In class we watched the documentary Code Black and identified themes from the movie. Your assignment is to take one of those approved themes and write an informative blog post about the issue. Your blog post must address your issue in the context of the ER, but you may also go beyond the ER and discuss your issue in the context of our health care system as a whole. Your blog post should
- Clearly identify and explain the general topic,
- Discuss the causes of the problem you identified,
- Discuss the negative effects of the problem you identify, and
- Discuss pros and cons of possible policy solutions (at least one).
For example, if you choose the theme of ER overcrowding, your blog post would explain what ER overcrowding is, give background information and data to show ER overcrowding exists, discuss what problems ER overcrowding leads to for physicians, institutions, patients, the overall health care system etc. and discuss the pros and cons of one or more policy options for addressing the issue of ER overcrowding.
Your audience is the general public with no specific health care background knowledge. You must cite appropriately (APA citation form). Even though this is a blog post, it is formal piece of writing. You should not use I/you/we or any other informal writing conventions. You should use the blog posts provided on Blackboard to guide you in terms of the expected tone, depth of information, citation use etc.
Your blog post must not exceed 1500 words (citations/references/graphics do not count towards the word limit). You may include graphics, but are not required to do so. Your paper will be assessed based on adherence to the required elements, writing style, cohesiveness, grammar, spelling, etc., and inclusion of proper citations.
Here are the themes we talked about today and a few others, in no particular order (and some themes are related). Your final paper should address one of these. See the assignment description and folder of examples of professional blog posts under “assignments”.
- patient privacy/HIPAA
- regulatory burden
- limited resources/competition with other public needs
- unintended consequences of policy/policies that unintentionally create barriers
- ED as primary source of care/safety net
- EMTALA
- quality of care/safety
- uninsured/underinsured population
- patient-centeredness
- burnout/overworked doctors and nurses
- workforce shortages
- interaction of innovation and policy
- impact of paperwork on care
- defensive medicine
