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 reflects 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 correlated with health status. Commonly referred to as the “determinants of health,” these factors currently 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.

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:

1. Patient engagement activities and communication strategies
   1. 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.
   2. Analyze the extent to which educational resources and materials are available in languages other than English. Be sure to provide specific examples.
   3. 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.
   4. 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.
2. Health promotion and disease prevention and management strategies
   1. 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.
   2. 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.
   3. 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.
   4. 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.
3. Financial incentives and quality improvement processes
   1. 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.
   2. To what extent is the organization’s approach to care considered patient-centered? Be sure to cite specific examples to substantiate your claims.
   3. 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?
   4. 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.
4. Recommendations
   1. 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.
   2. 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.
   3. 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.