Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts and respond to at least two of your c

Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days by supporting or expanding on the ideas identified by your colleague or sharing additional perspectives on the policy described by your colleague.
colleaque post
Introduction
The policy may be defined as a prescribed framework or collection of principles or regulations that direct a course of action (Porter et al., 2018). Policies have the potential to be implemented at several levels, including municipal, federal, state, and institutional, as noted by Porter et al. (2018). As advanced practice nurses, we can champion the cause of marginalized individuals within our society by utilizing our influential platform to contribute to developing policies that effectively cater to the unique requirements of distinct groups. When seeking to enact change, it is possible to employ preexisting regulations and identify strategies to address any deficiencies within such rules to cater to a certain demographic’s specific requirements.
My Population and its Needs
Over the past few weeks, I have researched and analyzed a specific demographic: African Americans diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The population in question exhibits a set of demands about inadequate treatment and preventative actions, which can be attributed to a deficiency in health literacy (Wasserman et al., 2019). Research findings indicate that individuals of African-American descent exhibit a higher incidence of Diabetes diagnosis and experience more intricate complications (Haw et al., 2021). These variables have led to the conclusion that the primary requirement of this group is to acquire knowledge about their health condition and the treatment and prevention of Diabetes. To counter this assertion, it is worth noting that a family member recently expressed dissatisfaction due to a perceived lack of comprehensive guidance from their healthcare professional regarding appropriate dietary choices. The family members had a sense of helplessness and confusion over the implementation of dietary changes aimed at reducing their hemoglobin A1c levels. I provided them with information on online tools that might assist them in adhering to dietary recommendations for treating Diabetes. This experience has served as a catalyst for me to approach the issue of health literacy within the African-American diabetes community with heightened determination.
Federal Policy that Aligns with My Advocacy Priorities
The federal policy that aligns with my advocacy priority is the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is an excellent force for including health literacy policies on both the federal and local scales (Keim-Malpass et al., 2015). Health literacy ” encompasses the social and intellectual skills that enable a person to acquire, analyze, and comprehend health information to make informed healthcare decisions regarding medical services and treatment for one’s life” (Asharani et al., 2021). One study I came across cited that the ACA supports and mentions the importance of health literacy on a federal level when it comes to drug prescriiptions, aiding patients in decision-making as well as educating healthcare providers on the fact that patients may have varying levels of health literacy and how to adequately meet them at their level (Keim-Malpass et al., 2015). The ACA has helped to support my advocacy priority in the area of increased support for physician training, helping to place physicians in vulnerable population areas, and encouraging physicians to focus more on primary care medicine in order to address the challenges of Diabetes among the African American population (Myerson & Laiteerapong, 2016).
Missing Factors of the Federal Policy
Although the Affordable Care Act dramatically supports health literacy efforts on a federal level, there are gaps when it comes to health literacy among the African-American Diabetic population. I could access information on the ACA and pediatric population regarding insurance coverage, but not specifically for the adult diabetic population. When policies are being created, they may address the general issue but not the specific challenges that pertain to various populations. That is when more significant gaps are created, and the challenges persist with a particular group of people. Both the state and local governments should ensure the successful enactment of the Affordable Care Act to ensure every citizen has Increased insurance coverage, and protections are in place for people with preexisting conditions. There is also a need for leaders to cooperate and work collaboratively with political and healthcare institutions to promote equality in the delivery of services to protect all citizens from any form of humiliation that may subject them to poor quality of life and impairments in access to basic human needs.
Proposed Change
In the context of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and health literacy within the African-American community affected by Diabetes, this analysis will concentrate on implementing policies that specifically tackle the difficulties associated with communicating healthcare information to patients and their families. Within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) framework, I advocate for including explicit strategies or data that substantiate the implementation of enhanced training programs for healthcare professionals. These programs provide clinicians with the necessary skills to educate patients, considering their comprehension and understanding effectively. This would involve employing diverse methods to provide health information in a manner that is accessible and tailored to each patient’s needs. In addition, it is imperative to implement policies at a non-governmental level within healthcare institutions. These policies should focus on integrating health literacy into annual competency and skills assessments, ensuring that healthcare professionals possess the necessary awareness and abilities to communicate information to patients and confirm their understanding effectively (Asharani et al., 2021).
Conclusion
Policy in healthcare can be a strong force in bringing about a change to a specific population dealing with challenges that may be unique to them. Policies can serve as a tool for addressing the gaps in our healthcare system at the federal, local, state, and non-governmental levels. As advanced healthcare providers, we are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to advocate effectively for populations struggling with issues unique to them by utilizing existing policies or creating new ones in hopes of improving patient outcomes.
NB
MUST HAVE AT LEAST 2 IN TEXT CITATIONS
REFERENCES MUST BE IN APA
REFERENCES MUST BE LESS THAN 5 YEARS
MUST ADD NEW INFORMATION TO SUPPORT RESPONSE
ORIGINAL QUESTIONS
What are legislators currently doing to address your selected advocacy priorities for a vulnerable population? Are there current policies in place? Are there current policies proposed at either the state or federal level? What are the most obvious strengths and weaknesses of these policies as they relate to your advocacy priority? What might need to change?
For this Discussion, you will identify a state or federal policy that aligns with your advocacy priority. After identifying the policy, you will consider how the policy aligns and supports your identified vulnerable population. How and why does this policy align with your advocacy priorities?
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
TO PREPARE:
Review resources related to health policy.
Consider the health policy that might align with your advocacy priorities.
BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 5
Post a response detailing the following:
Identify a proposed state and federal policy that aligns with your advocacy priorities for your vulnerable population. Clearly describe and provide evidence to support this policy. If the policy needs to change, describe and provide evidence to support the proposed change.