Examine and research 1 chronic disease (e.g., heart disease, stroke,
cancer, diabetes, arthritis, obesity) and write a paper that discusses
the following:
*Please research Heart disease*
A comparison of 2 health care policies that are in place (either at the state or federal level) that address the disease
The impact the disease has had on the U.S. population and health care system as a whole
Strategies that are in place to educate and promote prevention of the disease through public health at the federal and state levels
Any challenges and progress to date that has been made in preventing and reducing health risks associated with the disease
2–3 strategies that may increase awareness, education, and prevention of that disease.
Unit 5 IP: Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. The government has invested considerable resources to advance research and practice related to cardiovascular disease in the country. The local, state and federal government should continue supporting and engaging in efforts to prevent and manage heart disease since it continues to cause serious adverse effects in the US population. Besides, the country continues to experience health disparities by race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, and geography, which increases the burden of heart disease (DeFina et al., 2015). The poor health metric and social determinants of health affect life expectancy and the quality of life of Americans. Although many other efforts are underway to improve heard disease outcomes in the country, various governments have implemented policies at different levels to address heart disease, such as NC HR 670 (2011) and RI HB 5173/ SB 60 (2011, enacted, Chapter 86, Public Law No. 206).
State governments across the United States have adopted numerous policies to address various aspects of heart disease. Two of the policies are NC HR 670 (2011) and RI HB 5173/ SB 60 (2011, enacted, Chapter 86, Public Law No. 206), both enacted to address the burden of cardiovascular disease in the country. The two policies seek to create awareness about the need to adopt positive behaviors and avoid risk factors that cause heart disease. However, the target behavior for the policies differ. NC HR 670 (2011, adopted) focuses on awareness creation regarding the need to reduce sodium in food to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The policy uses the recommendations of the Stroke Advisory Council of the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force to educate the public regarding the factors that increase the risk of stroke, such as high blood pressure. On the other hand, RI HB 5173/ SB 60 (2011, enacted, Chapter 86, Public Law No. 206) addresses the burden of cardiovascular disease by directing the DoH to create a program for screening and lifestyle interventions in Rhode Island (NCSL 2011). Unlike NC HR 670 (2011), which is targeted to the general population, RI HB 5173/ SB 60 (2011) targets women to conduct early screening and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Various strategies are available in the country to educate and promote the prevention of heart disease through public health at the federal and state levels. The government has engaged in targeted attempts to create awareness and educate the public about the burden of cardiovascular disease and the need to avoid risk factors, such as smoking and unhealthy diet. The comprehensive strategies used by the government at the state and federal levels include measures for high-risk individuals and population-wide measures using education, health promotion, incentives for screening, and health care services and programs (Bauer et al., 2014). They also use advocacy and stakeholder engagement, such as nurses and other health care providers to educate individuals at the local level. They use information channels, such as websites (such as CDC), social media, and print media to promote the need to adopt healthy lifestyle choices, such as the correct diet to lower the risk of heart disease. The government has nationally-coordinated programs, such as “Let’s Move” to educate the population about physical activity, which is essential in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (LaBreche et al., 2016). The government has strengthened primary care to support the delivery of preventive actions, timely diagnosis and management of the cardiovascular disease. The country implemented patient education programs to lower the risk and increase patient compliance with preventive measures and self-management. The strategies have been part of concerted efforts to address the problem and improve cardiovascular prevention and management.
The government has made numerous attempts to promote health promotion and education to address the heart disease problem in the country. Programs, such as “Let’s Move” have increased the level of awareness in the country regarding the need for early detection and self-management of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke (Oliveira, Avezum, & Roever, 2015). Health care providers have also engaged in concerted and successful efforts to promote health, such as physical exercise and proper diet. However, the government has experienced challenges in preventing and reducing the risk of heart diseases, such as disparity and lack of compliance among target populations, such as high-risk individuals suffering from diabetes and obesity. Marginalized communities, such as rural women and the elderly, and racial minority groups rarely get information about behavior change and health promotion to reduce the risk of heart disease.
However, the government can collaborate with various stakeholder groups to address the challenges and improve health promotion and awareness creation. One of the strategies would be supporting nursing advocacy programs since health care workers interact with patients closely and can provide critical information about the risk factors, positive and negative behaviors. Another strategy is capitalizing on the power of social media as information dissemination took to reach as many people as possible. Another strategy is increasing the financial incentives to improve compliance and meet the health promotion and education needs of highly marginalized communities.
References
Bauer, U. E., Briss, P. A., Goodman, R. A., & Bowman, B. A. (2014). Prevention of chronic disease in the 21st century: elimination of the leading preventable causes of premature death and disability in the USA. The Lancet, 384(9937), 45-52.
DeFina, L. F., Haskell, W. L., Willis, B. L., Barlow, C. E., Finley, C. E., Levine, B. D., & Cooper, K. H. (2015). Physical activity versus cardiorespiratory fitness: two (partly) distinct components of cardiovascular health?. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 57(4), 324-329.
LaBreche, M., Cheri, A., Custodio, H., Fex, C. C., Foo, M. A., Lepule, J. T., … & Sablan-Santos, L. (2016). Let’s move for Pacific Islander Communities: an evidence-based intervention to increase physical activity. Journal of cancer education, 31(2), 261-267.
NCSL (2011). Heart Disease and Stroke – 2011 Update of State Legislative Policy Options. Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/2011-heart-disease-and-stroke-legislation.aspx#:~:text=RI%20HB%205173%2F%20SB%2060,West%20Warwick%20or%20Central%20Falls
Oliveira, G. B., Avezum, A., & Roever, L. (2015). Cardiovascular disease burden: evolving knowledge of risk factors in myocardial infarction and stroke through population-based research and perspectives in global prevention. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2, 32-37.