-Policy Paper Guidelines The focus of the policy paper is to identify proposed legislation and discuss how it impacts on health care organizations, providers and consumers. The legislation should be proposed legislation, not something that has been passed. The point of the paper is to begin to examine the legislative process. The policy idea can be state or national; Senate or House of Representatives. Until the bill is signed by either the president or governor, the legislation is considered proposed. First, I would begin by looking at Slide 10 in the Introduction Module and review both web sites. Second it will be easier to write the paper if it is on a topic that interests you. So for example, if you are concerned about staffing rations at your work place, then the topic might be safe staffing. Then I would go to www.Congress.gov and search “health” under Current Legislation (See below). You may also try a variety of other terms as well as your topic of interest. A list of bills will be displayed. Scroll through the list and select one that interests you. After you click on the bill number, detailed information about the bill will be displayed. Scroll through this information to find additional information that you can include in your paper. After choosing a bill from Congress.gov simply go to “Google” or “Google Scholar” to find additional information that can be included in your paper. Included in the results are different resources that may help with your analysis. Once you have selected a topic/bill, I would probably do some research on the topic itself. I highly recommend both HS/HS library as well as the Medical School library. I have found both very helpful. MICHAEL POLICY PAPER GUIDELINES 1 You need to have an idea about the problem, how serious it is, do you agree we need to do something about it, etc. A simple internet search of the bill (number included) will help you think about who the stakeholders may be. In order for you to decide on a position regarding the bill, you will need this information. Once you take a position, need to determine a strategy to support, oppose or amend the bill. What I would be looking for in this section would be what you think about the health topic and the policy / political environment (stakeholders) surrounding the legislation on the issue. Once you have evaluated the various positions, you should determine strategies to support, oppose or amend the bill. You will need to support your ideas with current evidence. Part of this paper will be your ability to analyze the evidence, briefly critique strengths and weaknesses. There is no right or wrong position on any of these bills. It is how you analyzed, synthesized and came up with a way to advocate pro or con. I found this site somewhat interesting: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/advocacy/direct-action/legislative-advocacy/main Examples of past topics have include safe staffing, expanded Medicare coverage, health care in rural America, legalizing marijuana, death with dignity and NP full practice authority, Jessie’s Law, gun violence, Hyde Amendment, or improving access to mental health resources. I suggest you review the paper rubric prior to writing the paper. I will use that format when grading the paper. You should have a cover page and reference page. You do not need an abstract. The organization of the paper should reflect: • Introduction and brief history of the problem ( perhaps no more than 1-2 paragraphs) • Identification of the proposed legislation • Analysis of proposed federal or state legislation including its social, political, and economic impact on affected health care organizations, providers, and consumers (25 Points) • Identification of benefits and problems associated with the implementation of the statute, if enacted (25 points) • Identification of proponents and opponents of the proposed statute and the reasons for their support or opposition (25 points) • Alternative Strategies to amend the statute or shape its implementation, as necessary, to benefit health care organizations, providers, and consumers; I see your specialty as playing a key role here; for example if you are in the CNL program, does CNL impact at all? (25 points) • Summary/Conclusion As I read each section, I will be looking at grammar, how references were cited (incorrect use of primary vs. secondary), spelling, paragraph transition, organization and flow of ideas, etc. Points will be deducted as well. The policy paper is a formal paper and therefore should not be in first person (I, we, me, you, etc.). The SON uses the 6th edition of the APA manual. There is APA software available. I find the following APA reference site very helpful: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. Paper specifications: 12 point font, Times New Roman, with 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, left, and right of paper. Please check your default settings as the default is normally 1.25” margins, and this is incorrect. The paper is to be double-spaced. The intent of the policy paper is to reflect research based content; the use of refereed journals is a requirement; the references should support your analysis. It is generally recommended references should be recent (five years is usually the cut off). If that is a problem let me know. I also suggest that if you MICHAEL POLICY PAPER GUIDELINES 2 use ‘studies’ in your discussion please include at least one or two sentences on the type of study, limitations but why still important to mention. I believe evidence of analysis/synthesis is a critical part of this policy paper. You may use current websites but they must be appropriate and reputable (i.e. government, association, public health, professional organization, or university websites). I will not accept Wikipedia as a reference. Referencing electronic media can be tricky so I refer you to APA manual. Finally you may submit a draft Safe Assign of your paper prior to the due date. By doing this you will receive valuable information regarding the appropriateness of your references. Safe Assign is a tool used by the SON that helps students avoid plagiarism issues. The draft link can be found under assignments/assessments tab; click on paper and you will see a ‘draft’ link. There is also a Student Guide if you have questions. I highly recommend not waiting until the last minute. There have been problems in the past with a ‘long’ turnaround time due to so many papers being submitted at the same time. Helpful hints: • When referencing the Affordable Care Act: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 42 U.S.C. § 18001 (2010) or Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 42 U.S.C. § 18001 et seq. (2010). (EXPLANATION: 42 is the title number, 18001 is the first section of the law. "et seq." means the act includes other sections that follow the initial section. Cited is the 2010 edition of the Code.) • When citing the Affordable Care Act: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) or Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 • Make sure you identify sponsors of the bill correctly: House: need political affiliation, state and district (D-MI-13) or senate: political affiliation and state (RCA). For example Representative Donald Beyer (D-VA-8); Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) or Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions. I hope this helps. Any questions just email me. Best Dr. Michael MICHAEL POLICY PAPER GUIDELINES 3
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