The purpose of a policy analysis is to provide advice to a decision maker regarding a specific course of action on a public policy decision. For this assignment, conduct a critical analysis of an existing policy of your choice, either at the local, state, or federal level. Develop a short, written policy analysis (750 to 1,250 words) related to a public health issue of your choice. Refer to the resource “Guidelines for Preparing a Brief Policy Analysis” when preparing this assignment and include the following in the policy analysis:
- Problem Statement: A problem statement should be clear, concise, and written in the form of a question that identifies the public health problem addressed in the analysis. The problem statement should be one or two sentences maximum.
- Background of the Problem: This section should include factual information and evidence necessary to understand the public health problem, describe why the public health problem is important, and explain why the issue needs attention.
- Landscape of the Problem: Key Stakeholders: This section should identify the specific key stakeholders relevant to the policy analysis.
- Landscape of the Problem: Key Factors: This section provides the overall context of the issue and should include epidemiological, political, economic, practical/feasibility, legal, and ethical factors.
- Available Options for Action: This section should provide an analysis of three to five options for a policy course of action, including the benefits and drawbacks of each course of action. Discuss the evidence and ethical implications of each of the options.
- Recommendation: This section should describe one of the previously described options as the recommendation. Clearly identify which option is being recommended and why it was selected over the other options. Describe why it is the best option despite potential drawbacks, and address ways to reduce negative aspects of the recommendation. Describe the potential this policy recommendation could have for public health or health equity.
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Introduction: The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a critical analysis of an existing policy related to a public health issue. The analysis will follow the guidelines for preparing a brief policy analysis and will include a problem statement, background information, key stakeholders, key factors, available options for action, and a recommendation.
1. Problem Statement: The problem statement should be clear, concise, and written in the form of a question that identifies the public health problem addressed in the analysis. For example, “What is the impact of the lack of access to healthcare on the health outcomes of low-income communities?”
2. Background of the Problem: This section should include factual information and evidence necessary to understand the public health problem, describe why the public health problem is important, and explain why the issue needs attention. For example, it could include statistics on the prevalence of the problem, the impact on health outcomes, and the economic burden of the problem.
3. Landscape of the Problem: Key Stakeholders: This section should identify the specific key stakeholders relevant to the policy analysis. For example, it could include healthcare providers, policymakers, community organizations, and affected individuals and communities.
4. Landscape of the Problem: Key Factors: This section provides the overall context of the issue and should include epidemiological, political, economic, practical/feasibility, legal, and ethical factors. For example, it could include the impact of social determinants of health on health outcomes, the political climate around healthcare policy, and the economic impact of potential policy changes.
5. Available Options for Action: This section should provide an analysis of three to five options for a policy course of action, including the benefits and drawbacks of each course of action. Discuss the evidence and ethical implications of each of the options. For example, it could include options such as expanding Medicaid, increasing funding for community health centers, or implementing a single-payer healthcare system.
6. Recommendation: This section should describe one of the previously described options as the recommendation. Clearly identify which option is being recommended and why it was selected over the other options. Describe why it is the best option despite potential drawbacks, and address ways to reduce negative aspects of the recommendation. Describe the potential this policy recommendation could have for public health or health equity. For example, it could recommend implementing a single-payer healthcare system and describe how it could improve access to healthcare for all individuals, particularly those in low-income communities.
