2 questions to answer 1. Evaluate how social factors, such as personal or professional values, influence both individual and population health. How does your worldview influence the way you provide

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Introduction:
As a medical professor, the impact of social factors and politics on healthcare is crucial to understand. It is important for healthcare providers to recognize how these external factors can influence their practice both on an individual and population level. This paper aims to evaluate these two questions in depth, highlighting relevant literature and examples to support the arguments.

Question 1:
Social factors significantly influence individual and population health. Personal and professional values are essential factors that influence an individual’s perception towards health and healthcare delivery. Wong et al. (2018) suggests that the cultural values and beliefs affect the people’s attitude towards health-seeking behaviors, treatment adherence, and health maintenance. Several studies have indicated the impact of cultural competency training for healthcare professionals to enhance the quality of care and patient satisfaction (Barr et al., 2019).

Moreover, social determinants of health like poverty, education, and social class also have a considerable impact on the population’s health. Marmot and Allen (2014) illustrated how social determinants of health contribute to health inequalities and consequently affect economic stability. Healthcare providers require an adequate understanding of social factors that can impact the patients, their adherence to treatment, and overall health outcomes.

My worldview significantly influences the way I provide healthcare to both individuals and populations. My perspective is to integrate cultural competency, empathy, and ethics while providing healthcare. I believe personalized medical care is essential for optimal health outcomes. For instance, when caring for individuals from diverse backgrounds, understanding their cultural and religious beliefs, language, and socio-economic status can significantly improve healthcare outcomes. Similarly, initiatives aligned with healthcare access, affordability, and medical insurance policies can contribute to population-level improvements.

Question 2:
The current political climate has a significant impact on health care policies. The shift in the political atmosphere influences healthcare access, affordability, and allocation of medical resources. The policy decisions affect individual access to healthcare and population-level outcomes. For instance, Medicare and Medicaid expansion, the Affordable Care Act, and the diverse healthcare provisions aimed at disease prevention have significantly impacted healthcare access and outcomes (Cockerham, 2017).

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) plays a vital role in contributing to positive impacts in healthcare policies and advocacy when addressing population health. The expertise in healthcare management, ethics, and leadership skills equip DNP graduates to make a significant difference in healthcare policies (Cleary et al., 2014). For example, DNPs can participate in policy development, community health projects, research, and advocacy to improve the health outcomes of individuals and populations. Moreover, DNPs can engage and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, stakeholders, and policymakers to finance and implement new treatment programs, effect reforms in healthcare regulations, and improve healthcare delivery.

Conclusion:
Social factors and politics have a significant impact on healthcare delivery at both individual and population levels. Healthcare providers must recognize and address these factors’ influence to deliver optimal health outcomes. An understanding of social determinants of health, cultural competency, and healthcare policies is crucial in contemporary healthcare settings. DNPs have a remarkable opportunity to influence healthcare policies and advocacy that can significantly impact individual and population health.