Developing an Assessment Plan

Introduction

The assessment plan is focused on mitigating health disparities among marginalized populations by establishing mobile clinics to extend healthcare access to remote regions. The assessment plan will help in evaluating the success and progress of the recommendations that are significant in ensuring that transformations in the healthcare setting are meaningful and effective. The assessment plan herein aligns with the SMARTIE principles and embraces inclusivity.

The SMARTIE principles denote “Strategic, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable.” Incorporating the equity and inclusion constituent in the SMART objectives enhances the organization’s strategic commitment to racial inclusion and equity as facilitated by actional and tangible steps (Klaic et al., 2022).

Application of SMARTIE Principles in Implementing Mobile Clinics to Extend Healthcare Access to Remote Regions

1. S “Specific”: The specific goal identifies and defines the significant dimensions of the support or service that is addressed by the identified recommendation. It incorporates outlining the main issue that is being addressed and the expected results (Case Medical Research, 2019). The problem that is being solved is decreasing health disparities among the marginalized population, and the implementation plan is focused on establishing mobile clinics to extend healthcare access to remote regions.
2. M “Measurable”: The measurable goal focuses on establishing measurable metrics and standards for the identified recommendations to track success and progress. Such comprises of incorporating quantitative data that focus on increasing patient satisfaction scores, increasing healthcare access to people in remote areas, and improving overall patient outcomes.
3. An “Actionable”: The actionable goal focuses on ensuring that the primary objectives are set for the identified recommendation. Also, it focuses on ensuring that the recommendation identified to solve the existing problem, which is healthcare disparities among marginalized populations is attainable (McCann & Maguire, 2020). The actionable goals for the identified action plan will therefore focus on motivating improvement and growth in the accessibility and quality of care provided to patients in remote regions. Also, the actionable goal is more realistic in the capacity and materials available.
4. R “Realistic”: The goal should be realistic in that it should acknowledge that resources are limited. In this case, when implementing the plan focused on establishing mobile clinics to extend healthcare access to remote regions, the planner should identify the feasible and ambitious goals and examine the limited resources that may impact the implementation of the strategy. In this case, it is important to identify whether the finances required to establish mobile clinics in remote regions are available.
5. T “Time-bound”: The assessment plan incorporates setting clear timetables for establishing the identified recommendations and the recommended timeframe for establishing the specific goal. The time-bound principle focuses on ensuring that the plan is intended to meet a specific goal and is completed within the desired time. In this case, the establishment of the mobile clinic to extend healthcare access to remote regions will be completed in 6 months.
6. I “Inclusive”: The principles incorporate involving groups and individuals. As such, in the establishment of mobile clinics to extend healthcare access to remote regions, all people in the marginalized populations will be included in the implementation processes including the activities and processes performed. Also, the implementers will ensure that the voices of the people in the marginalized population are heard and their demands are considered.
7. E “Equitable”: The equitable principle is focused more on addressing the oppression, inequalities, and injustices in the healthcare setting by implementing the required plan. For instance, the establishment of mobile clinics to extend healthcare access to remote regions will ensure that all people among marginalized populations have equal access to quality healthcare services in remote regions.

Supporting and Assessing the Recommendations

The 1^st Recommendation

1. Specific: Decrease healthcare disparities among marginalized population
2. Measurable: Reduce healthcare disparities by 30% in six months

• Actionable: Establish mobile clinics to extend healthcare access to remote regions

1. Realistic: Collaborate with policymakers, healthcare practitioners, and social workers to identify the prospected healthcare improvements.
2. Time-bound: Ensure that within six months, mobile clinics are established in remote regions to extend healthcare access.
3. Inclusive: Ensure that all people in the marginalized area are incorporated or included in the implementation process.

• Equitable: Mitigate the existing disparities that prevent equal healthcare access among the marginalized population

Assessment Strategy: The implementor will focus on monitoring the healthcare access score in the remote region consistently, carry out surveys to obtain feedback from the people within the marginalized population, and make changes focused on facilitating sustainable healthcare access among these people in the remote area.

2^nd Recommendation

1. Specific: Ensure that policymakers, healthcare providers, and social workers coordinate and communicate more effectively.
2. Measurable: Increase healthcare access in the remote region by 20% in a year.

• Actionable: Instigate the usage of communication tools and implement more team meetings.

1. Realistic: Focus more on minimizing the time constraints and workload of policy makers, healthcare providers, and social workers.
2. Time-bound: Ensure that policymakers, healthcare providers, and social workers collaborate effectively in the six months of the implementation process.
3. Inclusive: Ensure that the community leaders, people in the community, policymakers, healthcare providers, and social workers are granted the opportunity to contribute and engage in the implementation process.

• Equitable: Ensure that the existing disparities that prevent equal access to healthcare services in remote regions are addressed, and there is equal participation in making healthcare decisions and accessing the required information.

Assessment Strategy: The implemented plan will be assessed by collecting data before and after the establishment of the mobile clinics in the remote region. In this case, healthcare providers in the remote clinics will collect data on the number of people they have been able to provide healthcare service to and compare it with the number of people who could access healthcare before the implementation of the recommended intervention. Also, data focusing on measuring teamwork and communication among policymakers, healthcare providers, and policymakers will be collected. The findings of the stud will in adjusting the strategies founded on the outcome of the implemented intervention. Essentially, resource allocation is important in catering to the primary needs and addressing disparities of vulnerable populations. Ensuring a comprehensive incorporation of ethical principles will require the implementers to uphold the dignity and rights of vulnerable populations in all intervention facets (World Health Organization, 2019). Continuous learning and rigorous evaluation will significantly help in understanding the interventions’ effectiveness and instigating the required improvements.

The plan looks comprehensively identifies the causes of inequality, and focuses more on addressing the existing problem. As such, it involves the people affected by the problem, groups, social workers, policymakers, and healthcare workers in the intervention process (McCann & Maguire, 2020). Collaborating and utilizing diverse resources and skills helps in improving healthcare outcomes and minimizing healthcare disparities. Partnering with global health stakeholders will further help in improving the healthcare outcome for all people in the remote region by utilizing the existing knowledge. The effective implementation and sustained commitment will help in attaining significant progress in minimizing healthcare disparities and facilitating the well-being of people in vulnerable communities.

In conclusion, creating a systematic assessment strategy that focuses more on embracing the SMARTIE by enhancing inclusivity and equity, ensures that the success and advancement of the recommended intervention plan are measured effectively. Utilizing the SMARTIE principles further helps in ensuring that the intervention implemented in the healthcare sector by establishing remote clinics in the marginalized communities is more effective and meaningful and addresses the identified health problem associated with inadequate access to health care services among the vulnerable population.

References

Implementing a healthcare provider education intervention in rural communities to reduce asthma morbidity. (2019). Case Medical Research. https://doi.org/10.31525/ct1-nct04060823

Klaic, M., Kapp, S., Hudson, P., Chapman, W., Denehy, L., Story, D., & Francis, J. J. (2022). Implementability of Healthcare Interventions: An overview of reviews and development of a conceptual framework. Implementation Science, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-021-01171-7

McCann, L., & Maguire, R. (2020). Implementation of Digital Health Interventions in Practice. Developing and Utilizing Digital Technology in Healthcare for Assessment and Monitoring, 127–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60697-8_10

World Health Organization. (2019). WHO consolidated guideline on self-care interventions for health: sexual and reproductive health and rights. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/325480/9789241550550-eng.pdf