Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Essay

Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Essay

Evidence Based Practice

Chronic Diseases Statistics

The mortality rates for Chautauqua County, where Jamestown is one of the two cities, are more or less the same as that of the national average. Between 2006 and 2010, there was an average of 804.9 deaths for every 100,000 residents (Lim & Harris, 2015). According to the Vital Statistics of New York State from 2011, the rates for the county stood at 777.3 deaths per 100,000 residents, while the State of New York registered 643.7 deaths for every 100,000 people (Lim & Harris, 2015). Representatives from the Chautauqua County Health and Human Services argue that the higher death rate attributed to chronic diseases include diabetes, heart disease, cancer among others (United Way of Southern Chautauqua County, 2013). The worrying trend indicated lower hospitalization rates which mean that the residents for some reasons don’t take their health seriously.

The heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory disease were the leading causes of death in the county.  Heart disease is considered the primary cause of mortality for all residents in the country with stroke ranked third. In Chautauqua County, heart disease was responsible for the death of 336.4 people per 100,000 residents (Lim & Harris, 2015). Diabetes and the associated complications is another chronic condition that is rapidly increasing in the U.S. In 2011, an estimated 18.8 million citizens were diagnosed with a further 7 million thought to have the condition but were undiagnosed (United Way of Southern Chautauqua County 2013). Given that the disease is most common in people above the age of 60 years, the number of individuals with severe diabetes is anticipated to escalate as more Americans attain that age. In Jamestown City, the disease is one of the most problematic chronic illnesses with data suggesting a mortality rate of about 21%, which is higher than the rate for the State at 17.4 % (Chautauqua County, 2015).

The second leading cause of death for the residents of Jamestown City, according to 2011 statistics, was cancer (Chautauqua County, 2015). There were a total of 324 deaths that year as a result of cancer-related complications (Chautauqua County, 2015). However, there is an observed decrease in the death rates from cancer over the last decade. Another chronic disease that is of great concern is Asthma which affects more than 1.1 million adults in New York State (United Way of Southern Chautauqua County 2013). However, the condition is more prevalent among children than adults.

Epidemiological Concepts, Methods and data Analysis Tools

Most of the studies, especially the 2014-2017 community assessment, involved high-level collaboration with the community stakeholders and the hospitals. The groups held planning meetings where progress and what actions needed for the next steps were discussed. To identify the health issues, the committee used input from the public, secondary data obtained from the Department of Health of NYS and relevant resources as well as input from experts versed with local area content. The community input was gathered through the use of web surveys and community conversations (Chautauqua County, 2015).

The researchers asked the residents what the residents considered to be problems affecting the community, the health issues, personal health and relevant demographic information. Analysis of the Survey was done by the Survey Monkey Programming. The study used both hard copies and electronic means to reach various persons of interest. Given the low face to face engagement with the communities, the information collected may not reflect the raw facts as some respondents when not properly guided, may give non-factual information (Chautauqua County, 2015).

organization

Factors that Affect Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Some of the factors that have been found to affect health promotion and prevention of diseases especially for the older citizens of the city of Jamestown and the entire County include a lack of jobs, poverty and lack of enough funding from the county management, and transportation (Prince et al., 2015). Literacy on health issues is a fundamental factor in enhancing personal health and well-being. However, the low levels of literacy regarding the risk factors associated with the development of chronic diseases is a major contributor to the high numbers of mortalities reported in Jamestown City compared to NYS and the nation at large (Chautauqua County, 2015).

 In the earlier paper, we established that the health disparities among the Latinos and Black American minorities are detrimental to the overall prevention of diseases. This cultural stigmatization and discrimination render the minority group at disadvantage of accessing better jobs, remuneration, and the consequences are that they will have poor education, live in poverty and poor health. Indeed, for some families, access to quality and healthy food is not guaranteed. Substance and drug abuse is another major contributor to the uptake of disease prevention and health promotion initiatives. Most of the elderly persons from the minority communities engage in alcoholism and substance abuse which effectively exposes them to the risks of developing any of the chronic illnesses (Prince et al., 2015).

Health Care Initiatives Used by Other Organizations

The administration of the State of New York has rolled out initiatives that are aimed at promoting healthy living. Some of the notable measures involve the insistence of designing the built environment to enable people to undertake more physical exercises. For example, some buildings have been deprived of lifts to allow people use the staircases. The pathways have been designed to encourage more people to cycle from work. Other measures include the campaigns for people to eat healthy foods. This includes installing of water taps at various areas to encourage people to drink water as opposed to the use of sugary drinks. All these efforts are meant to address the problem of obesity and overweight which are dominant risk factors for the development of chronic illnesses. The hospitals in the county have agreed to collaborate address the issues of chronic diseases prevention and substance abuse.

Recommended Health Care Initiative

 In my opinion, the number and promotion of events that educate the community about their health. Health education is one of the most significant factors that determine the adoption of various health initiatives forwarded to the residents. With regular seminars and health conversations about health increases the awareness of the risk factors and how to mitigate them. Such events should be done at predetermined periodicals to ensure that many of the older citizens attend and or their caregivers have the necessary knowledge regarding their conditions (Prince et al., 2015).

Conclusion

While the efforts of the Chautauqua County through the Department of Health and Human Services deserve some commendation for identifying and putting in place mechanisms to address the plight of older citizens, more needs to be done. The figures suggest that compared to the NYS and the country at large, the mortality rates occasioned from chronic illnesses are still high. Reducing the health disparities and discrimination against the minorities should be among the priorities of the county administration. I also believe that more research needs to be done regarding the older citizens of NYS to enable the development of proper policies that will ensure better health outcomes for the senior citizens (Prince et al., 2015). Above all, more effort towards health promotion and prevention of disease should be emphasized and more funds allocated to achieve the desired results.

Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Essay