NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4 Lobbying for Change

and interventions will benefit patients’ health by preventing readmissions and helping those with chronic conditions. Additionally, thorough post-discharge care reduces hospital readmissions (Bronstein et al., 2015). This prevents readmissions and improves patient outcomes in healthcare. 

Hospital readmission rates are steadily increasing nationwide, and this issue must be resolved before it strains the healthcare system. Nurses lobbying for change can effectively advance solutions and ensure the safeguarding of patient care. All Americans and residents of Illinois will suffer if the healthcare system fails. Medicare spends $17.4 billion a year on readmissions for about 20% of geriatric patients who are released from the hospital (Farhat et al., 2019). According to NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4, readmissions are costly for both patients and the healthcare system and are linked to poor patient outcomes. However, readmissions have a significant financial impact on hospitals, healthcare facilities, patients, and their families in addition to the clinical burden. Health care usage has increased because the majority of elderly individuals have several morbidities. Additionally, the financial burden that readmissions place on patients and their families is another element that highlights how urgently resources must be allocated (Picco et al., 2016). To ensure that patients do not return to the hospital, the money saved from readmissions can be used for primary and preventive treatment. 

The health action lobby’s attempts to address this economic issue have been strengthened by the guidance provided by nursing experience in resource planning and risk analysis. After observing the impact of the elevated hospital readmission rate, I felt obliged to advocate for reform and offer suggestions for resolving this financial issue. In order to lessen the issue, I have also carried out a risk analysis to find potential issues and solutions. As stressed in NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4, an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion will aid in offering the best options for hospital readmission reduction. It’s critical to comprehend how to

care for the elderly population. As health care providers, it is crucial that we work to overcome the sensitivity of the older generations’ attitudes and views about life. As we strive to link the older generations with resources, it’s equally critical to meet them where they are, since some of them are really arrogant and find it difficult to accept assistance. We must respect their needs and offer help in ways that uphold their comfort and dignity if we are to be a true advocate for health equity. We can give patients the right resources and interventions if we start early, for example, in the areas of nutrition, mobility, fall risk, and functional reliance (Cilla et al., 2023). Giving patients the right resources, care management, and early interventions aims to reduce hospital readmissions. 

Advocating for health equity is crucial in addressing the issue of hospital readmissions.  I know exactly how they affect the patients and the medical sector overall. Nurses are working with fewer hands on the floor as readmissions rise, but they still need to be able to care for patients safely and effectively. My hometown hospital, where I work as a medical-surgical nurse, is already understaffed and still sees a high volume of readmissions for repeat care. According to NHS FPX 6008 Assessment 4, increased readmission rates will have a detrimental economic impact on the healthcare system, but more significantly, they will have a negative impact on patients.

Sincerely,

Marcus Thompson, BSN, RN

References

Bronstein, L. R., et al. “Impact of a social work care coordination intervention on hospital readmission: A randomized controlled trial.” Social Work, vol. 60, no. 3, July 2015,

55. 248–55. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swv016. Characteristics of 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions, 2016-2020.

Cilla, Francesco, et al. “Risk factors for early hospital readmission in geriatric patients: A systematic review.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 20, no. 3, Jan. 2023, p. 1674. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031674.

Nada M. Farhat, PharmD, et al. Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Geriatric Transitions of Care on Readmission Rates. July 2019. www.ajmc.com, https://www.ajmc.com/view/evaluation-

of-interdisciplinary-geriatric-transitions-of-care-on-readmission-rates.

Picco, Louisa, et al. “Economic burden of multimorbidity among older adults: Impact on healthcare and societal costs.” BMC Health Services Research, vol. 16, no. 1, Dec. 2016, p. 173. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1421-7.

Yakusheva, Olga, and Geoffrey J. Hoffman. “Does a reduction in readmissions result in net savings for most hospitals? An examination of Medicare’s hospital readmissions reduction program.” Medical Care Research and Review, vol. 77, no. 4, Aug. 2020, pp. 334–44. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1177/1077558718795745.