Health Policy

Measures to Reduce the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease

By 2010, the Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that cardiovascular disease among other rheumatic diseases was the leading cause of death by approximately 30 percent of all deaths globally (Lewsey, Lawson & Ford, 2015). In the United States, heart diseases were the leading cause of deaths, with cardiovascular accounting for 34.4 percent of the 2.4 million deaths in 2003 (Mensah & Brown, 2007). Apart from being a major cause of health disparities, the disease has also been a burden, especially with the ever-rising health costs. In terms of economic difficulties, cardiovascular disease has been the most costly disease, with heart procedures accounting for hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single operation. Similarly, some of the significant causes of CVD include smoking, uncontrolled high blood pressure, individuals with high lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and obese people (Buttar, Li & Ravi, 2005). In this context, it is hard to address the prevalence of cardiovascular disease from an economic point of view. Rather, by recognizing, the primary causes of illness and practical constraints that exist among the community, the most feasible and advisable approach is implementing a population-based policy aimed at educating the masses about the causes and possible prevention measures of CVDs.

Description of the Policy

The intent of the policy is to develop a supportive policy and build the capacity to implement and evaluate intervention procedures with the goal of reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease to the people of the United States. By large, the policy targets a majority of the populations within the range of 20 years and above with uncontrolled hypertension, unmanaged high levels of lipoprotein cholesterol, overweight or obese people, or those smoking.

Specific Legislators in the Development and Dissemination of the Policy

The baseline for developing intervention policies is implementing strategies for population-based prevention. The major stakeholders in setting and implementing the plan include various government officials from the local to state and national levels as well as the communities who are the target group of the campaign programs. Health officials will be the core of public communication interventions and tasked with the responsibility of construction of stand-alone community-based programs that have the potential to encourage change in behavior. Tobacco producers, advertisers, and sellers make an integral part in promoting public awareness campaigns, which will be one way of preventing cardiovascular diseases. Other stakeholders may include food and agricultural producers associated with the production of foods linked to high risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Role of APRN in Policy Implementation

Among the key interventions in reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases is an effective health system to implement the strategies within the policy critical for promotion of cardiovascular health and control. In support of the policy, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse provides advice and education among the various interventions delivered to the patient as part of promoting their health. 

Policy Influence on Clinical Practice in Promoting Best Outcomes

Successful implementation of the policy has the potential to improve evidence-based intervention knowledge at the clinical interface, which would create an avenue for implementation of several other such policies in the response and management of other chronic diseases. Moreover, the policy can reduce significantly the number of cardiovascular disease patients, which in return would cut down the clinical workload and increase productivity.

Role of Interprofessional Team in Coordinated and Comprehensive Care for Target Population

The policy implementation program will be designed to reach a broad audience with various messages for increased exposure. Such exposure requires an interprofessional team that will be tasked with developing messages to be communicated, deliberating on channels of communication as well as routinely checking the effectiveness of the community-based approach to the target group. 

Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases can be management through with the collaboration of community-based interventions. Ostensibly, reduction of some of these risks has been achieved through various health interventions at the clinical level. However, due to its broad risk factors, CVD goes beyond the realms of clinical response. Through a coordinated effort among the relevant stakeholders, the risk of cardiovascular disease can be averted significantly.

References

Buttar, H. S., Li, T., & Ravi, N. (2005). Prevention of cardiovascular diseases: Role of exercise, dietary interventions, obesity, and smoking cessation. Experimental and Clinical Cardiology, 10(4), pp. 229-249.

Lewsey, J. D., Lawson, K. D., Ford, I., Fox, K. A., Ritchie, L. D., Tunstall-Pedoe, H., Watt, G. C., … Briggs, A. H. (2015). A cardiovascular disease policy model that predicts life expectancy taking into account socioeconomic deprivation. Heart (British Cardiac Society), 101(3), pp. 201-208.

Mensah, G. A., & Brown, D. W. (2007). An Overview of Cardiovascular Disease Burden In The United States. Health Affairs, 26(1), pp. 38-48.