Nurs fpx 4900 Assessment 2: Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

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Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

The health cost is one of the key aspects defining the quality of care and safety of the patients. This is so because the high cost of health care services impacts negatively on the operations of the health care delivery systems. It also leads to non-adherence of the patient with the laid down medication plan due to costs involved. It also raises the odds of negative health consequences as well as the risk to the patient. According to studies by Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among the U.S. population overall, 29.7 million people or 8.9% of the U.S. population had diagnosed diabetes (CDC, 2024).

In this assessment, we will have an overview of health care costs associated with the management of diabetes in Mr. Mathew and devise a healthcare plan for the management of diabetes in terms of cost in health care, patient safety and care as a nursing student. Other aspects discussed include governmental policies, their effectiveness, impact on the nursing and the origin of benchmark data.

Background of the Problem

During my practicum I was able to interact with Mr. Mathew for two hours. Mr. Mathew is 45 years of age, male, Caucasian, who has been diagnosed with diabetes for the last twenty years. The interview helped me get an idea of the status of healthcare, patient safety, and cost of health for diabetes in the United States.

From the interaction, I identified that Mr. Mathew has had two major episodes of hyperglycemic hyperosmolar State (HHS), caused by diabetes, leading to severe dehydration and increased osmolarity of blood in the last four months for which his family sought help from the emergency care of the nearby health facility. He was admitted the two occasions until he was

stable. He was given fluid and electrolyte replacements, along with insulin therapy. Some of the side effects of insulin are hypoglycemia or low blood sugar level manifested as dizziness, sweating, confusion and others. Other side effects include weight gain and redness and swelling of injection site. The insurance covers visits to the emergency room. The payment for the visit to general physician is covered once a month. Whereas Mr. Mathew needs frequent consultation depending on his condition. While the medications are reimbursed in the insurance, the medical devices are not included in this insurance plan of him. The medical emergencies affected Mr. Mathew’s health in various ways physically and mentally. He takes quite some time to get back to his normal life as the conditions have negative impact on his health.

Problem Impacts: Quality, Safety and Costs

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the quality of life and safety of patients and the cost of the healthcare system all over the world. It can also be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the patient if not well addressed. The detail of its effects on quality of care, patient safety and healthcare costs is laid down below.

Impact on Quality Care

The quality of care directly affects the patient’s life in different aspects of his or her life. For instance, like in the case of Mr. Mathew, diabetes developed due to lack of adequate medical care, family history and work and life stress. It restricts the movement of the patient and therefore reduces the life span’s quality. It has a negative effect on the health of a person. The chronic condition of diabetes results in anxiety, depression, and mood swings because the condition is progressive and debilitating (Liu et al., 2020). This means that in addition to the medical impact, the patient has to suffer from emotional pain as well, which worsens the patient’s mental health and the overall health of the entire life.

Likewise, it is also a source of stress for the care givers and adds an additional responsibility. It also affects the quality of care given to the patients. Diabetes should be treated based on a complex and coordinated model of care delivery. This involves the cooperation of physicians, diabetes specialists, endocrinologists, nurses, dietician, social care workers for the enhancement of quality of care, patient education, rehabilitation and therapeutic management plan (Powers et al., 2020).

Impact on Patient Safety

Diabetes is a chronic condition that has an adverse impact on the patient’s health due to impact on patient safety. Diabetic patients are at risk of cardiovascular diseases, nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy and limb amputation, that causes hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality according to Foussard et al. (2020). Analyzing the cases presented by Mr.