INTRODUCTION
Developing an action plan aims at defining the policies, strategies and interventions that are effective in both the short term and the long term. This is the efficacy of an efficacy of an action plan (New York State Department of Health, 2010). The major components of AOA action plan are described in this paper in detail. However, it is important to note that the major focus is formulating prevention and treatment techniques for the population of concern. AOA’s action plan is both patient-based and population-based since it focuses on a special group whose statistics indicates a critical health status. The plan has been developed in collaboration with the community members, local healthcare institutions, state and federal government representatives, health care providers, community health care agencies and business partners within Alameda.
COMPONENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN
1. Putting together the goals towards obesity prevention in children, youth and adults:
The goals defined under this component will take into consideration the cultural and linguistic aspects of the minority population in Alameda County. These include increased physical activity for the youths and children, reduced amount of time on technology entertainment, healthy dietary techniques and policies geared towards social incentives that promote behavioral and environmental change (Andreou, E. P., & Middlesex University, 2011).
2. Detailed data collection and storage:
This focuses on having a large and reliable database that will provide researchers with enough information capable of being used to develop evidence-based solutions for this population in line with the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care. AOA has been advocating for the incorporation of a bilingual curriculum in the training of health workers for instance. This has been used as a platform to gauge how effective the action will be in the long term (Tinoco, L., & Joint Commission Resources, Inc, 2007).
3. Integrated plan for implementing the recommendations:
This plan will be specific to the population at hand. It will incorporate the research recommendations with available resources to deliver effective evidence-based techniques. The plan is device in a way that it decodes the research findings to effective policies and methods.
4. Incorporating the health care sector into the plan:
This will involve increasing the number of healthcare institutions and providers ready to perform routine checkups and follow up on patients. They will be tasked with continued educational programs and patient-guide documentation geared towards obesity prevention awareness. This approach will include regular BMI screening for adults, use of weight-gain charts for pregnant mothers, weight-for-height-percentiles for children aged 0-2 years and BMI-for-age-percentiles for the population aged 2-18 years. Such data will be crucial in the entire action plan implementation especially on population base approaches (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2013).
The implementation process has been a success due to a set of policies. These policies ensure cooperation among all stakeholders involved in the action plan while also ensuring that all the components are geared towards a common aim. The launch of a surveillance scheme to oversee the implementation of the Action plan has been a major milestone.
The Federal and State government has been at the forefront of the implementation process. They have effectively legalized all recommendations suggested by the stakeholders. Such legislative measures include imposing higher taxes on fast foods and drugs and reducing the cost of healthy foods while making them available has had an enormous effect.
CHALLENGES
Despite the success, the Action plan has not been without the challenges especially in the implementation process. The reluctance by the community to attend regular checkups has limited availability of data that is crucial for the formulation of evidence-based practice specific to the community.
The poverty levels within the minority population in Alameda have also been a challenge. This is specifically in relation to dietary patterns. Cultured by poverty, the population has been forced to the consumption of fast foods. These fast foods have little nutritional value. They are among the major causes of obesity (Andreou, E. P., & Middlesex University, 2011). Tackling poverty is not an instant project but a process. This process has not been coming easy neither has it been fast. Thus, the population lives within its means at the compromise of their health.
RECOMMENDATIONS
This implementation process needs to be conducted in a culturally sensitive manner so that the population is not forced into new cultures that they do not prefer. Similarly, the government will be required to formulate laws that demand a culturally diverse workforce in the health sector within this locality (Tinoco, L., & Joint Commission Resources, Inc, 2007). This will be a key factor in gaining the confidence of the public by involving members of this minority population within the structures of the action plan and the health sector in general.
A multinational health care reform will be a requirement. Among the reforms that will be necessary, include special health insurance scheme for culturally diverse areas like Alameda (Tinoco, L., & Joint Commission Resources, Inc, 2007).
References
Andreou, E. P., & Middlesex University, (2011). The use and effectiveness of behavioural modification techniques in achieving and maintaining normal weight and fitness: The lifestyle changes for adults in Cyprus.
New York State Department of Health (2010). NEW YORK STATE Overweight and Obesity Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/obesity/strategic_plan/docs/strategic_plan.pdf
Tinoco, L., & Joint Commission Resources, Inc (2007). Providing culturally and linguistically competent health care. Oakbrook Terrace, Ill: Joint Commission Resources.
U.S Department of Health and Human Services (2013, September 30). The Affordable Care Act and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders | HHS.gov/healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/factsheets/2012/05/asian-americans05012012a.html
