Introduction
Presently, societies are grappling with the effects occasioned by lifestyles changes. Poor diets and unhealthy lifestyles have led to an increase in the rate of people suffering from diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and a range of weight problems. To combat these challenges, medical facilities need to institute policies and initiatives that address them at the community levels. As a result, Palmetto Hospital based in Miami, where I work, has decided to introduce a cancer screening and detection project in the community in order to help individuals in need of screening and treatment. To execute screening services effectively, the project seeks funding so that the finances can be useful in reaching out to a larger community and enabling them to receive the services. Increased scope of services offered by the hospital through the project will overtime minimize the effects of cancer before they spiral out of control. Therefore, the essay discusses the community cancer-screening project using factors that comprise purpose, target population, benefits, cost, and the basis of evaluation.
Purpose of the Project
The purpose of the project is to help combat cases of cancer that are on the rise within Miami and the United States. After scrutiny, the hospital observed that several individuals in the society visit the center when the condition has advanced making treatment challenging. The late visits to the center comprise the factors that informed the decision to initiate the project and augment its reach to a wide area. The hospital expects that the project will greatly reduce cases of cancer and help the community lead successful and healthy lives. Apparently, cases of prostate, breast, lung, and cervical cancers have increased a phenomenon that triggered the introduction of the project. According to Zon et al. (2016), for successful management of cancer, governments should address it in a timely manner. Therefore, the project introduced by the hospital is one that other medical centers need to emulate so that the fight to minimize deaths associated with cancer and other lifestyle conditions become successful.
Target Population
The target population that the project seeks to help and address comprises all the individuals in the community. It is fundamental to state that cancer is a condition that affects all individuals in a particular society. Therefore, the project targets all individuals in the society right from the young to the old. Cervical and breast cancers are some of the cancers that make the project target young members because they affect young girls. As such, to address these cancers, the hospital has to screen young individuals in the society and ascertain whether they are free from the condition. Moreover, young men can also be victims of other types of cancer such as throat and lung cancers (Udelsman & Zhang, 2014). By being vulnerable to the types of cancer, young members living around the hospital’s locality need screening so that the condition becomes manageable and unwanted deaths caused by cancer reduce. The hospital also screens old individuals who are above 40 years in order to ascertain their status in relation to prostate cancer, which is rampant among old men. Therefore, the target population comprises all the individuals in the society.
Benefits of the Project
Fundamentally, the benefits of the project are indeed the main drivers that necessitate funding. Reduction of cancer cases and deaths are among the major benefits that come in the aftermath of implementing the project. Moreover, minimization of costs used in treatment and management of cancer is another benefit that makes the project one of a kind. When individuals receive timely screening, they understand their status and undertake the required measures on time. In cases of cancer detection, the individuals can receive advice on the right treatment plan useful in managing the condition. As such, issues of delays that complicate treatment of cancer reduce and the cost of treatment decreases unlike in the absence of early detection. Udelsman and Zhang (2014) explain that majority of deaths linked to cancer are outcomes of late detection. Imperatively during the screening periods, the community members receive advice on how to lead lives that are free from cancer and other lifestyle diseases. By advising them on healthy living, the project plays an instrumental role in ensuring that cancer cases and deaths associated with cancer reduce.
The Cost of Treating Cancer
The cost of treating cancer is relatively high, a factor that compels the hospital to seek funds so that it can succeed in its venture. Currently, cancer drugs take up a larger amount of prescriptions offered by medical facilities. A research conducted by American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2014 found out that 9% of the total cost of drugs in the United States emanated from cancer drugs (Zon et al., 2016). Currently, cancer victims have to pay between $8-10,000 every month for drugs and incur other expenses to manage side effects that come into play after chemotherapy. The high cost of cancer treatment is one of the main drivers that triggered the introduction of the initiative. The purpose of the project as aforementioned is to help mitigate cancer issues and minimize the cost of treatment. As such, the project seeks to address issues that will not only help governments minimize the cost of healthcare but also help individuals live successful lives.
Basis of Evaluating the Project
Success of the project will be evaluated basing on the projected outcomes. Reduced cancer cases and deaths linked to the disease around the hospital’s locality are some of the indicators that portray a positive progress of the project. Since the project is an introduction, the results may not occasion soon but will be visible and evident after a period of about 5-10 years. The expectation of the hospital is that at the end of the specified period, cancer cases will reduce and people within the community will enjoy healthy lives. Moreover, the project can serve as an example that other medical facilities, which do not have similar projects, can emulate. It is important to outline the fact that the project not only helps combat cancer but also helps deal with issues such obesity and diabetes. In the words of Cooperberg and Carroll (2015), cancer and other lifestyle diseases are intertwined and in several instances, its management ends up as a combined management of other lifestyle diseases. Therefore, in the quest to curb cancer, the medical facility eventually combats other lifestyle diseases that affect the community.
Conclusion
Cancer is a serious disease that needs timely intervention from the government and medical facilities. The equipment and drugs used in cancer management are costly and several people cannot afford. The project introduced by Palmetto Hospital Miami, which focuses on screening and detecting cancer, is one that stakeholders in the medical sector cannot downplay. The long-term benefits of the project make it the best and one of a kind. As such, funding the project is a noble act that goes a long way in mitigating the adverse effects caused by cancer and reducing premature deaths that result from the disease.
References
Cooperberg, M., & Carroll, P. (2015). Trends in management for patients with localized prostate cancer, 1990-2013. Jama, 314(1), 80-82.
Udelsman, R., & Zhang, Y. (2014). The epidemic of thyroid cancer in the United States: The role of endocrinologists and ultrasounds. Thyroid, 24(3), 472-479.
Zon, R., Frame, J., Neuss, M., Page, R., Wollins, D., Stranne, S., & Bosserman, L. (2016). American Society of Clinical Oncology policy statement on clinical pathways in oncology. Journal of Oncology Practice, 12(3), 261-266.