and the evidence to support the guideline is leveled using letters to identify strength of evidence.  Level of evidence guide to accompany AGREE Tool. 

Just review this document for your information. It is important to know professional guidelines are to be based on current evidence. 

5. Complete each portion of the assessment thoroughly, providing a score on the Likert scale and providing details in the comments section.

6. Once the AGREE assessment has been completed, develop an introductory paragraph discussing the purpose of the guidelines and other information you deem relevant, develop a narrative summary as to the outcomes of the assessment. Integrate the assigned reading for this week into the narrative, paying special attention to the implications for the micro, and macro systems levels’ application. Be sure to include information as to your support of using the tool in the practice setting. 

7. Include a title page and a reference list per current APA format.