NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 1 Health Care Economic Issue

• NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 1 Health Care Economic Issue.

Identifying a local Healthcare Economic Issue

There are various healthcare issues in the US. One of the issues is access to oral health care in the adult population, which is a significant concern highlighted in NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 1 Health Care Economic Issue. This issue particularly affects individuals who are of low income, uninsured, from racial or ethnic minorities, immigrants, or those living in rural areas (Mary E. Northridge, 2020). In the US, 29% of Hispanics have received dental care compared to white non-Hispanic individuals (Health, 2023). Additionally, 40% of non-Hispanic black adults, including low-income individuals, are living with untreated tooth decay (Prevention C. f., 2021). Explore our assessment NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 3 for complete information about this class.

• Impact of Poor Oral Health

This report will discuss the ethnic minority population of Hispanics and African Americans living in Queens, New York. Poor oral health increases the gamble of other medical health issues, including increased periodontal disease, dental infections, high carious lesions, pain, and abscesses, as well as chronic diseases like diabetes, heart conditions, preterm birth/low birth weight, chronic pulmonary disease, and cancers (Elliot Abt, 2021). This may also impact one’s ability to socialize, eating habits, and diet, as well as cause depression and isolation penchants (Assari, 2018).

The rationale for choosing Oral healthcare as an Economic Issue

Access to affordable preventative healthcare decreases disparities in oral health, especially in networks in terrible shape (Mary E. Northridge, 2020). Oral health awareness is an integral part of the body’s everyday health. Receiving preventative dental administrators often relates to a healthy, thriving, early detection of medical conditions and can bring about presence saving because of the mouth-body connection. Dental visits can forestall unwarranted medical conditions. For example, circulatory strain screenings can portray hypertension and cardiovascular issues in patients. Gingival inflammation and bleeding gingiva(gums) are often an indicator of other foundational diseases like diabetes and cancers (Elliot Abt, 2021).

Oral cancer screenings can also forestall or establish early intervention frameworks and diagnose oral cancers. I have been in the dental field at various private and general health organizations for many years. Diagnosis of oral cancer and other health conditions that might have achieved death on the off chance that not caught on schedule maintain the essential for dental education and obtaining better access to care. I

• Barriers to Dental Care

I have seen many individuals in awful tooth pain seeking help, individuals missing teeth as adults, which affects their confidence and occupation performance, those undergoing chemotherapy treatment suffering from oral health issues, for example, pain from xerostomia, increased caries risk, and other issues that can be forestalled. Expanding access to dental coverage has been demonstrated to affect quality of life. One of the obstacles faced is that dental has the most elevated financial barrier related to any other health administration (Research, 2021).

Several dental programs are attached to government-aided medical programs, similar to Medicaid and Medicare. Although access to care is said to be within a 30-minute ride via public transportation in New York City, it was seen that the MCO supplier listings are inaccurate. Of all the listings, only 13.8% of dental specialists were confirmed as dental suppliers for Medicaid. “MCO listings vastly decrease the Manhattan dental store” and hinder the vulnerability from accessing essential dental care (Sun, 2021). This addresses an issue for people with low incomes as well as does not address the lower working class and working class that have no form of dental coverage.

Effects on Community Colleagues and Organization

The prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries among patients has significantly impacted the stream and past dental organizations I have worked in. This aligns with the concerns highlighted in NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 1 Health Care Economic Issue, where workforce shortages and economic constraints are explored. The aftermath of Coronavirus has incited workforce changes, with an increase in staff absences, putting strain on others to cover the workload. The shortage of dental suppliers and vacancies in dental assistants and hygienists has achieved confined appointment availability.

Staffing challenges have also affected operating hours. In my musical advancement work, we offer free preventative assistance and often refer patients to restorative suppliers for various lesions, extractions, and periodontal disease. Unfortunately, many patients decide not to search for necessary treatment because of a scarcity of suppliers, cost factors, and limitations in Medicaid acceptance.

Impact of Poor Oral Health Care in Queens

Dental problems are more prevalent due to less access to oral health care, and this affects the Hispanic and non-Hispanic African American populations. This is partly due to the availability of dental insurance and the associated costs to administer. Periodontitis afflicts a fair share of the adult population; however, the rates are higher in populations aged 65 and older to 70.1% (Press, 2013). This is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting teeth, supporting ligaments, and surrounding bone, which ultimately results in the loss of teeth.

The ignorance of oral diseases makes some of them more prevalent, like dental caries, inflammation of the gingiva, oral cancer, and foundational diseases. As reported by health statistics, one in four adults aged 65 years and above residing in New York City have no teeth (Oral Health, 2023). Confined access to oral care is often cited as an entity that is financially constrained, which also contributes to healthcare disparities among low-income entities. The economic burden of high medical co-pays, charges, and limited coverage of dental plans is another factor in less than optimal healthcare and a lower standard of living (Assari, 2018).

• Challenges of Affordable Dentistry

When on limited incomes, individuals make decisions daily about what to pay for. This becomes an added financial burden for dental care, and hence many have to forego visiting dental specialists. This affects the self-care ability due to tooth pain, loss of the function of chewing, and impacts on overall medical conditions (Willcoxon, 2022). The neglect of oral health may lead to isolation and depression, which may also worsen medical conditions. Inadequate or no dental coverage often motivates people to delay seeking treatment until necessary—a retreat to hospitals only to be diverted to dental specialists. Carious lesions can escalate to root canals.

However, the inability to afford these strategies often leads to tooth extraction, causing significant tooth misfortune. Prevention administrations and maintenance are disregarded, transforming minor dental issues into more critical, more intricate matters (Incline, 2021).

Conclusion

Increasing oral health literacy, establishing further programs for affordable dental care, and encouraging quality dental suppliers will establish knowledgeable patients who will take preventative measures to help their overall oral health conditions (Nélio Jorge Veiga, 2023). These interventions are in line with the goals discussed in NURS FPX 6008 Assessment 1 Health Care Economic Issue, which looked at overcoming the economic barriers to improving outcomes in health care. Making dental care both accessible and affordable will go a long way in reducing disparities in a manner that helps close the gap in interdisciplinary screening collaboration. Oral health care and the status of an individual would generally improve along with positive effects on both financial stability and a person’s overall well-being.

References

Assari, S. (2018). Socioeconomic Status and Self-Related Oral Health; Diminished Return on Hispanic Whites. Dentistry Journal, 6-7. Eke, T. E. (2013). Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States. Journal of Dental Research, 1-7. Elliot Abt, D. M. (2021). Periodontal disease and medical maladies. Journal of the American Dental Association, volume 153. Health, H. D. (2023, April). Addressing the Oral Health Needs. https://www.carequest.org/system/files/HDA-CareQuest-Institute_Addressing-Oral-Health-Needs-of-Hispanics-in-US_4.26.23.pdf

Hill, P. S. (2021). Structural Racism and Oral Health Inequalities of Black vs. Non Hispanic White Adults in the US. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 50-63. Mary E. Northridge, A. K. (2020). Disparities in Access to Oral Health Care. Annual Review of Public Health, 513-535. Nélio Jorge Veiga, P. C.-M. (2023). Oral Health Strategies: Surveying the Present to Plan the Future of Community-Based Learning Healthcare, 11-19. Oral Health. (2023). NYC Health Topics: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/oral-health.page

Prevention, C. F. (2021, February 5). Disparities in Oral Health. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/oral_health_disparities/index.htm

Prevention, C. F. (2022, April). National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. Dental Care Utilization Among Adults Aged 18−64: United States, 2019 and 2020: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db435.htm

Research, N. I. (2021). Oral Health in America. Bethesda, MD, United States of America. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Oral-Health-in-America-Advances-and-Challenges.pdf#page=59

Sun, D. K. (2021, November 25). How Phantom Networks, Provider Qualities, and Poverty Sway Medicaid Dental Care Access: A Geospatial Analysis of Manhattan. PubMed Central: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8656799/

Willcoxon, N. (2022, June 15). WestHealth. Older Adults Sacrificing Basic Needs Due to Healthcare Costs: https://www.westhealth.org/news/older-adults-sacrificing-basic-needs-due-to-healthcare-costs/