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Public Health Nursing Practice in the Affordable Care Act Era: A National Survey
Author(s) -
Edmonds Joyce K.,
Campbell Lisa A.,
Gilder Richard E.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/phn.12286
Subject(s) - public health , public health nursing , nursing , medicine , health care , family medicine , population , descriptive statistics , environmental health , political science , law , statistics , mathematics
Objectives To explore public health nurses’ knowledge, perceptions, and practices under the Affordable Care Act ( ACA ). Design and Sample A cross‐sectional, web‐based survey was completed by a sample of 1,143 public health nurses ( PHN s) in the United States. Measures Descriptive statistics were analyzed for variables related to general knowledge and perception of the ACA and for the extent of involvement in activities related to the implementation of the ACA . Qualitative analysis was conducted on free text comments to two open‐ended questions about current and future PHN s involvement in the ACA . Results Approximately 45% of PHN s reported changes in their daily work due to the ACA . PHN s reported being very or somewhat involved in these activities of the ACA : integration of primary care and public health (62%), provision of clinical preventive services (60.3%), care coordination (55.4%), patient navigation (55.3%), establishment of private‐public partnerships (55.3%), population health strategies (53.6%), population health data assessment and analysis (53.8%), community health assessments (49%), involvement in medical homes (37.8%), provision of maternal and child health home visiting services (32.1%), and involvement in Accountable Care Organizations (29.2%). Conclusion PHN s are making substantial contributions to implementation of the ACA .