NURS FPX 4055 Assessment 1 Health Promotion Research
NURS FPX 4055 Assessment 1 Health Promotion Research
- Student name
- Capella University
- NURS FPX 4055 Assessment 1
- Professor’s Name
- Submission Date
Health Promotion Research
Health promotion is a powerful approach that helps people and communities gain more control over their health and improve overall well-being.
Analysis of a Population with a Specific Health Concern: Climate-Related Health Risks
Underlying Assumptions and Points of Uncertainty
An important assumption in the intervention of lowering the incidences of ADEs is that the amalgamation of technology, including EHRs and pharmacy software, will positively address the risks of medication errors and ADEs. Although the research has presented positive results on the use of these technologies, there is the question of the consistent application and use of the technologies in diverse healthcare institutions.
It was observed in a study by Murthi et al. (2024) that the required infrastructure or resources to implement EHR systems are not available in all healthcare facilities, especially in low-resource settings, which may hamper the potential beneficial impacts. The other assumption is that patient education can be used to prevent ADEs by itself, but the effectiveness of patient education programs and compliance with medication instructions are not equal.
Despite patient education potentially resulting in short-term medication adherence enhancement, the sustainability of such enhancements is still unclear in the cases of patients experiencing limitations due to impaired cognitive functioning or insufficient health literacy.
Characteristics of the Chosen Community
The selected community to put the health promotion agenda in place is that of the aged in a senior housing facility, who are also a group of people who are most susceptible to health-related chronic diseases and drug-related problems. Older people in these institutions tend to have polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, and other chronic diseases that elevate the chances of adverse drug events.
The regimen of drugs that many older adults work with is complex and can be complicated because of the factors related to impaired memory or reduced health literacy; the elderly population might not properly follow the medication instructions (Ferraro et al., 2022). Their vulnerability to medication error increases this trait and results in hospitalizations or even death.
The nature and attributes of this group of the elderly are very applicable to the general elderly in NURS FPX 4055 Assessment 1 homes, assisted living, or independent living. These groups have common problems, including poor mobility, a need to be supported by the people, and an inability to receive relevant health care services. As an example, a study conducted by Christopher et al. (2023) discovered that medication errors in senior housing settings were also one of the reasons for poor communications between residents and healthcare providers inadequate management of their medications.
Moreover, this problem is not unique; in various settings, older adults are usually troubled with managing drugs that lead to the expansion of health risks, such as ADEs. The health promotion approaches that address this population, including the medication reconciliation programs, individualized health education, and application of technology to monitor drug adherence, can be applied to more target population in terms of the number of older adults in different environments (Gualtieri et al., 2023).
These needs can be addressed in older housing homes, and the same solutions can be implemented to reduce ADEs in other communities of the elderly.
Addressing Climate Change Impacts as a Health Promotion Priority
The risk of ADEs and medication safety among the elderly is a significant healthcare issue of concern. Aging causes most individuals to form various chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc., that necessitate various medications (Guo et al., 2022).
This will result in polypharmacy, which heightens the possibility of drug interactions, adverse drug effects, and side effects. It has been demonstrated that elderly multimorbid and polypharmacy patients, in comparison to their counterparts with a less complex regimen, experience the highest frequency of drug-related hospitalization, morbidity, and excess mortality. According to a recent systematic review, out of whom older outpatients all over the world, about 36.7% of them will receive potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) medication whose risks are likely to be more than their benefits, in the aging group (Tian et al., 2023).
This prevalence indicates the rampant susceptibility of the older populations to drug-related injuries. Also, there are high rates of hospitalization, falls, adverse drug reactions, and higher health-care expenses related to polypharmacy as well as inappropriate prescriptions in older adults.
NURS FPX 4055 Assessment 1
In addition to the personal risk, these drug-related problems can affect the community and the health system at large. ADEs cause emergency department visits and hospital stays, where they contribute to an enormous burden on the resources and overall morbidity among the elderly population (Bankes et al., 2020).
Additionally, since a significant number of ADEs can be managed (by means of adequate medication reconciliation, improved prescriptive practices, educating the patients, and monitoring), health promotion actions concerning medication safety can contribute to reducing preventable harm and enhancing the quality of life of older people significantly. It is vital to promote safe medication practices among older people in the community.
A health promotion plan addressing polypharmacy, prescription optimization, and patient education will reduce ADEs, enhance better health, less stress on health services, and facilitate healthier aging, benefiting both the individuals and the community (Cosgrave et al., 2025). Identifies health objectives that suit a selected person or group of subjects that are realistic, quantifiable, and achievable, and foresees the possibility of the audience contributing to the formulation of goals, which would likely be more adopted.
SMART Health Goals for the Target Population
Among the adult demographic that is vulnerable to ADEs (due to the polypharmacy usage, associated comorbid conditions, and decreased physiologic reserve), it is crucial to establish clear, practical, and remarkable health promotion targets. These are the objectives that can be used to guide systematic interventions that can help in enhancing medication safety, decreasing drug-related harm, and improving the overall quality of life.
The health promotion plan will be practical and evaluable through objectives that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), and this will assist in tracking the progress, holding people accountable, and attaining positive results for individuals and the masses.
Conclusion
Health promotion is also essential in supporting the health requirements of the vulnerable patients, especially the elderly, who are at risk of experiencing adverse drug events (ADEs). Addressing the issue of medication safety, education, and utilization of technological tools, we can largely decrease the rates of ADEs and enhance the health outcomes.
When applied in communities, such interventions can change medication adherence and can help individuals become more empowered to manage their health. It is necessary to carry out periodic assessments and changes to such strategies to be successful and viable in the long term. Finally, promoting health is not only better than treating it, but it also decreases healthcare expenditures and healthcare system burdens.
References
- Bankes, D., Jin, H., Finnel, S., Michaud, V., Knowlton, C., Turgeon, J., https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8020087
- Christopher, C. M., Blebil, A. Q., Bhuvan, K. C., Alex, D., Mohamed Ibrahim, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2023.08.001
- Cosgrave, N., Frydenlund, J., Beirne, F., Lee, S., https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaf231
- Ferraro, F., Fevga, C., Bonifati, V., Wim Mandemakers, Mahfouz, https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11020198
- Gualtieri, L., Rigby, M., Wang, D., & Mann, https://doi.org/10.2196/53513
- Guo, J., Huang, X., Dou, L., Yan, M., Shen, T., Tang, W., & Li, J. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-022-01251-0
- Jost, M., Kos, M. K., Kos, M., & Knez, L. (2024). https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1377781
- Murthi, S., Martini, N., Falconer, N., & Scahill, S. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-024-02097-5
- Nguyen, A., Uppal, S., Pereira, M. M., Pluti, A., & Gualtieri, L. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcpdig.2023.11.001
- Tian, F., Chen, Z., Zeng, Y., Feng, Q., & Chen, X. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.26910