Prevention of diseases is essential in ensuring the wellness of individuals as well as avoiding the costly measures incurred in treatment. Preventive healthcare involves taking appropriate steps to guide in lifestyle choices and environmental conservation to minimize possibilities of a disease outbreak.

The affordable care act

The affordable care act was passed with a significant focus on ensuring that people access quality care that is cost effective and holistic. The act emphasizes on ensuring equitable access to healthcare, investment on preventive care and increasing the number of healthcare professionals providing primary care (Lathrop & Hodnicki, 2014, p.21). The act outlines four aspects that should be embraced towards the achievement of preventive care strategies.

Firstly, the act recommends that the government should invest in public health to achieve the required prevention strategies. The US government allocates little funds towards disease prevention and more funds on the purchase of equipment to be used in diseases treatment. The success of health care strategies does not rely only on the infrastructure within a health facility but also on the degree to which the health facility educate the communities on disease control. The government, therefore, has to spend considerable funds in health care facilities to facilitate them in implementing their programs (Lathrop & Hodnicki, 2014, p.13). The funds will help in researching some of the emerging diseases and ways of preventing them as well as carrying out health promotions win the communities.

Secondly, the act puts more emphasis on public health education as a strategy for disease prevention. The healthcare practitioners need to carry out intensive extension programs in communities training people on appropriate health practices. There has been an increase in the number of preventable diseases most notable being heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In reducing incidences in the occurrence of such diseases, the act provides that public health education is essential in helping people make positive life choices through physical exercise and dietary training (Gostin, Hyman & Jacobson, 2017, p.19). The act also recommends regular funding of outreach campaign and infrastructure development that will aid in ensuring the smooth running of the campaigns.

Thirdly, the cost of accessing medical care is not affordable to most people who are not in stable employment opportunities. The act recommends the government and employers to have health insurance coverage for their employees. The plan will enhance continued wellness of the employees hence helping them to acquire quality health standards (Lathrop & Hodnicki, 2014, p.17). The act also provides that cost-sharing plans should be eliminated as they provide selective healthcare plans that limit health care seekers to select the type of medication they prefer.

Lastly, the act provides that individuals should be exposed to demonstration programs that provide an avenue on how diseases prevention should be done. This does not only provide theoretical knowledge on how to prevent diseases but also shows them how to incorporate the prevention measures in their lifestyles.

Incorporation of the project in the act

The project fits in the above provisions in various ways. The act provides that research should be emphasized in establishing root causes of emerging diseases. The project is in line with this provision as it intends to study the extent to which race and socio-cultural factors affect the implementation of self-care management programs and develop ways of addressing them.

Also, the project will prevent the occurrence of diseases by educating people on proper self-care management practices that are in line with their cultural values.

References

Gostin, L. O., Hyman, D. A., & Jacobson, P. D. (2017). The affordable care act: Moving forward in the coming years. Jama, 317(1), 19-20. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.18908

Lathrop, B., & Hodnicki, D. R. (2014). The Affordable Care Act: Primary care and the doctor of the nursing practice nurse. Online Journal of Issues In Nursing, 19(2), 2. Retrieved from           doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol198No02PPT02