NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2
[Student Name]
Capella University
Professor’s Name
August 2025
NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2: Policy Proposal
Need for Policy Change
Mercy Medical Center has a somewhat high patient readmission rate despite being one of the top medical facilities in the area. This medical center’s 30-day readmission rate is 26.5. Compared to the national average of 20% within the same time period, it is relatively high (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Furthermore, the national average is 16.1%, while the average in Minnesota is 15.22 (Minnesota Department of Health, 2021). These figures suggest that the facility has to take specific, pertinent, and timely measures. Hospital 30-day readmissions cost the healthcare facility and the national healthcare system a lot of money. According to Warchol et al. (2019), preventable readmissions cost the US economy roughly $26 billion annually. Mercy Medical Center’s high readmission rates result in increased Medicare costs due to the readmission penalty from the facility. Patients suffer a severe emotional blow whenever they are readmitted to the hospital. According to a single study that sought to understand how patients viewed their readmission, 85% of those who experienced it thought that the readmission could have been prevented and that the discharge facility’s unprofessional healthcare services and premature discharge were to blame (Warchol et al., 2019). Such a negative perception also affects the course of treatment and the time it takes for patients to recover, as seen in this example of a policy proposal. Predisposing patients to hospital-acquired infections is another negative effect of readmission (Warchol et al., 2019). Readmissions often result in a longer stay in a medical facility, which exposes a patient to more illnesses. According to NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2, a high readmission rate puts patients at risk for emotional distress and hospital-acquired infections in addition to being extremely costly.
If the problem of high readmission rates is not addressed promptly, a healthcare facility may face several repercussions. This policy proposal highlights the fact that, despite inconsistent study findings, certain studies have linked worse care quality to increased readmission rates. The first concern that arises when patients return to a hospital is why the medical staff and the entire establishment failed to fulfill their duties (Walker, 2017). Consequently, the government, individuals, and healthcare organizations view hospital readmissions as a sign of poor-quality healthcare services. According to NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2, the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) penalizes hospitals for preventable readmissions. The program’s use of readmission as a measure of lower-quality medical care is demonstrated by this penalty. According to Benbassat and Taragin (2020), there is currently insufficient empirical evidence to support the aforementioned assumption. Even so, efforts to reduce hospital readmissions are still made even in the absence of data linking readmission to quality care. As high readmission rates are frequently interpreted as signs of subpar care, this policy suggestion notes that the hospital will continue to pay fines and sustain harm to its reputation until adjustments are made.
Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines to Reduce Readmission Rates
In the last several decades, many healthcare executives have turned the minimization of hospital readmissions into a relevant objective. Most hospital administrators want to reduce readmission rates to ensure that they are more financially competent and meet the needs of the community. One of the strategies employed to minimize readmission rates is data analytics (Warchol et al., 2019). The strategy of NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2 involves the development of analytical models used to predict the risk of readmission in a patient. The data obtained through the help of this model then becomes the basis of developing the discharge procedures
that could prevent or reduce preventable readmissions. Another method that is similar is electronic health records. Research claims that the implementation of electronic health records may assist medical personnel in handling the care of patients in the most efficient way, decreasing the chances of readmission (Warchol et al., 2019). Another initiative made by medical practitioners in this policy proposal example is the use of mobile technology, which has also been observed by non-medical personnel as helpful in readmission rate prediction. Some studies suggest that data on the co-occurring use of technology and the underutilized workforce can make value-based care and reduced readmission rates in patients possible (Warchol et al., 2019). The other tactics used to reduce the readmission rate in hospitals include increasing the number of nurses on staff. The degree of nurse staffing has a negative correlation with readmission rates, according to a 2019 study by Warchol et al. According to NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2, a greater readmission rate and more severe financial penalties under the HRRP were the outcomes of lower nurse staffing levels. A potential reason for this discovery is that nurses play a significant role in a hospital’s frontline workforce, which has a significant impact on the general functioning of other departments within a healthcare facility.
However, none of the aforementioned strategies are independent. The majority of hospital executives have found it challenging to rely only on any of the aforementioned tactics. Depending on the specifics of the healthcare facility, most practitioners choose two or three strategies in combination in this policy proposal example. In light of this, this article proposes that the two primary strategies that could be used to lower the readmission rates at Mercy Medical Center are the use of mobile app technology and increased nurse staffing levels. Effective and efficient communications, as well as the possibility of readmission, are made possible by the proper use of mobile app technology. The interviewee in NHS FPX 6004
Assessment 2 stressed the need to hire more personnel in order to guarantee that each patient receives the care they require and is released on schedule.
Policy Statement
High readmission rates raise medical expenses. To reduce patient readmission rates, Mercy Medical Center and other healthcare facilities should work to implement this strategy.
Scope
All medical professionals at Mercy Medical Center are covered by the policy, including doctors, nurses, and healthcare administrators.
Practice Guidelines
Using mobile technologies to reduce readmissions to hospitals. The proper use of electronic health record systems and other technology is the first strategy put forward in this study to eradicate the 30-day readmission rate in MMC. One of the reasons for the facility’s high readmission rates is the absence of communication with patients following their discharge. The majority of MMC’s practitioners think that their patients will follow all post-discharge guidelines. This is not the case, however. The majority of re-admitted patients acknowledge that they rarely follow discharge guidelines, frequently as a result of forgetfulness or ignorance, according to this policy proposal. According to Warchol et al. (2019), when discharged patients don’t follow their discharge plan, the likelihood of re-admission is typically high. In light of this, the research proposes the development of a mobile health application that will be implemented to interact with every patient who is discharged from this hospital. Every patient who is discharged has to get real-time follow-up messages via the app, according to NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2. All of the post-treatment plans that the patient is required to adhere to will be included in the communication. The only requirement in this situation would be to notify patients about the
importance of the app and ask them to download it to their phones each time they are admitted to the hospital. . Since the app will enable two-way communication between the patient and the hospital, the rate of patient participation will increase after it is released. Adherence to post-discharge instructions would probably be improved by taking this action.
Increase the nursing staffing levels
Increasing post-discharge interactions with patients will boost the labor force. At the moment, MMC employs roughly 250 nurses. To properly implement the aforementioned regulation, at least 50 to 100 more nurses will be required. According to the research cited in this policy proposal, the hospital should hire three to five nurses every month in order to bolster the nursing staff. To reduce re-admission rates, these nurses will next receive training on how to utilize the suggested mHealth application.
Potential effects of the recommended practice
When put into reality, the aforementioned best practices could have a variety of outcomes, positive as well as negative. Overall, the healthcare facility will see a reduction in readmissions and an improvement in the quality of treatment provided to patients. The drawback of increasing nurse staffing is that it would result in higher labor costs for the facility. Additionally, in order to use the mobile app technology, the organization will have to comply with national and state regulations pertaining to patient health information. When health data is not sufficiently secured, security breaches are also frequently associated with the use of the aforementioned technology (Jamshed et al., 2015).
Medical practitioners are prohibited by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) from disclosing patient information to a third party (Jamshed et al., 2015). According to NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2, patient data may end up in the wrong hands
as a result of careless system operation or cybercrime. Treatment may be hampered in any of the aforementioned situations where patient autonomy is compromised. Consequently, even while electronic records are effective at promoting communication and reducing medical errors, the hospital may face legal repercussions if other parties obtain access to the records. Overall, there would be more positive than negative consequences if the proposed policy change were successfully implemented.
The importance of the involvement of different stakeholders in implementing the above change
The execution of the aforementioned adjustment will be heavily influenced by the needs of the personnel, including nurses, middle managers, doctors, and general managers. General managers will be crucial in informing the other change participants about the impending policy change and making sure the necessary resources are available to support it. The managers and middle managers will also oversee the transition process to ensure that everything runs well. Frontline nurses and doctors will be immediately affected by the new policy change; therefore, they will need to be well-informed and trained about it in the interim. According to NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2, in order to lessen the likelihood of opposition and shorten implementation delays, practitioner representatives must be present at all board conversations regarding the policy change. The conclusion drawn from this policy proposal is that strong and effective policy implementation will be ensured by the participation of all stakeholders.
Conclusion
Mercy Medical Center’s readmission rate is somewhat higher than usual, according to NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 2. In addition to raising medical expenses, this subpar performance harms the hospital’s reputation because the public links high readmission rates to subpar
treatment. High nurse staffing and the use of mHealth mobile app technology are the main ways the hospital can address the aforementioned issue.
References
Benbassat, J., & Taragin, M. (2020). Hospital readmissions as a measure of the quality of health care. Archives of internal medicine, 160(8), 1074. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.160.8.1074
Jamshed, N., Ozair, F., Sharma, A., & Aggarwal, P. (2015). Ethical issues in electronic health records: A general overview. Perspectives in clinical research, 6(2), 73. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.153997
Mayo Clinic. (2018, August 16). About us – Readmission rates
https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/quality/quality-measures/readmission-rates
Minnesota Department of Health. (2021). Local Public HealthAct. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/practice/lphact/statute/index.html
Walker, B. (2017). Are hospital readmissions a valid indicator of the quality of care? Patient Bond Blog. https://insights.patientbond.com/blog/are-hospital-readmissions-a-valid indicator-of-quality-of-care
Warchol, S. J., Monestime, J. P., Mayer, R. W., & Chien, W. W. (2019). Strategies to reduce hospital readmission rates in a non-Medicaid-expansion state. Perspectives in health information management. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669363/
