Edem,
Identify a healthcare issue within your community and explain the issue to your class colleagues. (You may use the same issue you identified in 2 Week but please expand your responses to address this week’s focus).
Opioid dependence is serious issue in Maryland State. Maryland is one of the states with the highest cases of opioid related mortality. Baltimore is recorded as one of the cities in Maryland with the highest overdose rate. Opioid abuse related cases has affected individuals, families, communities, and the society. In Maryland state, about 90% mortality involved opioid overdose was a total of 2,087 recorded in 2018 (Center for Disease Control [CDC] and Prevention 2021; National Institute of Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2020). Generally, many people perceive Opioid dependence as a self-acquired bad habit. In actuality, opioid dependence is not a self-induced bad habit rather it is a complex mental health condition that requires a prompt and proactive attention to help serve the future of our nation from this dilemma. I strongly believe DNP practice scholar can effectively resolve this preventable problem by Campaigning for Political Advocacy with stakeholders and policy makers to find solutions to opioid problem. The rate of Opioid abuse burden in the society is scary. Together we can build a safer and healthier communities. However, we have to start the work now by campaigning and creating awareness on prevention, providing resources to target populations to help fight opioid addiction problem.
Describe the type of healthcare policy you would advocate for in an effort to change this issue.
The key solution to any problem is prevention. The problem is identified as high rate opioid dependence and the possible risk factors associated with opioid addiction include; poverty, illiteracy level, dysfunctional family system. To achieve the goal of resolving this problem is prevention by eliminating the possible risk factors. Establishing policies that will mandate early screening will help identify possible risk factor that relates to opioid abuse to address. DNP scholars have significant roles to play to change the impact of opioid addiction in my community. To prevent further increase of opioid related death, it is important to create an awareness and education for the target population about the impact of opioid to health, community, and society. Educate patients about cessation programs and provide resources to support during cessation. Healthcare providers should obtain adequate training on managing opioid patients without the fear of stigma. Government should establish policies that will prevent illegal manufacturing of opioids and synthetic opioids. Healthcare providers should be very cautious when prescribing opioid for pain management, the medical reason for prescribing opioid must be legitimated and justifiable before prescribing opioid. Healthcare providers should use alternative therapy in managing and treating chronic pain. Government should provide support to families in form of small business loam to enhance financial stability to prevent them from indulging to illegal use of opioid. (Renstrom et al. 2017; Rudd et al., 2016).
What type of campaign would you need to launch in order to gather a network of support?
Together we can build a safer and a healthier communities. The campaign that I will launch to gather a network of support will be to present the fact about the problem first to my colleagues and peers. Get adequate support from them and then proceed to the community. The collaboration team help educate the public using their various expertise knowledge to address the impact of opioid addiction to our children, families, and the public. My active involvement in professional organizations will help prepare my political competency. I have noted how much confidence I have developed in communication skills over the years of my active involvement in professional organizations. It also helps in building a network of team leaders and experts in various areas. This skill has contributed immensely to the success of this campaign. The campaign will focus on various groups and setting in the community centers, healthcare centers, schools, and Religious groups’ tec. This strategy will enhance inclusion of everyone in the community. I will present statistics of facts about impact of opioid addiction. I will ensure that in my campaign my voice and concern is heard everywhere. By advocating for government policies and guidelines to combat the burden of opioid addiction by utilizing approached such as Supervised Injection Facilities (SIFs) to prevent substance abuse harm and mortality rate and promote quality of life to the public will result in a better outcome ( Irwin et al., 2017).
Compose a Tweet that describes what you have shared with your class colleagues. Remember, Twitter only allows for 140 characters so you will need to be concise.
$Opioid addiction threat society is Preventable #Opioid Awareness Programs.%Together we can build a safer/ healthier communities MinusOpioid.
References:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). Prescription opioid overdose data.http://www.cdc.gov//drugoverdose/data/overdose.htm.
Irwin, A., Jozaghi, E., Weir, B.W., Allen S.T.,Lindsay A., & Sherman, S.G. (2017). Mitigating the heroin crisis in Baltimore, MD, USA: a cost-benefit analysis of a hypothetical supervised injection facility. Harm Reduct J 14, 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-017- 0153-2Links to an external site.
NIDA. (2020). Maryland: Opioid-Involved Deaths and Related Harms. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-Links to an external site. state/maryland-opioid-involved-deaths-related-harms.
Renstrom, M., Ferri, M., & Mandil, A. (2017). Substance use prevention: Evidence- based intervention. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 23(3), 199-204.
Rudd, R.A., Seith P., David, F. & Scholl, L. (2016). Increase in drug and opioid-involved overdose death-united states, 2010-2016. MMWR Morb Wkly Rep. 2016:65.144- 1452. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm655051e1.
