You will create a policy brief that will either advocate reinforcement of the current Affordable Care Act policies or opt to advocate alternative healthcare policies. This brief is to be addressed to your local congressman/congresswoman.
Select one of the following topics:
- Smoking in a designated area
- Food service workers washing hands before food preparation
- Healthy food preparation
The brief:
- Title: Include a title page. A good title communicates the brief’s content in a short, easy-to-remember, way
- Executive summary: This section provides an overview of the problem and the proposed policy action (1–2 paragraphs).
- Problem context or scope: This section provides the reader with information on the importance of the problem, as well as the need for immediate (policy) action (2–3 paragraphs). Discuss the public health impacts both positive and negative in your community. State how the proposed policy changes will improve health in various populations.
- Policy alternatives: This section provides a review of the current policy approach and proposed options. The information/argument should be fair and accurate while convincing the reader why the policy action proposed will provide the most effective solution (1 page).
- Policy recommendations: This section presents a detailed explanation of the concrete steps to be initiated to address the policy issue (1 page).
- Conclusion: A conclusion paragraph with a closing, persuasive argument and summary statement.
End of brief:
- References (APA), if needed
- Appendix section, if needed, to provide support information for the policy and strengthen the points made on behalf of the policy
Use current APA formatting to style your paper and to cite your sources. Integrate your sources into the paragraphs. Use internal citations pointing to evidence in the literature and supporting your ideas. You will need to include a reference page listing those sources.
Here are a few helpful tools for writing a policy brief. Note, you do not have to have your brief look like these, but rather they are examples to help you out.
Make sure you include the requirements listed above.
An overview of how to complete a policy brief from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Reference: International Development Research Centre. (n. d.). How to write a policy brief. Retrieved from https://www.idrc.ca/sites/default/files/idrcpolicy…
From the WHO
Reference: World Health Organization. (2007). Sifting the evidence: Gender and tobacco control. Retrieved from www.who.int/tobacco/resources/publications/Sifting…
From the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)
Reference: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development. (2015). Policy paths for tackling climate change. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/environment/policy-paths-for-…
See the rubric for specific grading criteria.
Due: Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
Points: 100 points
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Healthcare policies play an important role in ensuring the well-being of a community, and as a medical professor, it is crucial to create assignments that enable students to analyze and understand the current healthcare policies. In this case, the assignment is to create a policy brief advocating either reinforcement of current Affordable Care Act policies or alternative healthcare policies. Students are required to select a topic from smoking in a designated area, food service workers washing hands before food preparation or healthy food preparation. The policy brief must address various sections, as discussed below.
Answer:
Title: “Promoting Healthy Food Preparation- A Proposal for Policy Change”
Executive summary: The proposal for policy change advocates for promoting healthy food preparation in our community through policy change. The policy acts as a means of ensuring that food preparation in public facilities conforms to public health standards. The policy change will impact various populations positively, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Problem context or scope: Foodborne illnesses are a critical public health concern throughout the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year, roughly 48 million individuals acquire foodborne illness, which translates to one in six people (CDC, 2018). The economic losses resulting from foodborne illnesses are substantial, underscored by the direct healthcare costs, lost earnings, and early death (CDC, 2018). Therefore, there is a need for a policy change that addresses healthy food preparation, local food production, and distribution.
Policy alternatives: The current policy approach does not emphasize the need for healthy food preparation and may fail to address basic food service safety protocols. An alternative policy change proposal will focus on training and development of health inspection protocols that advocate for healthy food preparation, increasing local food production, and distribution.
Policy recommendations: The proposed policy change seeks to address the issue of healthy food preparation in public facilities. It will require mandatory health inspections of food service providers. The inspections aim to ensure that food service providers in public facilities, such as restaurants, comply with public health standards and regulations to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. Additionally, the policy change will provide training for healthcare providers on healthy food preparation for clients who require special diets.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the proposed policy change aims to promote healthy food preparation by ensuring that regulations are in place for food service providers. The policy change will positively impact various populations, particularly individuals who are immunocompromised and require special food preparation.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Foodborne illness costs the U.S. billions each year. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0628-foodborne-illness-costs.html
