Advocacy for Smokers with COPD Paper

Advocacy for Smokers with COPD Paper

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a group of conditions that cause breathing-related problems and airflow blockage. The most common forms of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is one of the major health concerns globally. In the US alone, approximately 16 million people suffer from the condition, and millions of others suffer from the disease but have not been diagnosed and are not receiving treatment (CDC, n.d). In addition, 75% of COPD cases are directly related to smoking, the leading cause of the disease and a major trigger of COPD flare-ups. COPD is also directly related to other health conditions since it increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, hypertension, depression and anxiety. Therefore, smokers with COPD are a vulnerable population in this case.  This discussion presents the advocacy priorities for the smokers with COPD population, the needs of this population, how disparities are reflected by policy and policy reflected by disparities, and the role of nursing, individually and collectively, in influencing policy decisions that adversely impact vulnerable populations.

Advocacy Priorities for the Population and Population Needs

Vulnerable populations are groups of individuals at an increased risk for health problems and health disparities. These populations may also include patients who are ethnic or racial minorities, the elderly, children, the socioeconomically disadvantaged, uninsured and underinsured, and people with certain health conditions. Smokers with COPD are a vulnerable population due to the increased risk of COPD-related problems and COPD flare-ups that can lead to complications and death. A considerable number of members of this population are unaware that they have the condition, have not been diagnosed, and are not receiving treatment (CDC, n.d.). In addition, research shows that not all COPD patients receive the necessary care to help reduce complications and death (Ho et al., 2019). Therefore, advocacy interventions are required to reduce the health disparities for COPD patients, especially smokers with COPD, and improve the accessibility of COPD care.

Various advocacy priorities can be used to increase access to care and improve patient outcomes for smokers with COPD. First and foremost, groups, individuals and organizations undertaking advocacy for COPD should focus on creating awareness to the public on COPD as a health condition, including its symptoms, manifestations, risk factors, and management of the condition. Increased awareness to the public would promote help-seeking for those members of the public who may be experiencing the symptoms and are undiagnosed and not receiving treatment. In addition, awareness creation on COPD would help reduce the stigmatization of COPD patients by non-COPD members. According to Mathioudakis et al. (2019), stigmatizing COPD patients who smoke is a major issue resulting from being blamed for their condition or being seen as self-inflicted. However, despite 75% of COPD cases being caused by smoking, some COPD patients have never smoked. Stigma impacts the patients negatively, leading to poor health outcomes and impaired well-being. Therefore, awareness creation is an advocacy priority for the COPD population.

The other advocacy priority for smokers with COPD is a policy change to increase access to safe, effective, and affordable COPD care. COPD is an overburdening condition, especially regarding management and treatment (Sav et al., 2022). The burden is usually greater when the patient cannot access safe, effective, affordable care. COPD patients may be unable to access the appropriate care because of the high cost of care, lack of health insurance, and stigmatization from the public, family members and sometimes care professionals. These factors prevent the patient from seeking care, leading to increased risk for complications, other related healthcare problems, poor health outcomes, and even death. Advocacy interventions to increase access to safe, effective and affordable COPD healthcare services by increasing access to health insurance, advocating for policy change to reduce the cost of essential COPD services, and providing treatment and management services to the minority population.

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There are various needs of smokers with COPD population. The most profound set of population needs is support needs. Sandelowsky et al. (2019) note that COPD patients who smoke mainly need adequate support from their family, caregivers and healthcare providers to stop smoking. In addition, the condition is emotionally and physically draining, considering that some people believe it is a self-inflicted condition, especially for smokers, which prevents them from getting the necessary support. The support needs for this population include smoking cessation, increased understanding of COPD to ease management and treatment adherence, emotional support to prevent anxiety, worries and depression, practical support, and support to enable the patients to live a healthy lifestyle. Meeting the needs of this population increases the possibility of achieving better health outcomes and addressing the health issue and related disparities in the population.

Reflection of Disparities in Policy and Policy in Disparities

There is a clear distinction between healthcare disparities and healthcare policy. There are different disparities reflected in policy and policies reflected in disparities. Disparities are reflected in policies that do not consider the inclusion of minority populations that may face health disparities. For instance, despite healthcare policy protecting COPD patients and increasing their access to healthcare services, it does not consider the needs of special/vulnerable populations such as COPD patients who smoke, thus increasing the disparity gap. On the other hand, disparities are reflected in policies that aim to address perceived inequalities and related concerns in healthcare. For example, inequality that leads to an increase in the disparity gap may lead to the development of redistributive policies to address the inequality, reducing the existing disparities. Based on the interconnectedness of policy and disparities, it is worth noting that policymakers and drivers of policy change should assess the existing disparities before developing and implementing policies to ensure that the disparity gap is minimized.

Role of Nursing in Influencing Policy Decisions that Adversely Influence Vulnerable Populations

Nursing as a profession, individually and collectively with other professions and policymakers, plays a crucial role in influencing policy decisions that adversely influence vulnerable populations. Nurses interact with various patient populations and therefore understand vulnerable populations and their needs. Therefore, they are best suited to advocate for changes in policies and policy decisions that negatively affect these populations. One of the ways nurses impact these policy decisions is through advocacy.

Nurses use advocacy to present the needs of vulnerable populations to policymakers. They also present their grievances regarding how existing policy negatively affects vulnerable populations, thus pushing for change in these policies. Additionally, nurses join movements led by other professions and organizations as support to advocate for change in policy decisions adversely influencing vulnerable populations. They also conduct research and develop policy proposals to impact vulnerable populations positively.

Conclusion

Smokers with COPD are a vulnerable population that requires special focus. The advocacy priority for this population includes promoting awareness creation and driving policy change that increases access to COPD healthcare services. The most vital population need in this population is the need for support from the care providers, the public, family, and caregivers. Different disparities are reflected in policy and vice versa. Nurses play a significant role in the change of policy decisions negatively affecting vulnerable populations through advocacy and policy proposals.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Accessed 5^th June 2023 from https://www.cdc.gov/copd/index.html

Ho, T., Cusack, R. P., Chaudhary, N., Satia, I., & Kurmi, O. P. (2019). Under- and over-diagnosis of COPD: a global perspective. Breathe (Sheffield, England), 15(1), 24–35. https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.0346-2018

Mathioudakis, A. G., Ananth, S., & Vestbo, J. (2021). Stigma: an unmet public health priority in COPD. The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine, 9(9), 955–956. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00316-7

Sandelowsky, H., Krakau, I., Modin, S., Ställberg, B., & Nager, A. (2019). COPD patients need more information about self-management: a cross-sectional study in Swedish primary care. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 37(4), 459-467. https://doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2019.1684015

Sav, A., Thomas, S. T., Cardona, M., Michaleff, Z. A., & Dobler, C. C. (2022). Treatment Burden Discussion in Clinical Encounters: Priorities of COPD Patients, Carers and Physicians. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 17, 1929–1942. https://doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S366412

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Week Two Discussion Instructions
Identifying barriers and challenges that impact vulnerable and marginalized groups is an important first step, but advocates cannot stop there. What can be done to address the inequities, the challenges, and the barriers? How might an advocate use policy to enact change?
The Allegory of the Orchard required you to consider the barriers and challenges of specific vulnerable or marginalized populations. In our Week 1 Discussion, you identified a specific population connected to your practice, organization, or experience. This week you will explore that population further by determining a specific advocacy priority for the population. (My population is : Smokers with COPD).
LEARNING RESOURCES:
• Dawes, Daniel E. (2020). The political determinants of health. Johns Hopkins University Press.
o Chapter 3, “The Political Determinants of Health Model” (pp. 41-77)
MEDIA RESOURCES
• Get it Right! A Global Health Channel. (2020). How to Understand What Are Vulnerable Groups in Less than 3 MinutesLinks to an external site.? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbDRgbI8rsA
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.
Links to an external site.
• HMS DICP. (2020). Voting, Links to an external site.Health Policy, and Social JusticeLinks to an external site.: Political Determinants of Health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17CDLlXSSMc
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 58 minutes.
Links to an external site.
• Malloy, Donald. (2020). Vulnerable Populations in HealthcareLinks to an external site.: Do you Know Who They Are? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h35EQ4Amqto
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.
Links to an external site.
• Satcher Health Leadership Institute. (2021). The Political Determinants of Health — Jessica’s StoryLinks to an external site.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmMutvgQIcU
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.

POST:
Using the selected population discussed in the Week 1 Discussion: Allegory of the Orchard, post a response detailing the following: MY SELECTED POPULATION IS COPD
• What are the advocacy priorities for the population? What are the needs of this population?
• How are disparities reflected in policy and policy reflected in the disparities?
• What is the role of nursing, individually and collectively, in influencing policy decisions that adversely impact vulnerable populations?
This instructor is tough and likes details and examples to show that you understand the questions. Thanks again for all of your help and for being my favorite writer.