Health Policy
Evidence-based practice (EBP), research, and quality improvement are useful methods to enhance patient outcomes. It is important to select a proper method that will depend on the intent of a care provider, specific settings, and health problems of patients (Ginex, 2017). For example, in case a patient diagnosed with obesity needs to reduce his or her weight, a health policy regarding nutrition aspects may be designed, and family members may be instructed about communication strategies, which represent the quality improvement initiative. If a patient having diabetes develops bedsores, the care professional may select EBP to collect relevant information, synthesize it, ask the patient about his or her attitudes, and chose the most suitable intervention. Also, it is possible to pay attention to the existing health policies in the given field or propose a new policy to advocate for change in the current standards of practice.
Research implies a wider consideration of a health problem based on a systematic investigation and evaluation to generate new knowledge. For instance, if a researcher strives to compare the effects of a plate method diet and ketogenic diet in obese patients, he or she can conduct a randomized controlled trial and examine the current policy regarding national nutrition recommendations (Saslow et al., 2017). The Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice journal aims to explore the connection between nursing and health policy with the purpose of discussing modern care concerns (“Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice”, n.d.).
References
Ginex, P. K. (2017). The difference between quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and research. Web.
Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice. (n.d.). Web.
Saslow, L. R., Mason, A. E., Kim, S., Goldman, V., Ploutz-Snyder, R., Bayandorian, H.,… Moskowitz, J. T. (2017). An online intervention comparing a very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and lifestyle recommendations versus a plate method diet in overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(2), 36-56.