IHP 410 Final Project Guidelines and Ru
ic
IHP 410 Final Project Guidelines and Ru
ic
Overview
The final project for this course is a case study analysis with recommendations that will evaluate the cultural competence of an organization and the ways it
provides services from a population health approach framework. It is important for healthcare organizations to use strategies for improving services to a diverse
population in order to provide quality care to all patients.
A population health approach unifies, integrates, and balances prevention and promotion, health protection, diagnosis, treatment, and care. It acknowledges and
eflects evidence that factors outside of the healthcare system can significantly affect health. It considers the entire range of individual and collective factors and
conditions—and their interactions—that have been shown to be co
elated with health status. Commonly refe
ed to as the “determinants of health,” these
factors cu
ently include income and social status, social support networks, education, employment/working conditions, social environments, physical
environments, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, biology and genetic endowment, health services, gender, and culture.
A population health approach focuses on improving the health status of a population, rather than of individuals. Such a focus necessitates reducing disparities, or
inequalities in health status among population groups. The outcomes or benefits of a population health approach, therefore, extend beyond improved population
health outcomes to include an integrated health system and increased social cohesion and citizen engagement.
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 Three, Four, and Six. The final project will be submitted in Module Seven.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Evaluate health promotion and disease management strategies for their efficacy in addressing factors that determine population health status
Evaluate healthcare organizations’ patient engagement activities and communication strategies for the extent to which they demonstrate cultural
competence for improving population health outcomes
Assess the extent to which healthcare organizations use the population health approach to reduce costs and improve quality of care
Propose recommendations that improve healthcare organizations’ effectiveness in advancing the population health approach
Prompt
Evaluate the cultural competence of the healthcare organization presented in the Integrated Safety-Net Health Care System case study using a population health
approach. Please also read the supplemental Interpreting Services Program document to ensure that you have all of the information about the Montefiore
Medical Center you will need to address the critical elements.
Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Patient engagement activities and communication strategies
a) Critique the organization’s translation and interpretation services that may be available to non-English-speaking patients. In other words, does
the organization provide such services? How many different languages are supported? How might the organization communicate with a speaker
of a language that is not supported? Be sure to provide evidence that supports your claims.
) Analyze the extent to which educational resources and materials are available in languages other than English. Be sure to provide specific
examples.
c) Assess organizational staff training on patient engagement and communications for its potential to foster cultural competence. Be sure to provide
evidence to support your claims.
d) Identify gaps or deficiencies that may exist in the organization’s patient engagement and communications strategies, and provide evidence to
support your claims. If you feel there are none, be sure to explain your reasoning.
II. Health promotion and disease prevention and management strategies
a) Assess the organization on its efforts to promote healthy living by examining programs (e.g., fitness classes, blood pressure clinics, first aid
training, nutrition education, etc.) that it may offer to patients. Be sure to provide evidence to support your claims.
) How appropriate are the organization’s disease prevention and management programs and services (such as discharge planning, home health
services, vaccination services, etc.) for addressing factors that determine population health status? Be sure to provide evidence to support your
claims.
c) Assess non-programmatic services (such as transportation, on-site child care, etc.) that may be offered by the organization for their impact on
factors that determine population health status.
d) Identify gaps or deficiencies that may exist in the organization’s health promotion and disease prevention and management efforts, and provide
evidence to support your claims. If you feel there are none, be sure to explain your reasoning.
III. Financial incentives and quality improvement processes
a) Analyze population health-oriented policies (such as non-discrimination in hiring, care and treatment, Patient Bill of Rights, financial assistance,
etc.) that the organization may have implemented for reducing costs and improving overall quality. Be sure to provide evidence to support your
claims.
) To what extent is the organization’s approach to care considered patient-centered? Be sure to cite specific examples to substantiate your claims.
c) What specific strategies (such as eliminating unnecessary procedures and providing only essential treatments or interventions) does the
organization employ in its population health approach to reduce costs and improve overall quality?
http:
www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/case-study/2010/oct/1448_chase_montefiore_med_ctr_case_study_v2.pdf
http:
www.montefiore.org/documents/staffing/interpreting_services_program2007.pdf
d) Describe gaps or deficiencies that may exist in the organization’s use of the population health approach in reducing costs and improving quality
of care, and provide evidence to support your claims. If you feel there are none, be sure to explain your reasoning.
IV. Recommendations
a) Recommend strategies for improving the organization’s cultural competence with regard to patient engagement and communications. Be sure to
use research to support your reasoning.
) Suggest health promotion and disease prevention strategies for improving outcomes in terms of population health status. Be sure to use research
to justify your suggestions.
c) Recommend policies and strategies that increase the organization’s use of a population health approach to reduce costs and improve overall
quality of care. Be sure to use research to substantiate your recommendations.
Milestones
Milestone One: Patient Engagement Activities and Communication Strategies
In Module Three, you will submit Section I of the case study, in which you will address the patient engagement activities and communication strategies of the
health organization. Specifically, you will critique the organization’s translation services, educational materials, and staff training options. You should consider
things such as variety of language options, how well the organization meets the language requirements of its service demographic, and how well staff training
addresses key cultural competence issues. This milestone should be two to three double-spaced pages. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Ru
ic.
Milestone Two: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Management Strategies
In Module Four, you will submit Section II of the case study, in which you will address the organization’s health promotion and disease prevention and
management strategies. Specifically, you will critique the organization’s healthy living programs, disease prevention and management programs, and non-
programmatic services. You will assess the cultural competence of these services using the population health approach. Be sure to consider issues such as how
well the organization’s health promotion and management strategies address a wide range of cultural beliefs and whether the organization’s programs and non-
programmatic services help to reduce inequalities among members of the population. This milestone should be two to three double-spaced pages. This
milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Ru
ic.
Milestone Three: Financial Incentives and Quality Improvement Processes
In Module Six, you will submit Section III of the case study, in which you will address the organization’s financial incentives and quality improvement processes.
Specifically, you will critique the organization’s population-health-oriented policies, the organization’s approach to care and the extent to which it is patient-
centered, and any strategies the organization uses in its population-health approach. This milestone should be two to three double-spaced pages. This milestone
is graded with the Milestone Three Ru
ic.
Final Submission: Case Study Analysis and Proposal
In Module Seven, you will submit your case study analysis and proposal using a population health approach framework. 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 submission
is graded with the Final Project Ru
ic.
Deliverables
Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading
1 Patient Engagement Activities and
Communication Strategies
Three Graded separately; Milestone One Ru
ic
2 Health Promotion and Disease
Prevention and Management Strategies
Four Graded separately; Milestone Two Ru
ic
3 Financial Incentives and Quality
Improvement Processes
Six Graded separately; Milestone Three Ru
ic
Final Submission: Case Study Analysis
and Proposal
Seven Graded separately; Final Project Ru
ic