Introduction
Health assessment is an evidence-based practice for monitoring community medical needs. Professionals relying on the tool will design proper plans to support the provision of personalized interventions. The use of appropriate frameworks will result in positive results. This paper gives a detailed plan that will transform the nature of ostomy care in the selected community. The initiative will support the delivery of timely and measurable outcomes.
Community Health Issue
The selected health issue for this discussion is gastrointestinal or bladder cancer. Affected individuals will require an ostomy for urinary or fecal diversion. However, discharged patients might be unable to manage their situations effectively and mitigate the psychological issues involved. Nurses need to be involved to offer the required medical care and support. Visiting nurses can offer educational materials and resources that can reduce the level of readmission and potential complications. The absence of adequate community resources affects the overall outcomes of the targeted beneficiaries (Rojanasarot, 2018). Urinary or fecal diversion is caused by different cancers and will influence patients’ lives and experiences negatively. Many nurses and patients lack the required knowledge that could result in positive health experiences.
Prevalence and Statistics
The number of individuals in the United States remains unknown. However, Goldstine et al. (2019) estimate the prevalence of this condition to be around 750,000 to 1 million in the population. Additionally, 100,000 surgeries in this area are recorded annually (Rojanasarot, 2018). Such colostomies might be temporary or permanent depending on the targeted condition and the reasons for their creation. Outside the U.S., experts believe that around 0.12 percent of the global population has undergone ostomy surgery (Rojanasarot, 2018). However, many people in different parts of the world have colostomies.
These aspects show that such patients should be in a position to receive timely and personalized medical support. The global market for the procedures and medical practices associated with ostomy stands at around 3.0 billion US dollars (Rojanasarot, 2018). The North American market is estimated to be around 600 million US dollars (see Figure 1). Individuals will require around 600 US dollars per month to receive the relevant supplies and medical support (Rojanasarot, 2018). These realities explain why evidence-based measures are needed to meet the demands of more individuals and transform their experiences.
Advanced Practice Roles and Management Strategies
The selected community has recorded several milestones in this field of ostomy. Currently, home health services and acute care hospitals are designed to meet the demands of the affected individuals (Grand View Research, 2019). Such institutions have adequate financial resources to offer personalized medical services (Rojanasarot, 2018). Some of the programs focus on the needs of the homeless and those living in poverty. However, the absence of knowledge and concern for persons with ostomies makes change impossible to transform their lives. The established systems and professionals ignore the psychological and mental issues of these patients. The absence of proper mechanisms to assess individuals’ ability to perform self-care and pursue their goals affects the intended goals and changes.
The community lacks an adequate number of professionals specialized in this area of ostomy. This gap in advanced practice and the absence of superior management strategies make it impossible for this community to record meaningful change. Many people lack adequate information about some of these conditions and how they can transform their medical experiences (Rabarison et al., 2015). These issues explain why there is a need for additional frameworks and initiatives to address the situation.
Community and Social Resources
Various strengths and resources in this community are able to support the demands of these patients. First, the region promotes a culture of patient-centered focus that can support the delivery of quality care. Second, there are professionals and medical systems intended to meet the demands of those in need. Third, the community has adequate resources that can result in increased efficacy and satisfaction (Rabarison et al., 2015). However, some challenges have the potential to affect the effectiveness of this neighborhood in supporting the delivery of ostomy services. These include the absence of integrated ostomy support and competent nurses to meet the changing demands of the patients.
Strategic Plan
Overview
A proper plan is needed to address the gaps this community experiences. The proposed initiative seeks to bring together all partners and focus on the demands of ostomy patients. The concept of continuous improvement is intended to support the plan.
Proposed Changes and Enhancements
The inclusion of additional professionals in ostomy care will ensure that more patients receive face-to-face guidance and empowerment. Support groups are recommended to meet the demands of all patients. Various clinics and home-based centers will have telephones services to meet the demands of more beneficiaries (Pittman, 2011). Additional campaigns will be needed to provide additional education for seeking timely screening, getting ostomy surgery, and managing the conditions.
Strategy
The proposed initiative is intended to support the realization of the outlined goals. The appointment of a project leader will support the entire process. The involved participants will rely on a change theory to achieve the intended aims (Racalla et al., 2013). Kurt Lewin’s model is appropriate and begins by allowing the manager to guide all key partners and prepare them for the change intended to decrease the challenges associated with an ostomy. Members of the wider community should also receive timely guidelines and ideas.
The second phase is to introduce evidence-based actions, such as recruiting and employing more ostomy nurses, starting new clinics, and encouraging more people to get psychosocial care and support. The proposed initiatives will allow individuals to get face-to-face guidance and telephone services. Such offerings should be in accordance with the notions of health literacy. The presented terms and phrases should be easy to understand and capable of meeting the unique needs of every person. Socioeconomic factors are also worth considering, such as demographics, age, and income level (Rabarison et al., 2015). The concept of cultural competence will allow the key managers to personalize the services, encourage individuals to seek services from nearby centers, and focus on the best approaches to maximize the intended outcomes.
The third phase of the change process should be guided by the nature of the outlined goals. Such aims will be reevaluated to ensure that they are time-bound, attainable, and measurable throughout the project period (Rojanasarot, 2018). Partners and beneficiaries will be required to offer their incentives and ideas to make the entire process seamless and capable of delivering positive results.
Conclusion
The above discussion has presented an evidence-based plan that is capable of meeting the demands of patients with ostomies. The intended goals include maximizing the nature of service delivery, increasing telephony services, and encouraging more individuals to seek timely services. Some of the challenges to address include financial issues, the absence of formal resources, and a reduced number of ostomy nurses. The proposed action needs to be systematic and collaborative in nature to deliver the intended goals. Progress will revolve around the recorded gains and outcomes of the targeted patients.
References
Rabarison, K. M., Timsina, L., & Mays, G. P. (2015). Community health assessment and improved public health decision-making: a propensity score matching approach. American Journal of Public Health, 105(12), 2526-2533.
Racalla, S., English, K., Nazarali, R., Mayo, S., Miller, D., & Gray, M. (2013). Ostomy care and management: A systematic review. Journal of Wound Ostomy & Continence Nursing, 40(5), 489-500.
Pittman, J. (2011). Characteristics of the patient with an ostomy. Journal of Wound Ostomy & Continence Nursing, 38(3), 271-279.
Goldstine, J., van Hees, R., van de Vorst, D., Skountrianos, G., & Nichols, T. (2019). Factors influencing health-related quality of life of those in the Netherlands living with an ostomy. British Journal of Nursing, 28(22), S10-S17.
Grand View Research. (2019). Report overview.
Rojanasarot, S. (2018). The impact of early involvement in a postdischarge support program for ostomy surgery patients on preventable healthcare utilization. Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing, 45(1), 43-49.