Writing a Public Health Policy Analysis paper (apa format)

Direction for the assignment: Students will identify one key piece of legislation that is currently making its way through a state legislative process in California, but that has not yet passed or been enacted. California, as well as many other states maintain websites that follow proposed bills throughout the legislative process. A recent review of the California legislative database searching for bills containing the phrase "public health" surfaced approximately 522 bills during the 2005-2006 session.

Students should select a bill that has been proposed in response to a perceived public health problem and write a 8-10 page paper, which includes the following:

Overview of the health problem: An overview of the public health problem to be addressed by the legislation . Discuss the the problem and number of people affected by it and by the proposed bill. (12.5 points)

Severity of the health problem: Discuss the research behind the health problem. Is there consensus among researchers regarding its severity and how to best deal with it? What would realistically happen if no intervention was implemented. Please make sure to cite all references to the literature to support your statistics and data. Your statements must be factually and scientifically correct, so if you are not sure about a health claim being made in the bill or by a group for/against it, look it up and confirm the validity yourself. Just because a statement is made in the bill, it does not mean that it is necessarily accurate.b(12.5 points)

Overview of the bill and Stakeholders: Please make sure to identify the name, number, and author of the bill. In this section you should include an overview of the proposed bill in terms of its specific provisions. Don't just discuss what the promoters promise that it will accomplish. Make sure to read the fine print and see exactly what the bill will do. Describe who the stakeholders are that are affected in any way by this bill. Also please make sure to identify the current status of the bill. Has it been passed by one or both houses? (12.5 points)

Promises/Expected Outcomes: Who are the promoters of the bill. Describe what the promoters of the bill believe that the bill will accomplish. Make sure to discuss what specific health outcomes that the promoters say will occur if the bill is passed. Discuss who is for the bill and why they are for it. Keep in mind that a group's stated reason for being in favor of a bill may not be the real reason. For example, a group may say that they are in favor of a bill due to public health benefits when in actuality, the group will benefit financially from its passage. Try to be as specific as possible as to how public health will be improved (according to the promoters) by the bill's passage. (12.5 points)

Problems: Describe what individuals or groups are opposed to the bill and why they are opposed. Make sure to research special interest groups such as professional trade associations, industry groups, etc. to see what type of lobbying efforts they are making with respect to the bill. Again, keep in mind that some groups' stated reasons for being opposed to a bill may not be the true underlying reason. Also, keep in mind that all those opposed to the bill are not always listed in the text of the legislation -- you will need to do your own research. (12.5 points)

Unintended Consequences: Describe what unintended consequence that could arise resulting from passage of this bill. In this section you should discuss unanticipated events that could go wrong if the bill was passed. Make sure to include unintended consequences that have been suggested by others (make sure to cite your source), as well as ones that you believe could occur based on your understanding of the bill. (12.5 points)

Recommendation: What is your recommendation regarding this bill from a public health perspective? Make sure to back up your opinion with the facts. IMPORTANT: Your opinion must be supported by specific aspects of the bill and and with support from the class readings. (12.5 points)

In addition, please make sure to follow these guidelines in writing your paper:

ˇYour paper should conform to APA style (if you are unfamiliar with APA, you should consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (available in the bookstore or library), or consult one of the many online APA reference guides available on the Internet.

ˇPlease make sure to carefully proofread your paper for spelling and grammatical errors prior to submission. A total of 12.5 points is awarded based on the degree to which your paper is well-written. Keep in mind that if I am unable to understand what you are trying to communicate, I cannot award points for the various categories, above.

ˇPlease note that the 8-10 page length is simply a general guideline, based on my expectation of how much effort is involved given the assignment. If you cover the required content appropriately, there is no penalty if your paper exceeds 10 pages or is less than 8 pages.

ˇMake sure to cite every source used in your paper. When citing sources, you should always cite the primary source of the information using APA.

question: i am having trouble finding a bill for it. i have type in infectious disease, h1n1, flu, cold and many more and have come up with nothing. i can't have the same topic (heart disease, herpes and Cervical Cancer) as my other papers. do you have any ideas as to what i should write about?

Make sure it is something you can easily understand. Nothing is worse than trying to write a research paper about something you don't understand.

Here is a site that will explain some of the bills in ways that are easy to understand.
publichealthadvocacy.org/
This can be a tough assignment if you try to write about something that is very complex.

publichealthadvocacy.org/legislation.html

when you choose one, google it and see what everyone says about it.

Then, paste these instructions into a word document and respond to each part separately in a few paragraphs.

Finally, put the paragraphs together as an essay.

Use good topic sentences to show that you answered all the assignment's questions.

Good luck, this is a tough one!! :-)
:-)

I am planning to write about Health Care Coverage (AB 1541). I am having a tough time trying to start the "Overview of the health problem" and "Severity of the health problem" part of the assignment. Any suggestions?

Think of these as two essay questions. You'll ned to write a little essay about each.

This subject is timely because of the convtroversial health care reform bill.

Determine key words by thinking of what you would expect to see in that section of a paper or book or article. :For the severity section, you can list the reasons Americans wanted health care reform. Google it: reasons Americans want health care reform. The results will provide your material for the severity section.

Search your school database for "health care" and coverage
or "health care" and covered.
Those are just a few good examples. When you read one article, you will notice good terms to search for in the next search. Remember that articles are like food for the campfire of your essay. If you don't know what to write, read another article. :-)

As you begin, wriote anything you want to write. Write good paragraphs, and cite a source for each. Later, use cut/paste to put therm in a senmsible order.

:-)

Due: April 27, 2010
i have to change the topic since the teacher say not to write about anything complex.

my current topic (i email my teacher but he still haven't respond to my email yet) is on pharmacies giving flu shots (AB 977).

i having trouble with "Severity of the health problem", "Overview of the bill and Stakeholders", and "Problems" part of the essay. (I am writing like whatever to it right now to limit the amount of work later.) Any suggestions?

Choose a topic you know a lot about. What health problem are you most familiar with?

:-)

i wanted to write something about foods and obesity. there wasn't a bill on it.

the professor says that i can write about that pharmacies giving flu shots (AB 977).

i having trouble with "Severity of the health problem", "Overview of the bill and Stakeholders", and "Problems" part of the essay. (I am writing like whatever to it right now to limit the amount of work later.) Any suggestions?

It's hard for me to give a suggestion other than to google around for other things entitled "overview of the bill" so you can see how other bills are described... and also... I suggest writing whatever you are NOT having trouble with. Write all that you can, and don't waste any time with the difficult part yet. It will be easier later.

Start by googling that bill and paraphrasing the explanation you find for it. If you can find a scholarly journal article that describes the bill, that would be excellent.

:-)

Due May 2, 2010 (instead of April 27)
I am not finish with this assignment. This is what I have so far.

Immunizations

Overview of the health problem
The current law allows pharmacies to administer shots to anyone at least 18 or older. All pharmacists will be required to complete a pharmacy-based immunization delivery training program, compete a three hour program on giving immunization every year, provide an information booklet on the vaccine to the patient, and provide a record of the vaccine to be given to the patient and the patient's doctor. All pharmacists should make sure that all vaccines are properly store. The pharmacists will be allowed to give epinephrine in the event of severe allergic reactions as a result of vaccinations. The bill will require the boards to evaluate influenza immunization protocols authorized by the bill. The bill will make it a crime if there is a violation under the Pharmacy Law. Under the bill, there would be new requirements for the Pharmacy Law. California Constitution mandates that the local agencies and school districts be given back money. With the bill, the state don't have to given the money back to the local agencies and school districts. Vaccines help protect us from getting diseases that could make us sick or even death. Many people should get vaccinations that could help protect them from diseases but not many people get vaccinated. Pharmacists handles situation where problems with vaccines occur. Physicians are vital in preventative measures for health care. To provide more access for people to get vaccines, the legislature want to give pharmacists permission to give influenza vaccines to people age 18 and over. Pharmacists would need approval from the Medical Board of California for people ages 18 and over to receive influenza vaccinations. All pharmacists would need to complete a mandated pharmacy-based immunization delivery training program from either the American Pharmacists Association's pharmacy-based immunization certificate training program or a different pharmacy-based immunization certificate training program from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention or Accreditation Council for the Pharmaceutical Education to be able to give vaccines to people. Failure to meet the requirement would result in having to take the pharmacy-based immunization certificate training program again along with a three hour education on immunization to be allow to administer shots to people. All vaccines given at the pharmacy should be keep on record along with a copy to be provided to the patients and their doctor.

Severity of the health problem
Vaccines prevent certain serious health problems from occurring. As with all medications, there are side effects in vaccines. Some ingredients in the vaccines could make people feel sick. Some people are unable to get shots because they may have an allergic reaction to the ingredient(s) in the vaccine. A person with a cold could still get vaccinated. If a person got sick after getting a shot, it is not recommended to get the same shot. According to Food and Drug Administration (2010), "vaccines undergo a rigorous review of laboratory and clinical data to ensure the safety, efficacy, purity and potency of these products" (para. 1). After any vaccines is administer to people, it is documented and monitored to ensure that there are no possible side effects. Vaccines are monitored to ensure that the vaccines that are administered to people are safe. If there are a lot of people complaining about the same reaction to their doctors about the same vaccine, than the vaccine may be withdrawn. If there is a problem with the vaccine, further research will be conducted. Also, there might be a change in recommendations on getting the shot, lowering the amount of using the vaccine, or not use it at all. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), "Years of testing are required by law before a vaccine can be licensed" (para. 1). After the vaccine is license, it is continually monitored for safety. Depending on the vaccines, it takes awhile for it to work. For example, a person went and got a flu shot. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to work. During that time, the person could get sick. There are a lot of people who don't get vaccinated for numerous reasons. People think they would not need to be vaccinated for certain diseases thinking that it is alright since they are healthy so they don't get it. Some people who don't have insurance don't go to the hospital and get their shot because it might be costly for them to afford it. If a person is not vaccinated, it would increase his or her chance of getting the disease and spread it to others. When lots of people are getting vaccinated, it would reduce the number of cases associated with the diseases. Some parents fear that their children could be diagnose with autism after getting a shot. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), "evidence from several studies examining trends in vaccine use and changes in autism frequency does not support such an association" (para. 2). There is no known link between vaccine and autism.

Overview of the bill and Stakeholders
The name of the bill is Pharmacists: immunization protocols. The bill number is AB 977. The author of the bill is Skinner. Pharmacists are allow to administer vaccines to adults. Before pharmacists could administer vaccines, they would have to completed a pharmacy-based immunization delivery training program from American Pharmacists Association's pharmacy-based immunization certificate training program or a pharmacy-based immunization certificate training program from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention or Accreditation Council for the Pharmaceutical Education. If the pharmacists fail to meet the requirement, they would have to complete the pharmacy-based immunization delivery training program again and a three hour education on vaccines to be able to administer vaccines. Each year, pharmacists are require to complete a three hour education on vaccines. Pharmacists would have to provide a booklet on the vaccines to be given to the patient and a vaccine record to be given to the patient and doctor. All vaccines should be properly store. If a patient is having an allergic reaction, a pharmacist can administer epinephrine to the patient. Prior to administering vaccines to people, pharmacists would need to have the Medical Board of California's permission to administer vaccines. The people of California will be affected by the bill. People could have their shots taken while waiting for the prescribe medications. Currently, the bill has been approved by the Assembly and is waiting for the Senate to approve the bill.

Recommendation
Laws are created to ensure that everyone is safe and protected. Pharmacists should be train before administering vaccines to people. Pharmacists should get an idea of the person's health by asking questions like if they have any known allergies, provide information on the vaccine to the person and know the amount of doses to administer to people before administer it. I think that the pharmacists should not be allow to administer vaccines to people even though they have vase knowledge on drugs. Although, getting the vaccine from a pharmacy would kill some time while waiting for medications. I think that the vaccines should only be provided by a medical professional since it function on the primary health care. If the person gets an allergic reaction to the vaccine, he or she could get treated faster. Not getting vaccinated is a determinant for an increase risk of getting a disease and spreading it to other people.

Pharmacists should be trained before administering vaccines to people.

This is a tough one. I think you need to be clearer at the beginning about what the "problem" is.

You say this: The current law allows pharmacies to .... but you do not succinctly name the PROBLEM you are writing about.

Clearly establishing the problem at the beginning is important...

:-)