NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 2: Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 2: Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

Student Name 

Capella University

NURS-FPX 4900: Capstone Project for Nursing

Professor Name

Date

Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

Premature death-related expenses such as medical care, prescription drugs, and lost wages are all included in this figure. This number doesn’t have the economic consequences of comorbidities and conditions induced by hypertension. Many people suffer from chronic high blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, making it one of the most expensive health concerns in the country. Hypertension costs the United States between $132 billion and $200 billion each year (Ku, MPH, 2021). Hypertensive people spend roughly $3,000 more a year on medical care than healthy people do on health care. According to current estimates, over 655 million prescriptions for blood pressure medication are issued each year. Approximately $34 billion has been spent together, with $4.4 billion of it being paid by consumers (Yeager & Kari L., 2021). In the two-hour practicum, I noticed a lot of admissions because of increased blood pressure and hypertensive illnesses.

My patient had been taken to the hospital three times in the preceding month due to heart problems or excessive blood pressure. She was in critical condition. The lack of medical attention she received was causing her health to deteriorate. Her current medical condition, which included heart and blood pressure issues, demanded a large cash outlay. She had been on beta-blockers for some time, and her blood salt level was high. The hospital had to buy her a sphygmomanometer to get daily reliable blood pressure readings. When she walked inside the room, she was worried about what she might encounter (Forester & McKibbon, 2020). Without health insurance, she would be responsible for all medical expenses. Long-term health care costs might be substantial. Doctors, nutritionists, and social workers must all work together to keep high blood pressure under control. Mrs. Harry’s financial woes stemmed from the fact that she often forgot to take her prescription because of the high cost of pharmaceuticals.

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 2: Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

As a result of her lack of insurance, she could not pay for the prescribed medication in a timely way. Antihypertensive medicine has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure in drug development and experimental studies. Antihypertensive drugs are related to a decreased risk of cardiac arrest and all-cause death because of their capacity to control blood pressure. Even though antihypertensive medications offer several advantages, more than half of persons using them in the United States have blood pressure out of control. A lack of adherence to blood pressure drugs may contribute to the poor rate of control of blood pressure among people who use them. A lack of access to prescribed antihypertensive medicine is a common factor for poor treatment adherence.

A Hypertension’s Impact on Quality, Safety, and Cost

Several hypertension patients have expressed concern about the expense of their medications and medical visits throughout my time as a nurse. The great majority of those afflicted were unable to pay for their care due to a lack of access to health insurance or other forms of financial support. I had a chat with the nurse supervisor about possible national and international suggestions for improving hypertension therapy delivery. Besides that, the nursing supervisor stressed to HTN patients the availability of health insurance and financial help options. Hypertensive Self-Management Education (HSME) in community settings combined with a patient-centered approach has improved patients’ overall healthcare functionality (Serper et al., 2020). Nurses’ knowledge and experience in managing hypertension (HTN) would improve as a consequence.

The HSME framework encourages the growth of learning capacities, the acquisition of information, and the enhancement of aptitudes for better patient treatment. This group includes positive cognitive changes, such as adherence to treatment, physical activity supplements, and dietary alterations and limits. Treatment plans may now incorporate qualified professionals and patients since technology has been integrated into the HSME framework, enhancing its chances of success. Patient-centered care is considered a solution in HTN, and education is part of that strategy (Patel et al., 2018). Improved healthcare outcomes may be achieved by empowering the patient. In addition to the HSME program’s resources, this new implementation will provide caregivers with financial and other resources for HTN care management education.

The program follows the instructions of medical specialists and educates participants on the many treatment options available for high blood pressure. Patients may soon be able to get educational counseling and medical treatment for hypertension, a long-awaited breakthrough. The nursing profession is governed by several statutes and regulations enacted to ensure that the professional behavior of nurses adheres to the established standards. For registered nurses (RNs), the Nurse Profession Act is a vital piece of law because it incorporates safeguards that assist them in achieving the utmost degree of safety possible when they are on duty. As healthcare professionals, registered nurses have a vital role in implementing HTN control strategies (Ding et al., 2018). They may guarantee that high-quality and secure care is provided by implementing local or national laws, guidelines, and practice standards. Even more significantly, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has positively influenced the assessment of high blood pressure in health promotion initiatives. Since the Affordable Care Act mandates that physicians be involved in the diagnostic, management, and drug delivery procedures connected with hypertension therapy, it has significantly impacted HTN diagnosis.

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 2: Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

As a result, previously incapable hypertensive patients now have easier access to treatment options because of the law’s prohibition on treatment denial. This has made it simpler to identify hypertension patients, particularly those from underrepresented groups. The biggest obstacle to a successful high blood pressure therapy was the patient’s lack of understanding (Ding et al., 2018). Mrs. Harry had no idea what the essential criteria and standards were for assessing her state of health. She had no idea. Her lack of knowledge about financial help programs for the treatment of HTN was especially alarming. To prepare her for the upcoming protocol change, I made care to inform her about the possible dangers to her cardiovascular system and the global prevalence of high blood pressure. A shared point of view and a similar aim helped her keep tabs on her present anticipated healthcare outcomes, which she could do effectively.

Quality, Safety, and Cost-Cutting Strategies

Heart failure (HTN) treatment’s overall quality, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness have all been disputed in various articles. Telehealth has already been utilized effectively in the case of hypertension patients to increase treatment supply, particularly treatment effectiveness. As a result, thanks to telehealth, patients are empowered to take more responsibility for their own health and well-being. In addition to improving quality of life, patient education and patient-centered care may help patients make healthier lifestyle choices and stick with their treatment plans (Nugent et al., 2018). I found out this after talking with my nursing supervisor regarding Mrs. Harry’s responses to the practicum questionnaires. She displayed a great degree of comprehension and professionalism throughout the presentation.