PHN Topic 7 – Classmate (Catherine) Response -Topic 7 DQ 1-Describe the efforts of the American Public Health Association in quality improvement

QUESTION-Describe the efforts of the American Public Health Association in quality improvement in health care delivery and public health. In what ways does this affect evaluation and population health management?

Classmate (Catherine) Response (2)- Topic 7 DQ 1

The American Public Health Association is a vital organization in America as it champions the health of all the people and communities in America. Its vision of refining the public’s health while attaining equity in the health status has allowed it to succeed in the last one hundred and forty-nine years. One of the organization’s commitments is quality improvement in the healthcare delivery system and public health. Quality improvement in healthcare refers to a tactic where administrations monitor, evaluate, and advance the services provided by the healthcare systems (Price et al., 2017). It is essential because it improves the provider experience, reduces the cost of care and the experiences and outcome of the patients. On the other hand, quality in public health refers to the policies and services provided that improve the desired outcomes of the population’s health.

Some of the efforts made by the American Public Health Association include collaborating with the public health accreditation board, the national public health leadership development network, the national public health performance standards program, and the other bodies to improve the medical services offered to the public (American Public Health Association, 2021). The national public health performance standards program is a partnership of public health systems with the aim of improving the quality of public health. This liaison’s benefits include identifying strengths and weaknesses, a platform for benchmarking, a diverse network of partners, and improved organizational community communication and collaboration. All these benefits set the base for quality improvement.

Leadership is usually the cornerstone for the success of any organization and program. It has to be applied to ensure quality improvement in health care delivery and public health. The national public health leadership development network set the pace for management. This initiative aims to educate the stakeholders on evidence-based policy options, enforce the implementation of evidence-based practices in societies, line up the medicine with public health, and rally health outcomes through justifiable systems alteration. The topics addressed by this program include health literacy, emergency preparedness, immunizations, and social and emotional wellness. These goals and topics result in overall quality improvement in the healthcare system.

The Public Health Accreditation Board is the other organization partnering with the American Public Health Association. It is a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is quality enhancement in the public health departments. The benefits of this accreditation include greater accountability and transparency, increased performance development prospects, better identification of strengths and weaknesses, and improved credibility, visibility, and accountability to the external stakeholders (Siegfried et al., 2018). The Council on linkages between Academia and Public Health Practices is the last initiative with the American Public Health Association. It is a collaboration of several organizations whose primary drive is to improve performance through coordination, monitoring, and collaboration among academic and public health practices. Academics are fundamental, and their integration into public health improvement is crucial. This is because it will result in a competent workforce well trained to perform the tasks needed for quality improvement.

Quality improvement in health care delivery and public health significantly impacts the evaluation and population health management. These impacts include safety, cost-effectiveness, and general effectiveness. Safety is brought about by the well-organized and systematic evaluations that maximize care to the patients. The development of a neutral budget brings about cost-effectiveness by avoiding foreseen irrelevant costs, while general effectiveness is due to the decrease in the cases that bring forth redundancy and failure.

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Solution

Classmate Catherine

I agree with you that the American Public Health Association plays an essential role in enhancing the public health of the general population in the country. One of the primary roles of the APHA is to improve equity in health status across different communities in the US. The APHA has therefore been at the forefront of addressing health status equality and marginalization of some communities and groups of people in access to healthcare resources.

(APHA, 2020). The APHA, therefore, realizes that in public health, equity is an essential element because inequality in health status across populations will eventually lead to a lack of progress. For instance, if disease outbreaks and illnesses were allowed in specific marginalized communities, the whole American population would be at risk of transmission. The ability of the American public health association to promote equity in health status has been clearly evident during the Covid 19 pandemic. The APHA has therefore been at the forefront of public education and vaccination drives to control Covid-19 infections in the US and to ensure the marginalized community is not left behind. This is because the leaving out of any communities in public health initiatives eventually undermines any previous public health efforts.

The American public health Association also plays a significant role in continuing education and professional development of public health practitioners. It is vital for public health practitioners to consistently remain updated on how to address the public health needs of communities in the contemporary dynamic environment (APHA, 2020). The modern environment has therefore seen an increase in the risk of public health emergencies as a result of the ease of movement of people. By coordinating continuing education and professional development, the APHA, therefore, ensures that public health professionals remain prepared to deal with any public health issues.

References

APHA. (2020). APHA Overview. Apha.Org. https://www.apha.org/news-and-media/newsroom/online-press-kit/apha-overview.

American Public Health Association (APHA) 2020. (2020). American Public Health Association (APHA) 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & Expo. Phf.Org. https://www.phf.org/events/Pages/American_Public_Health_Association_APHA_2020_Virtual_Annual_Meeting_and_Expo.aspx