Assessment 1 Instructions: Identifying a Local Health Care Economic Issue
Write a brief 2-3 page report about a health care economic issue that you have identified.
Address the reasons why you selected the issue you did; identify how this issue impacts the work
of you, your colleagues, and your organization; and describe the gap that you see contributing to
this issue.
Context and Background
Health care economics has the potential to affect each of us either personally or professionally.
This impact can be viewed from a health economics point-of-view (where we discuss the value
of health care and its efficiency) or it can examine how health care is financed (focus on how
health care is funded). Health economics and health care funding have the potential to influence
health care outcomes in a variety of ways. The bulleted list below outlines topics and health care
issues that many institutions encounter. Organizations often have to implement strategies or
initiatives to resolve or improve these issues and create positive patient and institution outcomes.
Examples of health care economic issues:
• The influence of health care economics on community health—for example, social
determinants of health (such as access to care and health care finance).
• Supply and demand: How do we in the health care environment exist when there are
more needs from communities and patients than we have the resources to supply? An
example of this would be a high number of patients and low resource levels such as staff,
supplies, and equipment.
• The public’s attitude toward health, disease, and the health care system—for example,
how money is distributed has the potential to impact the health care outcomes of certain
populations. An example of this would be the lack of access and funding for underserved
and rural communities.
• Other issues might include access to care, social determinants of health, senior health,
food insecurity or food desserts, inadequate staffing, homelessness, rehospitalization
environmental issues leading to chronic disease, et cetera.
Instructions
For this assessment, you will write a brief 2–3 page report about the health care economic issue
that you have identified. In addition, you will also be asked to:
• Address the reasons you selected the issue.
• Identify how the issue impacts the work of you, your colleagues, and your organization.
• Describe the gap that you see contributing to this issue.
Overall, you will be assessed on the following criteria:
• Describe a health care economic issue and how it impacts a specific community or
population.
o Note the data, information, or observations used to support your description.
• Explain the rationale for choosing your health care economic issue.
• Explain how the health care economic issue has affected your work, your organization,
your colleagues, and your community.
• Identify the gap that is contributing to the need to address the economic issue.
o Cite at least one piece of evidence to support your identification of the gap. This
could be public health data, a peer-reviewed journal article, or another scholarly
source.
• Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and
adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards.
Additional Requirements
• Length of Submission: 2–3 double-spaced pages.
• Number of References: Cite at least one piece of evidence to support your identification
of the gap. This could be public health data, a peer-reviewed journal article, or another
scholarly source.
• APA formatting: Titles, headings, resources, and citations are formatted according to the
APA style.
• Competencies Measured
• Competency 1: Analyze the effects of financial and economic factors (such as costbenefit, supply and demand, return on investment, and risks) in a health care system on
patient care, services offered, and organizational structures and operation.
o Explain the rationale for choosing the health care economic issue.
• Competency 2: Develop ethical and culturally equitable solutions to economic problems
within a health care organization in an effort to improve the quality of care and services
offered.
o Describe a health care economic issue and how it impacts a specific community
or population.
• Competency 3: Justify the qualitative and quantitative information used to guide
economic decision making to stakeholders and colleagues.
o Identify the gap that is contributing to the need to address the economic issue.
• Competency 4: Develop ethical and culturally equitable economic strategies to address
dynamic environmental forces and ensure the future security of an organization’s
resources and its ability to provide quality care.
o Explain how the health care economic issue has affected your work, your
organization, colleagues, and community.
• Competency 5: Produce clear, coherent, and professional written work, in accordance
with Capella writing standards.
o Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting
evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing
standards.
