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Introduction
The role of nursing staff in improving population health indicators is high, particularly given the fact that the various levels of academic training are offered to nurses to form a wide range of professional competencies. As an essential link in the national healthcare system and participating in the effective implementation of the Affordable Care Act, junior medical staff should take into account the parameters of citizens health at different levels, including both local and regional indicators. This work is aimed at evaluating data based on information obtained from the state of California. As a relevant resource for gathering the data needed, the United States Census Bureau (n.d.) is involved. Identifying social determinants of health and describing the principles of integrating the information obtained into current nursing practice are the tasks to implement in the course of this analytical work.
Population Health Data for California
The information required for analysis should include baseline characteristics that reflect the key trends in the health of California citizens. In Table 1, the main criteria are listed along with the indicators corresponding to them (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). These statistics are local and are not compared with those from other states; however, this data may be sufficient to provide a comprehensive picture of Californians health parameters.
Table 1. Population health data for California
Observations about the Health Data Collected
The work carried out to collect the health data of California residents has made it possible to identify relevant trends, including social factors, such as the cultural diversity of the population. For nurses, this criterion is critical to take into account because failure to meet diversity indicators effectively is fraught with lower patient outcomes and, consequently, a deterioration in the overall quality of care. According to the National Prevention and Information Network (2020), junior medical employees must have an appropriate set of skills and behavioral patterns to address cross-cultural interaction principles productively. Failure to follow such a working strategy is fraught with the inability to maintain a patient-centered approach, which, in turn, directly affects the effectiveness of care.
The multiplicity of factors to take into account when compiling an overall picture requires an integrated approach to analysis, and along with real health parameters, this is crucial to consider some social aspects, for instance, the number of free housing in the state. This figure is high in California, and one of the reasons is unaffordable rent, which, in turn, is directly correlated with the ever-increasing number of homeless people. As per the information provided by the Homelessness Policy and Research Institute (n.d.), in the past decade, the total number of homeless people in the state has increased by about 22%, while more than a quarter of all homeless US citizens are in California (para. 1). These statistics are alarming, largely due to the direct association with deteriorating health indicators caused by the lack of stable access to health services for a large number of people.
Finally, from an educational perspective, the low percentage of young people with an academic bachelors degree is another interesting fact to take into account. According to Suburban Stats (n.d.), in California, a community college education is free. As a result, with free access to such educational establishments, people under 25 could get appropriate degrees without spending extra money; nevertheless, the statistics suggest that this possibility is not fully realized.
Social Determinants of Health
Social determinants of health are indicators that are not directly related to medical aspects but influence overall health outcomes. As defined by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (n.d.), they shape the environment in which people live, study, work, and interact, which, in turn, is associated with life quality characteristics, as well as risks. Relevant areas are usually identified in the context of these determinants: education, economic stability, social context, healthcare, and neighborhood (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.). These five aspects largely determine the indicators of peoples health.
The aforementioned problem with the increase in the number of homeless people in California is a negative indicator that affects the health of the target population. This category of people does not have stable access to healthcare services, and the risks of trauma and violence among them are high (Housing Urban Development, 2021). One of the prospects for implementing for 2030 as part of helping this population is the construction of affordable housing (Together We Engage, n.d.). This long-term initiative also involves establishing an accessible transport system.
The availability of healthcare services is a critical issue, particularly in California. The ability to obtain health insurance is one of the important initiatives being implemented through the Covered California program in the context of the Affordable Care Act (Lets Get Healthy California, 2016b). This solution is designed to enable people with distinctive income levels to rely on comprehensive care and assistance from medical professionals. This is largely the case for chronic diseases because, for instance, as Weir et al. (2015) argue, the number of cancer patients has increased substantially over the past decades. Therefore, comprehensive assistance is an essential aspect of improving the health situation in the state.
The mental health aspect is a factor that reflects the quality of the healthcare system, both nationally and regionally. One of the solutions aimed at addressing the disparities in skilled mental health care is the California Reducing Disparities Project (Lets Get Healthy California, 2016a). This initiative contributes to helping vulnerable citizens of the state, which helps eliminate inequality and has a positive impact on overall health indicators.
Conclusions about the Social Determinants
In light of the issues identified, relevant perspectives on targeted work on addressing the aforementioned social determinants can be highlighted. To date, the number of Californians with permanent health insurance has increased (Lets Get Healthy California, 2016a). Eliminating health disparities is an activity designed to improve the well-being of the people of the state. According to DiPietro Mager and Smith Moore (2020), based on the Healthy People 2030 program, appropriate objectives are set to address real care gaps to achieve optimal health indicators. Creating environments where citizens can develop from different perspectives, including physical fitness, social interaction, or economic empowerment, is a priority (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Addressing issues at all levels may contribute to achieving the set objectives successfully.
Integrating the Data into Current Practice
Integrating the social determinants of health into my current practice can help me improve the quality of care I provide to the population. Distelhorst et al. (2021) draw attention to the importance of evaluating different environments as criteria that shape the health outcomes and characteristics of life in communities. An opportunity to build trusting relationships with patients is a valuable perspective that is particularly relevant when interacting with pregnant women. These citizens do not always have permanent insurance, and my task is to help them interact with social services. The effective identification of risk factors is another positive perspective that I can achieve by evaluating relevant determinants. According to Cambon et al. (2021), in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, social contacts have been frozen, which negatively affects the health of vulnerable categories of the population. Therefore, as the epidemiological situation improves, I can implement the knowledge gained into daily practice to optimize target patients health outcomes.
Conclusion
Identifying the factors influencing the health of the population and related not only to physical but also social or economic aspects is a valuable prospect to address to improve patient outcomes in the state of California. This is critical to consider the needs of communities while taking into account the distinctive characteristics and conditions of life. Based on my analysis, I can say that incorporating social determinants into my practice can allow me to expand the range of interventions and help citizens gain sustainable access to healthcare services, which are valuable prospects.
References
Cambon, L., Bergeron, H., Castel, P., Ridde, V., & Alla, F. (2021). When the worldwide response to the COVID19 pandemic is done without health promotion. Global Health Promotion, 28(2), 3-6. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Healthy people 2030. Web.
DiPietro Mager, N., & Smith Moore, T. (2020). Healthy people 2030: Roadmap for public health for the next decade. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(11), 1541-1544. Web.
Distelhorst, K., Graor, C., & Hansen, D. (2021). Upstream factors in population health. Advances in Nursing Science, 44(3), 210-223. Web.
Homelessness Policy and Research Institute. (n.d.). State of homelessness in California fact sheet. Web.
Housing Urban Development. (2021). Market at a glance: California. Web.
Lets Get Healthy California. (2016a). How can we improve access to services that support health and enhance quality of life for Californians? Web.
Lets Get Healthy California. (2016b). How is California doing? Web.
National Prevention and Information Network. (2020). Cultural competence in health and human services. Web.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.). Social determinants of health. Web.
Suburban Stats. (n.d.). Current population demographics and statistics for California by age, gender, and race. Web.
Together We Engage. (n.d.). Master plan for aging. Web.
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Quick facts California. Web.
Weir, H. K., Thompson, T. D., Soman, A., Møller, B., Leadbetter, S., & White, M. C. (2015). Meeting the Healthy People 2020 objectives to reduce cancer mortality. Preventing Chronic Disease, 12, E104. Web.
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