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Assessing the Problem: Quality, Safety, and Cost Considerations

This paper discusses smoking cessation from quality, safety, and cost perspectives among a group of boys suffering from the consequences of long-term tobacco use at California Hospital Medical Center. The group of boys was eager to quit their smoking addiction and improve their health outcomes. Therefore, I aim to explore how smoking tobacco affects the care quality, the safety of patients, and financial implications for individuals and the system. The assessment also delves into policies and strategies that impact quality, cost, and safety considerations.

Tobacco Use and Smoking Cessation Impact on Quality, Safety, and Costs

Tobacco use in the form of smoking and other products is a significant community health problem that is affecting a vast population, particularly the young generation. This problem is a significant health threat to the development of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and other lethal ailments like cancers (Siddiqi et al., 2020). 

The higher incidence of smoking and a reduced frequency of smoking cessation plans lead to a higher burden of these diseases (Siddiqi et al., 2020). This requires extensive and complex care treatments to manage these diseases and chronic conditions, impacting the overall quality of care. Furthermore, smokers present complex health status due to higher risks of diseases associated with tobacco use (Cornelius, 2022). The incidence of high blood pressure, respiratory problems, chronic cough, and lung cancer. This complexity of the health profile makes it challenging for healthcare professionals to deliver optimal, streamlined care. This results in poor quality of care for smokers and increases further health risks (Elton-Marshall et al., 2020).

Capella 4900 Assessment 2 Assessing the Problem Quality Safety and Cost Considerations

Smoking tobacco also impacts patient safety due to the risks of developing lethal diseases like cancer and requiring surgical procedures for treatment. The dangerous compounds in smoking affect wound healing and increase the risk of infections and other adverse outcomes. This threatens patient safety during medical treatments (Alqahtani et al., 2020). Additionally, exposure to secondhand smoke impacts patient safety in healthcare settings, and non-smokers experience respiratory problems, exacerbations of pre-existing conditions, and enhanced susceptibility to infections. This ultimately impacts the patient safety of non-smokers (CDC, 2019). 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the healthcare systems incur a considerable amount of costs in treating diseases related to tobacco use (greater than $600 billion). These costs are relevant to hospitalization medical and surgical interventions (exceeding $240 billion) (CDC, 2022). Moreover, integrating smoking cessation programs has upfront costs but can be cost-effective in the long run (Farsalinos et al., 2020). By promoting smoking cessation, patients can recover from the harms of tobacco use and smoking-related diseases, leading to lower healthcare costs (Ugalde et al., 2021).

Capella 4900 Assessment 2 Assessing the Problem Quality Safety and Cost Considerations

Tobacco use also increases the financial burden on individuals due to the cost of medications and frequent hospitalization. Moreover, the long-term use of tobacco products affects the quality of life, which leads to low productivity and social isolation, contributing to personal costs ($180 billion) ((CDC, 2022; John et al., 2020). The supportive evidence is consistent with my nursing practice, and tobacco users endure poor care quality, reduced safety among patients, and higher costs. 

Nursing Practice Standards and Organizational/ Governmental Policies

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has provided standard practices for nurses on smoking cessation and prevention by guiding nurses on how to engage with smokers and providing tailored interventions such as implementing the five A’s (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) strategy (ANA, 2020). Moreover, ANA guides nurses in developing cessation treatment plans considering each patient’s physical, emotional, social, and vocational needs. These practices enhance the quality of care for smokers. ANA also advocates for combining pharmacotherapy and behavioral and counseling support when required. This leads to providing holistic care for smoking cessation, improving the quality of care and patient safety (ANA, 2020).

The American Lung Association (ALA) improves patient safety among smokers by devising policies on increasing federal cigarette tax to reduce the purchasing of cigarettes. This will enable people to avoid tob