Answer

Evaluation of the Characteristics of Preventive Health Programs that Lead to Successful Outcomes

Summary of the Every Woman Matters (EWM) Program and How the Issue of Women’s Preventive Health Was Approached

The EWM program is run the state and funded by the federal government. This program is developed to eliminate obstacles/hindrances to preventive cervical and breast cancer screening by promoting public awareness of the threat/risk (Baker et al, 2005). The EWM also makes the screening process more financially accessible to women of low income. Considering the program’s approach to matters of women’s preventive health, eligible women receive mammography, papanicolaou smear test, and clinical breast examination at minimal or no cost. Besides, the EWM offers services to practices to assist in the program’s implementation.   

Analysis of the Possible Reasons for the Program’s Ineffectiveness

Backer et al (2005) argue that despite the implementation of the EWM the level of cervical and breast cancer screening continues remain behind the ideal. Several reasons can be attributed to the ineffectiveness associated with the EWM. The strategies employed in accomplishing the specific objectives of the program were limited by the context of practice and available resources.

The absence of effective leadership that could lead the promotion of practice, emphasize the significance of the program/project, and inspire members of the team (i.e. team responsible for implementing the program) was also a factor that led to the program’s ineffectiveness. Moreover, the burden of change was primarily bestowed on the staff without a leadership to offer buy-in. Such a situation might have demoralized the staff members from actively engaging in the program’s activities. The program was also functioning at the capacity of the available resources, thereby limiting its potential to address all the issues surrounding the promotion of awareness on early screening for breast cancer.

The program might have also failed in offering a significant service to certain practices in terms of creative discussion, objective feedback, ongoing facilitation, and establishment of a definite plan (Baker et al, 2005). The stability or inertial offered by the system of the larger hospital might have also contributed to the hindering of the practice change associated with the program. Lastly, the implementers of the program might have had a wrong notion about change, which is a complicated adaptive system likely to be realized on the edge of wrangles. All these issues make the program ineffective in realizing its goals      

Characteristics of Two Programs Advocating for Early Screening and Reasons for their Success

The NBCCEDP (National Breast and Cervical Early Detection Program) and BreastScreen Victoria programs have succeeded in promoting awareness on cervical and breast cancer prevention due to certain reasons/features associated with these programs as highlighted by Cawson et al (2012) and Trogdon et al (2014). The two programs have succeeded due to four primary characteristics associated with them. First, the interventions effectively planned for seasonal interests and changes. In this manner, the promoters of the interventions managed to promote their programs on special occasions meant for ensuring breast cancer awareness such as month of October, which is meant for global breast cancer awareness.

Second, the two interventions had effective leaderships that guided the implementation of the programs by offering the necessary resources and buy-ins at all levels of the programs’ implementation.

Third, the leaderships of the two interventions offered adequate incentives that encourage the team members to effectively participate in the implementation of the programs. The significances of these programs were also explained to employees or team members. As a result, the programs experienced reduced cases of employee turnover and resistance.

 Fourth, the interventions were designed in way that ensure low-cost effectiveness. As such, they managed to operate effectively with the existing resources as well as the additional ones, which in turn led to the realization of their objectives.

Strategies for Making the Every Woman Matters program More Effective

If I were a leader responsible for establishing a follow-up to the EWM intervention, I would employ several mechanisms in ensuring that this program is more effective as outlines by Backer et al (2005):

First, I would ensure that I provide effective leadership that governs and guides successful implementation of the program. I would accomplish this goal by cooperating with employees in terms of considering their views and giving them buy-ins at all levels. I would also ensure that heavy burdens in terms of implanting changes to the programs are not imposed on employees/staff members. Instead, I would share in this burden.

Second, I would provide necessary incentives to employees to inspire them as well as celebrate short-term successes realized by the programs. In this manner, I would manage to limit issues of resistance and high employee turnovers.

Third, would ensure that adequate resources are provided to ensure successful realization of the program’s goals and unnecessary expenses associated with the intervention are eliminated. This undertaking would ensure that the program functions at its optimal level. I would facilitate this process by ensuring objective feedback, ongoing facilitation, and creative discussion among others.

Fourth, would also ensure that staff members are well trained or educated on change implementation process to ensure that they do not have negative perception about change. These steps would ensure that the EWM program is more effective.     

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