Health Policies and Health Promotion - Case Study Example

Health Policies and Health Promotion Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2 2. Critical Understanding of Contemporary Health Policy and Policy Developments 3 2.1 Nourishing Neighbourhoods Projects 3 2.2 Well London Projects 4 3. Critically Reviewing Effectiveness and Efficiency of Health Promotion Policies 5 4. Role of Key Stakeholders in Policy Development 8 5. Theoretical and Practical Aspects of the Policy Processes/Frameworks 10 5.1 Setting Goals and Developing Objectives 10 5.2 Maintaining Effective Leadership Skills and Employee Involvement Initiatives 11 5.3 Monitoring and Reassessing Organisational Health Policies 11 6. Comparison of the Health Policies and Promotions Performed by Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods and Well London Projects 12 7. Conclusion 13 References 14 Bibliography 17 1. Introduction The various objectives of a contemporary health policy can be observed in terms of a varied range from defining a proper vision for future, outlining the anticipated roles of healthcare professionals and identification as well as addressal of the priorities of diverse groups to informing people and building consensus amid them about various health policy developmental needs (WHO, 2013). According to various observations, contemporary health policies influence health promotion initiatives through the enhancement of the provisions associated with health services and deliverance of effective guidance towards ensuring greater sustainability of the health status of every people (Ministry of Health, 2003). It is worth mentioning that contemporary health policies are mainly developed through the establishment of a greater collaboration, especially with general practitioners, service providers, carers and the patients along with their respective families (NSW, 2012). It is also essential that contemporary health policy linked decisions and resources are allocated based upon the understanding and the appreciation of the nature and the expected results of healthcare needs identified in the proposed policy (New York State Department of Health, 2010). With this concern, the essay intends to Critique The Policy Analysis And The Development Of Two Of The Case Studies I.E. Nourishing Neighbourhoods And Well London. Correspondingly, the approaches taken by these two case studies have been compared and theoretically explained in this essay, with due significance to the practical aspects related to the policy processes or frameworks relating to the case studies. 2. Critical Understanding of Contemporary Health Policy and Policy Developments 2.1 Nourishing Neighbourhoods Projects With reference to the case of the Nourishing Neighbourhood, the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods has been identified to conduct various healthcare projects and initiatives in order to facilitate the physical and psychological developments of the people across the community. In this regard, the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods’ policy proposal can be regarded as one of the major projects, which is highly focused on improving health of each individual within the Luton community. The Luton nourishing Neighbourhood project intends to incorporate different activities and practices with a mission to enable the community to avail basic commodities, including adequate amount of vegetables and fruits through producing and promoting local manufacturers in the most nutritional manner and thereafter, reduce the consumption of preserved food items within the society. The policy aims that in the long-run, these mechanisms shall aid in reducing obesity among the community people to a sustainable extent (UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013). The notion of encouraging physical activities along with promotion of physical activities to reduce obesity risks has been identified as the primary policies of the project. The project also tends to offer a large number of outdoor activities along with conversations in volunteering opportunities in order to inspire the community environment through its policy measures. By promoting physical activities through gardening, the policies of the Luton nourishing and Neighbourhood Project also incorporates various programs aimed at accomplishing its desired goals. Correspondingly, the policies have also been planned to be conducted in the low life expectancy areas, in line with the deprivation of food items within the community. Therefore, the policies that are incorporated within the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhood Project has been highly observed as focused towards facilitating greater availability of vegetables and fruits for the lower income group population across the community, who are studied to be the most vulnerable sector facing obesity issues. These policies are also aimed towards improving the consumption of vegetables and fruits through encouraging physical activities within the common people along with boosting opportunities for the people to perform regular exercise, relaxation and enjoyment outdoor additionally supporting the community welfare through better awareness regarding obesity risks (UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013). 2.2 Well London Projects The primary aim of the Well London project is to build stronger community by encouraging population towards adapting an improved healthy lifestyle that would further contribute to the overall wellbeing of the neighbourhoods. The activities included in the Well London Project incorporate a range of themes including psychological and physical wellbeing, health eating, open space activities along with continuous nurture of culture and creativity across the various dimensions of the local communities. In relation to the policies, the Well London Project incorporates effective sets of Social Determinants of Health (SDH) encompassing the process of supporting young people and children in improving the social environment, enabling wider employment prospects and thus enriching the working environment and minimising social exclusion as well as vulnerabilities within the community. The policies underlying this project have also been recognised to increase the effectiveness of activities through the prevention and better treatment of health risks faced by each individual within the neighbourhood communities. In addition, the policies can be observed to be further inclined to make continuous efforts of reducing alcohol misuse, smoking trends and increasing numbers of obesity risk across the targeted population ([1] UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013). In relation to the health policy taken by Well London, it has been identified that positive and qualitative evaluations of the activities and their subsequent outcomes play a crucial role in improving the physical and psychological wellbeing of the population. Moreover, the pilot assessment programmes enclosure under the provisions for psychological or mental health treatments have also been identified to significantly reduce the amount of social isolation of the population across the different communities. In this context, the deliverers including BIG Lottery Funds, London Alliance along with other institutional supports have also been recognised to enable the Well London Projects in achieving their range of social improvement related activities within the communities ([1] UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013). 3. Critically Reviewing Effectiveness and Efficiency of Health Promotion Policies The formulation of effective set(s) of public policies to boost health within a targeted community sphere can be considered as one of the key strategies in this regard. I relation to the present day context, the creation of strategies that has enabled or focuses to effectively address various issues and determinants have been identified as a major strategic decision taken by healthcare organisations to successfully perform their wide range of health development activities (Peersman & et. al, 1998). In this regard, the actions associated with investments in the governmental and social healthcare policies, development of policy regulations along with collaboration and partnership practices, can be accounted as a few of the major supportive strategies that has been widely observed to increase effectiveness and efficiency of health promotion policies in the recent phenomenon (Jackson & et. al, 2005). In relation to the health promotion policies of Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods Projects, it has been identified that the activities were highly focused on encouraging physical activities and promoting sustainable local produces to mitigate the risk of obesity among low income group people. In this context, the project activities incorporate adequate and relevant policies in accordance with the SDH factors, taking due note on the social exclusion and vulnerability issues persisting within the community environment. With regard to the effectiveness and efficiency of the health promotion policies, the development of community-led pilot project practiced by Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods can be considered as an essential determinant in deriving the successful accomplishment of its community improvement activities. In accordance with the observation of the project activities, the development of two community-led pilot projects including ‘Box Scheme Operation’ and ‘Community Food and Skill Project’ have been widely witnessed to increase the efficiency of the health promotion policies in the current day context. The ‘Box Scheme Operation’ of the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhood Project further emphasises the activities associated with supplying vegetables and fruits in different areas across the Luton community (UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013). Additionally, the ‘Community Food and Skill Project’ is also aimed to train and transform each individual and respective group to enable them in designing, managing and planting their required vegetables and fruits (Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, 2008). In relation to the effectiveness and efficiency of health promotion policies in Well London, various determinant factors can also be observable that can enable the organisation to meet its desired goals. With regard to the Well London development projects, identified critical understanding reveals that the policies play an essential role in aiding the community by developing their awareness along with serving them with different healthcare and psychological developmental facilities to build an all-inclusive healthcare program. The positive evaluation of the project activities performed by Well London apparently demonstrates continuous improvement of physical and psychological conditions of the communities. Moreover, the policies have also been identified to play an essential role for the projects to reduce the social isolation of the community population. Moreover, the ‘Public Health Indicator’ emphasising utilisation of green space for exercise and continuous social connectedness relating to social development activities are few of the primary practices that tend to significantly increase the efficiency of the health promotion policies. Additionally, community safety initiatives for each age-group within the community and health related quality of life for the old-age people as per their requirements, have also been recognised to increase the efficiency of the health promotion policies in the Well London Projects. 4. Role of Key Stakeholders in Policy Development The key stakeholders are identified to have major influence on the policy development process of the organisations (Oklahoma Department of Labor, n.d.). The involvement of the key stakeholder groups within the policy development process further enables the marketers to understand the needs along with strategic directions of the healthcare programs to satisfy the determined objectives (World Bank Publications, 2007). In relation to the present competitive scenario in the modern business environment, organisations seek to involve customers, investors, communities and employees among others in order to strengthen the strategic direction of developing organisational policies concerning healthcare issues. This process can further be credited to be primarily practiced by the organisations to build sustainability and ensure success in maintaining the health of the targeted community (Bess & Dee, 2008). In relation to the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods Project, it has been widely observed that the policies associated with project activities are developed through cooperatively engaged key stakeholders within the community. In this regard, the community members including customers, investors along with other institutions are observed to engage in policy development processes of the project. Moreover, the involvements of the community members also enable the project activities to provide adequate benefits to the population across the Luton community and motivate them towards performing physical activities, further generating greater awareness regarding healthier eating to reduce obesity risks. More significantly, the incorporation of the community in policy development process also facilitates the project activities undertaken by Luton nourishing Neighbourhoods in learning the rudimental social reasons of obesity and therefore, contributes to the betterment of the healthcare programs functioning with the same motive (UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013). With regard to the influence of the key stakeholders in Well London, the policy development process has been witnessed to encompass numbers of primary stakeholders from different backgrounds. To be noted, the policy development process of the Well London Projects has been recognised to highly engage the external stakeholder groups including alliances and partners across the communities. Few of the major stakeholders in the policy development process of Well London include BIG Lottery Funds, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Wellcome Trust among others ([1] UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013). 5. Theoretical and Practical Aspects of the Policy Processes/Frameworks An effective set of health policies can be regarded as an essential paradigm, which ensures to protect organisational functions from different internal and external threats or challenges (Gostin, 2010). Contextually, a well-built health policy has also been identified as an imperative decision for the marketers to effectively deal with various issues associated with the organisational functions of the society on the whole. In this context, the key elements within the health policy enables the marketers to increase their efficiency in decision making, policy development along with aiding to the effective addressal of the potential health challenges being faced by the community (Hughes & Ferrett, 2009). Therefore, in order to build an effective health policy, organisations must need to focus on the following key factors. 5.1 Setting Goals and Developing Objectives The setting up of organisational goals and/or developing objectives can be considered as one of the primary and most essential practices for the organisations while seeking to build effective health policies. In this stage, the marketers must need to establish goals for promoting health policies and developing objectives to achieve them (National Network of Libraries of Medicine, n.d.). 5.2 Maintaining Effective Leadership Skills and Employee Involvement Initiatives The leadership skills and practices can be attributed as another essential part of an effective health policy. In order to accomplish the desired expectations of the organisation, leaders must therefore need to possess adequate capability of decision making along with managing and aligning performances in accordance with the desired objectives through the policy measures taken (Oklahoma Department of Labor, n.d.). Moreover, the involvement of employees in decision making or addressing organisational issues may also enable the marketers to formulate an innovative approach to aid the increasing performance need along with dealing with the potential issues through the policy approach (Bijlsma & et. al, 2011). 5.3 Monitoring and Reassessing Organisational Health Policies The continuous practice of reassessment and monitoring of the health policies shall further not only ensure the efficiency of its performance, but shall also enable the enforcers to shield the organisation from various internal and external issues or challenges that might hinder the policy enactment to a certain extent. Moreover, the practice may also facilitate adequate support in increasing organisational values along with performances of each individual (National Network of Libraries of Medicine, n.d.). 6. Comparison of the Health Policies and Promotions Performed by Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods and Well London Projects With reference to the critical observation of the health policies and promotions in the case studies, it can be recognised that both the organisations, i.e. Luton nourishing Neighbourhoods and ell London focus on similar attributes in relation to the SDH perspectives. However, the health promotion projects of Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods and Well London Projects involve certain dissimilar determinants that can in turn influence their success rates to a substantial extent. In accordance with the observation, it has been identified that the policy development process in the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods Project emphasises primarily on the population from different demographic backgrounds within the community of Luton to motivate their active participation in the mitigation of obesity risks among the people. On the other hand, the policy development process in Well London Projects involves a wider range of external alliance groups and partners as compared to the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods in serving the communities in and around England. Conversely, the Public Health Indicators in Well London Projects have been identified to incorporate a larger number of determinant factors than the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods. In this context, the smoking prevalence for the adults along with health related quality of life for the old age population can be considered as the most effective and key success factors associated with the policy enacted that further aims to enable the successful achievement of higher values in the respective community based health projects industry. 7. Conclusion With regard to the development and promotion of health policy, it has been identified that both the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods and Well London Projects incorporate adequate measures to improve the physical and psychological condition of the communities with the achievement of their varied objectives. With reference to the various policy planners, the concept of promoting health policy tends to increase the value along with long-term sustainability of the organisations enforcing the same. According to the observation of health policies in both the Luton Nourishing Neighbourhoods and Well London projects, it can be affirmed that various similar determinants may enable the organisations to enhance their efficiencies regarding the promotion of health policies with their respective communities. However, few of the major determinants including smoking prevalence for the adults and improving quality of life of the old age population has been identified as the key differentiating aspects among these healthcare projects. Correspondingly, it is worth mentioning that the case studies have also been identified to bear relevance to concepts regarding the promotion of health policies. References [1] UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013. Well London. Report Abstract. [Online] Available at: http://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/projects/well-london [Accessed November 16, 2013]. Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, 2008. Food and Skills Project Evaluation (Sep 2004- March 2007). Project Objectives. [Online] Available at: http://www.bedsrcc.org.uk/healthWellbeing/FoodSkillsEvaluation.pdf [Accessed November 16, 2013]. Bess, J. L. & Dee, J. R., 2008. Understanding College and University Organization: Dynamics of the System. Stylus Publishing, LLC Bijlsma, R. M. & et. al, 2011. An Empirical Analysis of Stakeholders’ Influence on Policy Development: the Role of Uncertainty Handling. Ecology and Society, Vol. 16, No. 1. Gostin, L. O. & et. al, 2010. The Joint Action and Learning Initiative on National and Global Responsibilities for Health. World Health Report (2010) Background Paper, 53. Hughes, P. & Ferrett, Ed, 2009. Introduction to Health and Safety at Work. Elsevier Jackson, S. F. & et. al, 2005. Integrated Health Promotion Strategies: A Contribution to Tackling Current and Future Health Challenges. Health Promotion International, Vol. 21, Iss. 1, pp. 75-83. Ministry of Health, 2003. Introduction. National Health Policy, pp. 1-31. National Network of Libraries of Medicine, No Date. Developing Goals and Objectives. Stage 2, pp. 15-22. NSW, 2012. Health Care: Policy and Procedures. Assets, pp. 1-36. New York State Department of Health, 2010. Deciding About Health Care. Publications, pp. 1-7. Oklahoma Department of Labor, No Date. Essential Elements of an Effective Safety & Health Program (The Guidelines). Documents. [Online] Available at: http://www.ok.gov/odol/documents/stee.pdf [Accessed November 16, 2013]. Peersman, G. & et. al, 1998. Effectiveness of Health Promotion Interventions in the Workplace: A Review. Health Education Authority, pp. 1-93. UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2013. Nourishing Neighbourhoods. Report Abstract. [Online] Available at: http://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/projects/nourishing-neighbourhoods [Accessed November 16, 2013]. WHO, 2013. Health Policy. Health Topics. [Online] Available at: http://www.who.int/topics/health_policy/en/ [Accessed November 15, 2013]. World Bank Publications, 2007. Tools for Institutional, Political, and Social Analysis of Policy Reform: A Sourcebook for Development Practitioners. World Bank Publications. Bibliography Raingruber, B., 2012. Contemporary Health Promotion in Nursing Practice. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Tang, K. C. & et. al, 2006. 6th Global Conference on Health Promotion, Bangkok August 2005. Health Promotion International, Vol. 21, No. S1, pp. 1-98. Read More