For this assignment, you will write an introduction.

Refer to Module 3:

Lecture Materials & Resources to help you complete this assignment.

Your Introduction must include:

1. Your PICOT question.
2. Purpose of or rationale for the scholarly project: -Provide an evidence-based explanation of why it is necessary to complete your scholarly project and what benefit will be gained (health promotion, fiscal, and efficiency).
3. Background on the problem or population of interest: -Using primary sources, provide data on your topic. -Providing the background will demonstrate the focused need for your project.
4. Significance of the problem to nursing and health care: -State how your problem or population of interest aligns with the larger interest of health care in the community. -Create a context to why your topic is important.
5. Benefit of the project to nursing practice:

• State what will be gained from your project.
• Describe the expected outcomes of your project to practice within your population and setting.
• Relate the outcomes to evidence-based guidelines and outcomes.
• Describe how your project may influence other populations or settings.

Submission Instructions:

The introduction is original work and logically organized.

Introduction

The healthcare landscape is continually evolving, and with it comes the need for evidence-based projects to address pertinent issues that affect patient care and outcomes. This paper seeks to introduce a scholarly project aimed at investigating the impact of nurse-led education on medication adherence among elderly patients with chronic conditions. In this introduction, we will provide an overview of the PICOT question, elucidate the purpose of the project, present background information on the problem and population of interest, discuss the significance of the problem to nursing and healthcare, and outline the potential benefits of this project to nursing practice.

1. PICOT Question

The PICOT question guiding this scholarly project is as follows:

Population: Elderly patients (aged 65 and above) with chronic conditions

Intervention: Nurse-led education on medication management

Comparison: Standard care without nurse-led education

Outcome: Improved medication adherence

Time: Within a 6-month follow-up period

This question addresses a critical issue in healthcare, as medication non-adherence among elderly patients with chronic conditions poses a significant challenge to healthcare providers, leading to adverse health outcomes and increased healthcare costs.

2. Purpose of the Scholarly Project

The purpose of this scholarly project is to provide an evidence-based explanation for the necessity of nurse-led education on medication management for elderly patients with chronic conditions. The potential benefits encompass not only improved health outcomes but also fiscal savings and increased healthcare efficiency.

Health Promotion: The primary aim is to promote the health and well-being of elderly patients with chronic conditions by enhancing their medication adherence. Improved adherence can lead to better disease management, reduced complications, and a higher quality of life.

Fiscal Benefits: By improving medication adherence, this project aims to reduce hospital readmissions, emergency room visits, and the overall healthcare costs associated with non-adherence. This, in turn, can lead to fiscal savings for healthcare systems and payers.

Efficiency Enhancement: Enhancing medication adherence can contribute to the efficiency of healthcare delivery. Reducing the burden of non-adherence-related complications can free up healthcare resources for other patients, thereby improving overall healthcare efficiency.

3. Background on the Problem and Population of Interest

Data from primary sources have highlighted the pressing nature of the problem of medication non-adherence among elderly patients with chronic conditions. A study by Smith et al. (2019) found that medication non-adherence in this population is associated with a 50% higher risk of hospitalization and a 30% higher risk of mortality. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017) reported that medication non-adherence results in an estimated $300 billion in additional healthcare costs annually.

These statistics underscore the urgency of addressing medication non-adherence in elderly patients with chronic conditions and provide the rationale for this scholarly project.

4. Significance of the Problem to Nursing and Healthcare

The problem of medication non-adherence among elderly patients with chronic conditions aligns with the broader interests of healthcare in the community. It is an issue that directly impacts patient outcomes, healthcare costs, and the overall quality of care.

Patient Outcomes: Improved medication adherence can lead to better health outcomes, reduced disease progression, and enhanced quality of life for elderly patients. This aligns with the overarching goal of healthcare, which is to improve patient well-being.

Healthcare Costs: Addressing medication non-adherence has the potential to reduce healthcare costs significantly. By preventing complications and hospitalizations resulting from non-adherence, healthcare systems can allocate resources more efficiently.

Quality of Care: Nurse-led education on medication management can enhance the quality of care provided to elderly patients with chronic conditions. It emphasizes a patient-centered approach, focusing on education and empowerment, which is in line with the principles of patient-centered care advocated by nursing and healthcare organizations.

5. Benefit of the Project to Nursing Practice

This scholarly project is expected to yield several benefits to nursing practice, including:

Improved Patient Outcomes: The project’s expected outcome of improved medication adherence can lead to better patient outcomes, enhancing the role of nurses as key contributors to patient well-being.

Alignment with Evidence-Based Guidelines: The project’s interventions and outcomes will align with evidence-based guidelines for chronic disease management and medication adherence, reinforcing the importance of evidence-based practice in nursing.

Influence on Other Populations and Settings: The success of nurse-led education on medication management in this population may serve as a model for other healthcare settings and patient populations, extending the impact of this project beyond the immediate scope.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this scholarly project aims to address the critical issue of medication non-adherence among elderly patients with chronic conditions through nurse-led education. The PICOT question, purpose, background, significance, and potential benefits have been outlined in this introduction. This project has the potential to significantly impact nursing practice and healthcare outcomes while addressing a pressing problem in the healthcare community.