Healthcare Policy Chapter 10

Which of the following statements about policymaking is false?

- A public policy is an authoritative decision made within government. - Policymaking often occurs in the absence of complete information about all relevant variables. - Only experts trained in public policy have a meaningful role to play in policymaking. - Policies often reflect compromises among key players with conflicting interests. Only experts trained in public policy have a meaningful role to play in policymaking.

Which of the following groups can meet face-to-face with MedPAC commissioners to advise them?

- Health policy experts and health services providers - Health services providers and beneficiary advocates - CMS staff - All of the above All of the above

Which of these are reasons for health professionals to possess policy competence?

- It can lead to higher incomes. - It can further their work in improving human health. - It can lead to more or less professional autonomy. - All of the above All of the above

Which of the following is a real-world example of the ethical decision-making principle of respect for autonomy?

- Paternalism - Beneficence - Advanced directives - Nonmaleficence Advanced Directives

Which of the following statements about policymaking is false?

- Policymaking is a highly political process. - Policymaking is continual and exclusively linear in its operation. - Policymaking is heavily influenced by factors external to the process. - The component phases of the policymaking process and activities within the phases are highly interactive and interdependent. Policymaking is continual and exclusively linear in its operation.

Which of the following is not a principle affecting ethical decision making?

- Respect for autonomy - Beneficence - Utility theory - All of the above are principles affecting ethical decision making. Utility Theory

You are using a logic model to evaluate a hand-washing policy and intervention at a local hospital. The policy focuses on getting all healthcare staff to thoroughly wash their hands before entering a patient's room in an in-patient hospital unit. Which of the following components would be considered elements of the external environment that could influence the intervention? Recall that the external environment can include economic, cultural, and social variables.

- Training seminars aimed at increasing staff awareness of hand washing - The number and location of hand-washing stations - The fact that nurses often do not feel comfortable confronting a physician about his or her hand washing - Visible reminders posted outside of patient rooms The fact that nurses often do not feel comfortable confronting a physician about his or her hand washing

Which of these are useful forecasting techniques for projecting the future direction of important public policy information?

- Trend extrapolation - Cost-benefit analysis - Scenario development - Both (a) and (c) Both (a) and (c)

Which ethical principles are defined as "seeking to do good" and "doing no harm"?

Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

T/F Rulemaking is the domain of executive branch employees and not a good place for health professionals to exert influence in the policymaking process.

False

A logic model primarily examines the relationship among which three key elements to assess whether a policy is operating as expected?

Resources, processes, and results

T/F All policies influence and are influenced by their external environments.

True

T/F The single most important factor in policy competence is to understand the public policymaking process as a decision-making process.

True

T/F The utilitarian perspective of justice can be explained as policies that provide "the greatest good for the greatest number" of people.

True

T/F Typically, organization designs have both formal aspects and informal aspects.

True

A health policy that is enacted within a representative democracy with separation of powers at all governmental levels and that is characterized by the presence of well-funded interest groups

will represent a compromise among multiple and competing interests.