Health policy and economics can be used to reduce health care disparities and to promote health before the point of seeking medical care in a number of ways. Here are a few examples:

• Expand access to affordable, quality health care. This can be done through universal health coverage programs, government subsidies for private health insurance, and expanded Medicaid eligibility. When people have access to affordable health care, they are more likely to seek preventive care and manage chronic conditions, which can help to reduce health disparities.
• Invest in social determinants of health. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. They include factors such as income, education, housing, and access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. Investing in social determinants of health can help to improve the health of the entire population, including reducing disparities.
• Fund public health programs. Public health programs work to prevent disease and promote health throughout the population. They can include programs such as immunizations, prenatal care, and health education. Funding public health programs can help to reduce disparities by ensuring that everyone has access to essential preventive and health promotion services.
• Promote equity in health care delivery systems. This can be done by addressing implicit bias among health care providers, ensuring that culturally competent care is available to all patients, and collecting and analyzing data on health disparities to identify and address areas where improvement is needed.

Here is a specific example of how health policy and economics could be used to reduce health care disparities and to promote health before the point of seeking medical care:

Policy: Provide universal access to quality early childhood education.

Rationale: Early childhood education has been shown to have a number of long-term benefits for children, including improved health outcomes. Children who attend high-quality early childhood education programs are more likely to be healthy and developmentally on track, and they are less likely to experience chronic health conditions later in life.

Implementation: This policy could be implemented at the federal, state, or local level. Federal funding could be provided to states to support early childhood education programs, or the federal government could directly operate early childhood education programs. States could also provide funding for early childhood education programs or require employers to provide paid parental leave.

2. One problem in advanced practice nursing that could be improved with a new health policy, or revising of a current health policy.

One problem in advanced practice nursing that could be improved with a new health policy, or revising of a current health policy, is the lack of full practice authority in all states. Full practice authority allows advanced practice nurses to provide all services within their scope of practice without the supervision of a physician. This includes the ability to diagnose and treat diseases, order and interpret tests, and prescribe medications.

Impact on advanced practice nursing: Full practice authority would allow advanced practice nurses to better meet the needs of their patients, especially in rural and underserved areas. It would also reduce the burden on physicians and allow them to focus on more complex cases.

Implementation: This policy could be implemented at the state level. State legislatures would need to pass laws that grant advanced practice nurses full practice authority.

3. An example of advocacy by a professional nursing organization at the advanced practice level, including the type of advocacy.

One example of advocacy by a professional nursing organization at the advanced practice level is the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) campaign to expand access to care for patients in rural and underserved areas. The AANP is advocating for policies that would allow advanced practice nurses to practice independently and without physician supervision in all states. The AANP is also advocating for policies that would increase reimbursement for advanced practice nurses and provide financial incentives for them to practice in rural and underserved areas.

Type of advocacy: This is an example of professional advocacy, which is advocacy for the interests of a particular profession.

4. The ethical responsibilities of advanced practice nurses for patients who do not comply with their medication or treatment regimens in the home setting, as well as the ethical/financial challenges these situations present.

Advanced practice nurses have a number of ethical responsibilities for patients who do not comply with their medication or treatment regimens in the home setting. These responsibilities include:

• Respecting the patient’s autonomy. Advanced practice nurses must respect the patient’s right to make decisions about their own health care, even if those decisions are not in the patient’s best interest.
• Educating the patient about the risks and benefits of their medication or treatment regimen. Advanced practice nurses must provide patients with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health care.
• Supporting the patient in their efforts to adhere to their medication or treatment regimen. Advanced practice nurses can provide support to patients by developing a