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Lush Company Integrated Communication Marketing Plan

Contents

TOC o “1-1” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425627” 1.0 Background PAGEREF _Toc373425627 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425628” 1.1 History PAGEREF _Toc373425628 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425629” 1.2.1 Scope of this Integrated Marketing Communications Plan PAGEREF _Toc373425629 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425630” 1.2.2 Marketing Objectives PAGEREF _Toc373425630 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425631” 1.2.3 Communication Objectives PAGEREF _Toc373425631 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425632” 1.2.4 Issues and Challenges PAGEREF _Toc373425632 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425633” 2.0 Situational Analysis PAGEREF _Toc373425633 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425634” 2.0.1 Strengths PAGEREF _Toc373425634 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425635” 2.0.2 Weaknesses PAGEREF _Toc373425635 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425636” 2.0.3 Opportunity PAGEREF _Toc373425636 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425637” 2.0.4 Threats PAGEREF _Toc373425637 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425638” 2.1 Product History PAGEREF _Toc373425638 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425639” 2.1.1 Product Background PAGEREF _Toc373425639 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425640” 2.1.2 Current Problems Facing Products PAGEREF _Toc373425640 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425641” 2.1.3 Current Marketing Situation PAGEREF _Toc373425641 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425642” 3.0 Target Audience PAGEREF _Toc373425642 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425643” Figure 1: Cosmetic Distribution with Co-relation to age PAGEREF _Toc373425643 h 7

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425644” Figure 2: Age Segmentation and Market Positioning PAGEREF _Toc373425644 h 8

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425645” 4.0 Competition PAGEREF _Toc373425645 h 8

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425646” 4.1 Product Comparison PAGEREF _Toc373425646 h 8

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425647” 4.1Barriers to entry PAGEREF _Toc373425647 h 8

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425648” 4.2Competitor Differentiation PAGEREF _Toc373425648 h 9

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425649” 5.0 Branding and Messaging PAGEREF _Toc373425649 h 9

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425650” 5.1 Branding Architecture PAGEREF _Toc373425650 h 9

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425651” 5.2 Positioning Statement PAGEREF _Toc373425651 h 10

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425652” 5.3 Value Propositions PAGEREF _Toc373425652 h 10

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425653” 6.0 Communication and Marketing Strategies PAGEREF _Toc373425653 h 10

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425654” 6.1 Social Networking PAGEREF _Toc373425654 h 10

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425655” 6.2 Direct Product Marketing PAGEREF _Toc373425655 h 11

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425656” 6.3 Customization and Internet marketing PAGEREF _Toc373425656 h 12

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425657” 6.4 Television Commercial and Bonus Schemes PAGEREF _Toc373425657 h 13

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425658” 7.0 Budget PAGEREF _Toc373425658 h 14

HYPERLINK l “_Toc373425659” 7.1 Tactical Calendar PAGEREF _Toc373425659 h 15

1.0 BackgroundLush Company is a limited retail company that has its headquarters in the UK. It was founded in 1994 by Mr. Mark Constatine and his wife Mo Constatine. They pioneered the first store at Poole and named it Cosmetic House Limited. It was however on 10th of April 1995 that Lush Company acquired its current name. Since then they have opened over eight hundred and thirty stores in over fifty one countries. The company manufactures and retails a number of cosmetic and hand made products. These include bubble bars, shower gels, face masks and hair conditioners among others. The company uses synthetic ingredients and bees wax to give their products a touch of authenticity and uniqueness. A notable event was when Mo and Mark were awarded an OBE award during the new year of December 2010 due to their contribution to the beauty and cosmetic industry (Wood 31).

1.1 HistoryThe source of what is considered as Lush Company can be traced to 1970 when the paths of Elizabeth Weir an accomplished beauty therapist collided with Mark Constatine and together they birthed the company called Constatine & Weir. The worked together and began experimenting by making simple beauty and bath recipes and selling them to clients. This attracted the attention of The Body Shop which was a company owned by Anita Roddick and based in the UK, She was contracted as their supplier and since then their success has been on a notable upward trajectory. A background analysis of the company will reveal unique and steady business growth and expansion strategies employed by the company’s management (Thorson and Moore 23).

1.2 Executive Overview

The marketing plan clearly outlines various marketing and communication tactics that help promote Lush Company and its products to give it a wider consumer scope. Lush will be able to do this through internet advertising, website promotions and television advertising among other tactics. The tactics implied by this Integrated marketing communications plan will ensure that Lush company is able to fully tackle any challenges relayed to sales and brand dominance to build client and consumer loyalty (Wood 25).

1.2.1 Scope of this Integrated Marketing Communications PlanThis ICM plan entails the various strategies, tactics and communication objectives required to ensure that integrated marketing is executed and implemented successfully.

1.2.2 Marketing ObjectivesThe overall plan is to ensure that purchase of cosmetic materials by a student base target group increases by a considerable 35 % by the end of the 12 months.

Have a significant increase in our market share before the end of the 12 months to approximately 18% through implementation of strategies and modalities laid out in this plan.

1.2.3 Communication ObjectivesEnsure that approximately 15% of our target audience is aware about Lush Company and our cosmetic products by the end of the 12 months.

We also aim to increase our site traffic by 35% by the end of the year through website promotions and search engine optimization among other strategies.

1.2.4 Issues and ChallengesWomen are our major target demographic and due to increased competition with regard to female cosmetic products we will face some very stiff competition. To help us counter this challenge, we aim to diversify our target demographic to include children and men so that we can have an effective marketing strategy through product target differentiation (Wood 21).

2.0 Situational Analysis2.0.1 StrengthsOne of Lush’s key strengths is the invention of fast cosmetic mixing technology which enables cosmetics to be mixed, graded and quantified very easily. This technology has put Lush as the market leader in this field. The company has also ventured into mergers and partnerships increasing its manufacturing capacities.

2.0.2 WeaknessesOne of the key weaknesses of the company is the fact that the major markets are in the USA. The current economic recessions and fluctuations have impacted the sales negatively and Lush is now venturing into Asia and Africa.

2.0.3 OpportunityThere is a lot of opportunity presented by the African and Asian markets. Inflation in Africa and East Asia has led to an increase in demand for cosmetics which are cheap and economical on pricing.

2.0.4 ThreatsRecalls on some cosmetic products have posed a major threat to the company. There have been cases of dysfunctional cosmetic products resulting to accidents and skin irritation in some cases. The company has recalled some of the products in the market and this has threatened business all over the country and the company is working tirelessly to rectify the problem with the cosmetic products.

2.1 Product History2.1.1 Product BackgroundLush Company Over a period of three years have built a team of highly creative employees with Mo Constantine being the lead and overseeing product development. The products are at times highly individualistic and in some cases it is important to educate customers. New products are launched roughly every week and such a product that became very popular with the company was bath bombs which fizz when dissolving in water. A lively online user community and discussion forum is a very useful source or Ideas and input to the creative process (Wong 24).

2.1.2 Current Problems Facing Products One of their greatest problems right now it the lack of a direct link to consumers in that certain clients cannot easily get Lush cosmetic products. Most of their target group demographic hence cannot easily get and purchase their products leading to a gap in product delivery and development (Smith and Ze Zook 15). Another key problem they are facing is consumer brand indifference. There is no brand loyalty especially from women who are their target demographic since there are many diverse cosmetic products to choose from (Smith and Ze Zook 16).

2.1.3 Current Marketing SituationLush company has a website through which it reaches most of its users and has built quite a sizable online community of clients. This is one of their key tactics and they currently do not have other supporting strong marketing tactics.

3.0 Target AudienceFour factors have been taken into consideration in defining our target market. These are:

Target Identification

Based on research and studies regarding the cosmetic market, we have chosen to employ a new approach and target college and university students as our target audience. We are targeting a segmented age range as a new marketing strategy which will help target a well-balanced and defined consumer population ages 19-29 and 32-50 as seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Cosmetic Distribution with Co-relation to age

Source: Smith and Pulford 31

Market Segmentation

Most of our target market includes students and we were able to capture some analytical data to validate our segmentation of this market by asking some questions such as “How would you like to use Lush Cosmetics as your primary products?” and “Would you switch from your current cosmetic products to Lush Cosmetics?”. The response that we have gotten from respondents has given us a baseline to assure us that within the next 12 months we will achieve market segmentation of the said age bracket.

Market selection

By selecting the specified target market, we aim to capture a well- defined and balanced target group that will ensure even our products have age based diversity and appeal to both adults and young individuals.

Market strategies and Positioning

When most of the students were asked what had greater influence in their decision to purchase cosmetic products, about 56% said that price was the dominant factor. About 32% said that quality was the dominant factor. 21% of the respondents said the design and style was a dominant factor.

Figure 2: Age Segmentation and Market Positioning

Source: Smith and Ze Zook 21

4.0 Competition4.1 Product ComparisonCurrently, there are a number of companies producing cosmetic products that target the youth especially college and university students. With our products being refined to suit this age segmentation bracket, we aim to have a competitive edge and capture most of this market segment share.

Barriers to entryLush company is facing a number of barriers that deter it from fully optimizing this market. Key of these is the lack of awareness of this age bracket to Lush products and services. The economic recession and downturn has also proven to be quite a barrier as more and more people are spending less on cosmetics and beauty products contrary to a few years ago.

Competitor DifferentiationCommunity Engagement: We would like to let our members experience an ownership of the products and services. We will involve the community majorly through the membership and management activity through or website.

Activities and events: Regular on our schedule will be activities and events organized by the Lush management, friends and partners, together with featured institutions. These include, launches, marketing, meet-ups, conferences and regular talks aimed at helping us market our cosmetics to a wider spectrum.

Cost Leadership strategy: Lush Company also aims to make cosmetic products available to this market segment at a cheaper and affordable price slated at a 10% discount compared to current prices of cosmetic products within the UK.

5.0 Branding and Messaging5.1 Branding ArchitectureThe company aims at using young women as the pioneering subjects of brand messaging. Lush say that they are trying to “tap” on the moral sense of young women, so that the market will be more supporting and favor them for their ethical movement. Research also shows that 11% of consumers would be interested in paying for beauty products by a new method of ups on Smartphone’s instead of a credit card (Smith and Pulford 26). Lush company seeks to employ a conjunctive model on its branding message since it is likely to appeal more to young women and students (Brannan 26). One is that for the conjunctive model users, the brand messages should highlight the more professional and corporate side of using cosmetic products than its leisurely aspects or strong points. Brand messages for the lexicographic model however, should highlight the leisurely aspect of cosmetic products than the more formal and stringent professional highlights as is the case with the conjunctive model.

5.2 Positioning StatementLush company hopes to build its brand and establish concrete links among the younger populations and its products. Increasing popularity of cosmetic products among the young individuals is the motivation behind this branding and messaging strategy.

5.3 Value PropositionsLush company aims to use a cost leadership strategy and highlight this in their brand messaging so that more young people can become aware of the cost difference between Lush’s cosmetic products and their competitors. This is set to attract a higher number of clientele and their product value is likely to increase significantly.

6.0 Communication and Marketing Strategies6.1 Social NetworkingSocial networking is a key strategy that Lush Company seeks to use to implement their integrated communication marketing strategy. Through social networking, Lush Company seeks to target the younger generation Y especially via social media. This is with the aim of influencing their decision making skills regarding cosmetic purchases and using social media as a platform to reach them. Research has shown that since businesses embraced social media as a major platform for marketing their products, most companies have experienced a steady increase in sells among the younger generation who are frequent users of social networks (Smith and Pulford 29). The place that social networking plays in undoubtedly very impactive in today’s business tactics and economy balancing to diverse clientele from different generations (Smith and Pulford 38). Online marketing is one of the companies’ marketing objectives and they aim to achieve this through social interaction and culturing a consumer objective for cosmetic products to this younger generation through this avenue (Clow, Kenneth and Baack 31). Through social networking Lush Company will be able to broaden their spectrum of influence to the target audience and this will go a long way in ensuring that their goals are met. The social media commands great influence over today’s generation and affects their position as consumers greatly (Sandhusen 34). Lush Company should hence capitalize on this avenue to increase and cement their marketing tactic through social networking (Boone and Kurtz 24).

6.2 Direct Product MarketingLush plans to use direct product marketing where certain characteristics are similar to those of service marketing but unlike in the latter, individual attention to clients is not always practical as it involves large-scale production of goods and products shifting focus to the production aspects for instance, raw materials, quantities, stocks, and prices (Semenik 21). This is because in order to reach their target market, direct product marketing of their cosmetic product is ensured through conformance quality which is more pronounced, as it is more likely to net a large portion of impressed and interested consumers unlike in service marketing where the service requires more flexibility to adjust to meet the varied particular interests of various clients in the service industry (Bothma 33).

6.3 Customization and Internet MarketingCustomization of products for customers is the most critical means of delivering true value to customers (Ogden 47). Lush company aims to customize their products in order to achieve superior competitive advantage in the marketplace. The company implements product configuration system as a way of achieving this practice (Linton and Morley 17). It provides a lead time for product reduction depending on the demands of customers (Schultz and Lauterborn 31). Therefore, the design of products is done in a way that attracts the attention of customers.

One of the corporation’s Internet marketing strategies employed in marketing their products is lowering of prices for cosmetic products any time all the year round. The company keeps on lowering their cosmetic products in order to compete with their competitors producing the same products (Belch and Michael 21). This is crucial because it strategy has enabled it to acquire more customers who order and buy products online. In 2006, the company cut their prices in an effort of maintaining their market share. It also cut profit margins of real products purchased by more than a half (Blythe 39). This is done for the purpose of maintaining existing customers and attracting more customers in the market.

6.4 Television Commercial and Bonus SchemesAdvertisement has been a very dynamic market that keeps on changing with current societal issues (Cateora and Graham 11). Companies have started using measures that are sophisticated, with many buying agencies and clients using combinations of surveys and “optimizer” programs to analyze the demographic and psycho-graphic characteristics of audience groups and then establish pricing parameters that fit the audiences various networks delivered (Sandhusen 34). Lush company aims at using this to their advantage by launching a series of advertisements targeted at television viewers. The output of these commercials would be a recommended advertising placement portfolio for a specific product campaign (Percy 36). Lush Company also aims to use bonus schemes to further the implementation of their integrated communications marketing plan. This marketing strategy aims at providing customers with bonuses for cosmetic products purchased (Pickton and Broderick 27). The company will offer their customers free bonuses for the products purchased, including skin and hair products. This is crucial, because it enables customers to demand more products from their company since they will be incentivized. They will also make promotions of their services and products online offering a wide range of bonuses in order to attract more customers (Varey 26). Lush aims to use the slogan of ‘Looking younger every day’ as a means of making their products known to customers and establishing their branding structure that a younger demographic can identify with.

7.0 BudgetA large percentage of our budget has been allocated to company promotions about 55% because statistics show that a significant 60% of the target market that we have selected prefer events and word of mouth advertising (Blakeman 25). Our second most dominant budget has been slated for television and commercial advertising which is about 25%. This is because results indicate that a considerable 50% of our target market prefer television advertising (Blakeman 36). Print and paper advertising has been allocated 15 % of our budget and lastly internet marketing and search engine optimization has been allocated 5 % of our total budget.

7.1 Tactical Calendar

References

Belch, George E, and Michael A. Belch. Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2009. Print.

Blakeman, Robyn. Integrated Marketing Communication: Creative Strategy from Idea to Implementation. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007. Print.

Blythe, Jim. Key Concepts in Marketing. Los Angeles, Calif: SAGE, 2009. Internet resource.

Boone, Louis E, and David L. Kurtz. Contemporary Marketing. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western, 2005. Print.

Bothma, Neels. Integrated Marketing Communication. Claremont, South Africa: New Africa Books, 2005. Print.

Brannan, Tom. A Practical Guide to Integrated Marketing Communications. London: Kogan Page, 1995. Print.

Cateora, Philip R, and John L. Graham. International Marketing. Boston, Mass: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007. Print.

Clow, Kenneth E, and Donald Baack. Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.

Linton, Ian, and Kevin Morley. Integrated Marketing Communications. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1995. Print.

Ogden, James R. Developing a Creative and Innovative Integrated Marketing Communications Plan: A Working Model. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print.

Percy, Larry. Strategic Integrated Marketing Communication: Theory and Practice. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008. Print.

Pickton, David, and Amanda Broderick. Integrated Marketing Communications. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.

Sandhusen, Richard. Marketing. Hauppauge, N.Y: Barron’s Educational Series, 2008. Print.

Semenik, Richard J. Promotion and Integrated Marketing Communications. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western Thomson Learning, 2002. Print.

Schultz, Don E, Stanley I. Tannenbaum, and Robert F. Lauterborn. Integrated Marketing Communications. Lincolnwood, Ill., USA: NTC Business Books, 1993. Print.

Smith, P R, Alan Pulford, and Chris Berry. Strategic Marketing Communications: New Ways to Build and Integrate Communications. London: Kogan Page, 1999. Print.

Smith, P R, and Ze Zook. Marketing Communications: Integrating Offline and Online with Social Media. London: Kogan Page, 2011. Print.

Thorson, Esther, and Jeri Moore. Integrated Communication: Synergy of Persuasive Voices. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1996. Print.

Varey, Richard J. Marketing Communication: Principles and Practice. London: Routledge, 2002. Internet resource.

Wong, Ho Y, Kylie Radel, and Roshnee Ramsaran-Fowdar. Building a Marketing Plan: A Complete Guide. New York, NY: Business Expert Press, 2011. Internet resource.

Wood, Marian B. The Marketing Plan Handbook. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.

Appendix

* NRS Social grade is a classification system based on occupation:

Population %

A Higher managerial, administrative and professional 4%

B Intermediate managerial, administrative and professional 22%

C1 Supervisory, clerical and junior managerial, administrative and professional 27%

C2 Skilled manual workers 22%

D Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers 16%

E State pensioners, casual and lowest grade workers, unemployed with state benefits only 9%

Brief explanation of marketing communication strategies, 3ps

Push strategy: Create awareness of the brand with the ultimate goal of sale to the final target audience customer/consumer.

Pull strategy: Use Intermediaries, distribution channels and retailers to create awareness and develop strong distribution network to the final target audience customer/consumer.

Profile strategy: Create awareness and spread the communicational message among stakeholders to the final target audience company’s micro environment.

Black Leadership during Jim Crow’s America

Name

Institution Affiliation

Black Leadership during Jim Crow’s America

The author discusses mutual and benevolent aid societies as a component of the internal cultures of African Americans in contrast to a view of these societies as the result of African American response to prejudice after the Civil War.

African American women came together to form political groups, notably the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), which they used to rally themselves against acts of discrimination through racism and sexism. Powerful women of this era, including Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell. Worked towards the uplifting of women of color all across the nation without minding their social class or condition. Other notable figures in the fight against inequality at the state level were Janie Porter Barret and Mary E. Cary Burrell. The latter was actively involved in influential organizations for the advancement of the rights of African Americans, including the United Order of True Reformers, the Women’s Baptist Missionary, and the Educational Association of Virginia. Janie Porter Barrett became the president of the state federation that was founded in 1907 with the aim of coordinating women activities in raising to the highest level of morality, home, and civic life of Virginia residents of African descent. In conformation to its pledge to uplift the morality and spirituality of women, the federation pledged to build an industrial home to rehabilitate “wayward” girls. The activities of these women salvaged the dignity of people of color that had long been destroyed by the white man through unimaginable inequality.

Booker T. Washington was one of the most instrumental figures during civil rights activism at the dawn of the 20th century. He believed that African Americans would be liberated and enjoy full citizenship by achieving economic independence. He also went ahead to call for African Americans to halt their demands for civil rights in pursuit of financial freedom. This was the worst idea during a time like that as it was the time for colored people to stand for their rights as provided in the constitution as well as challenging laws that were not accommodating. His advocacy for education consisted of the idea of vocational training for African Americans with the belief that practical skills would allow the people to better their communities. He was not for what he termed “mere book learning.” Washington was, however, wrong with his idea as it meant keeping African Americans at the bottom of the hierarchy as vocational skills did not consist of leadership roles. It confined African Americans to working manual jobs like it was during slavery. Critics like W. E. B. Du Bois challenged this thought as African Americans required both economic independence and civil rights to achieve total liberty. The education system needed to produce more intellectuals that were vocal about the plight of cloured people as opposed to masons and artisans.

Niagara Movement, the NAACP, the National Urban League, and the Tuskegee Machine were political movements that advocated for the rights of the people of color. The Niagara Movement and the NAACP were based on the belief that people of color needed education to free themselves from the inequalities presented by Jim Crow America.

However, the Niagara movement and the rest of the movements did not support some sentiments of the NAAC, which were basically the ideas of Booker T. Washington. They believed that the NAAC sold the idea that African Americans were inferior to the white man.

Black Lives Matter

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Institution

Date

Black Lives Matter and Use of Body Camera

Introduction

Black Lives Matter Movement was founded in 2013 after the death of Trayvon Martin. Talk of the killings and maiming of minority groups including statistical representation. 31% of police brutality cases accounts for killings related to African Americans.

Police brutality is the use of excessive force by police officers on its citizens. We live in a world where we thrive on law and order and part of the order is often maintained by law enforcers including the police. In a world where there is no law and order then anarchy would really thrive which may pose to be an unfavorable environment to live in. It is for such reasons that often law enforcers play a huge role in a country and they have been granted the power to do so. However, more often than not some officers often misuse their power by brutalizing the innocent. Police brutality is an issue that is often brought up in almost every country including the United States (Vanessa, 2018).

With the recants movements on black lives matter there is need to look on the matter. There are debates on all lives matter issue as well as black lives matter with all lives matter wanting to diminish all lives matter movement (Monica, 2018).

Thesis statement: This paper will generally examine Black Lives Matter movement, extensive research has been conducted on effect police brutality has on African Americans including fatal injuries inflicted, adverse psychological effect, racist public reaction, high incarceration rates and arrests and integrated oppressive structure.

Body: Extent of police brutality.

A good example is Dondi Johnson who was arrested in Baltimore and suffered injuries from police including broken limbs that he later succumbed from these injuries. Cases of African Americans that have succumbed from gunshots are quite too high as a result of brutality. The second reason is Psychological stress as most African Americans are often stressed if they may be the next victims. laws in place that seem to contribute of police brutality such as Stop and Search laws.

On the job trouble refers to the problematic encounters that law enforcers may encounter while carrying out their job. If protest occur, police are tasked with ensuring there is law and order and that protesters carry out the protest peacefully without causing harm or vandalism to others. In the job trouble refers to dealing with police as well as the legal bureaucracies where one has to explain their actions on the job. This may include an inquiry of police conduct after a protest. Police may create ‘in the job’ trouble for themselves when they become repressive as they try to maintain law and order avoiding “on the job” trouble (Jelani, 2017). In cases where police officers may avoid to use more of hands-off approach especially in a protest that has violent tendencies, then there is likelihood of lawlessness.

George Floyd’s murder led to a lot of protests all over United States most people stating the protests are no longer peaceful. Colin Kaeprick did a protest where he knelt and got a lot of back lash including the fact that it was disrespectful but now people believe he was right. He lost his job including the NFL for taking a stand and later on in life people do believe that he was right and needed to be acknowledged. This brings the discussion on peaceful vs. non-peaceful protests. People pointed out that police officers may be using force to try calm BLM movements yet while the whites were protesting on need for the border to be opened they were treated differently.

Incorporate ideas of Malcolm X and Martin Luther on peaceful protest when it comes to matters of racism. While Martin Luther supported Gandhi on peaceful protest, Malcolm was seen to support violent protest.

Implementation of body cameras to help reduce police brutality. These cameras have been suggested as best ways to capture brutality cases (Dorothy, 2015). Capturing how all police officers get to interact with the citizens may help reduce police brutality cases.

Most police brutality cases are usually the words of the officer against the police use of cameras would help. Use of body cameras will help show the side of the story if excessive force will be used. Blue Code of silence is the leading reason as to why most police officers get away with brutality (Anthony, 2017).

Police will respond to various protest with different force depending on a couple of factors. Law enforcers protect economic as well as political interest of certain elites. Depending on the issue being protested against the force may be minimal or brutal. Issues such as police brutality are sensitive issues these is because a country like America has gone through years of changes in a bid to achieve racial equality (Alese, 2020)

Conclusion

Although racism has greatly reduced the issue of systemic racism is now visible when it comes to police brutality. Media serves as one key role in looking at police brutality cases as well as their effects.

Achievements that have been achieved by the BLM including firing of police officers implicated in George Floyd murder. There are several petitions that are being signed pertaining black lives matter.

There is need to eliminate laws that are targeting the minorities. Although all lives matter there is evidence that black lives do not matter is reason enough to protest.

Social media and improvement of technology has also helped in dealing with police brutality as now evidence can be captured where police are using force thus promoting transparency and accountability

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Alese Wooditch, C. D. (2020). Perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras: Findings from a Panel Survey of Two LAPD Divisions. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 426-453.

Anthony Braga, P. J. (2017). The Benefits of Body-Worn Cameras: . National Criminal Justice journal, 45-50.

Dorothy Charlse, Kathryn Himmelstern, Walker Keenan Nicholas Baried. (2015). White Coats For Black Lives: Responding to Racism and Police Brutality. Journal of Urban Health, 88-102.

Jelani Ince, F. R. (2017). The Social Media Response to Black Lives Matter: How twitter Users Interact with Black Lives Matter through Hashtag Use. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 14-30.

Monica Anderson, S. T. (2018). An Analysis of Black Lives Matter and other Twitter Hashtags related to political or social issues. Pew Research Center, 50-62.

Vanessa Williamson, Kristella Trump and Katherine Levine Einsten. (2018). Black lives Matter: Evidence that Police caused Deaths Predict Protest Activity. Cambridge University Press, 400-415.

Student’s name

Professor’s name

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Date:

A review of “Dietary Fiber Confers Protection against Flu by Shaping Ly6c-Patrolling Monocyte Hematopoiesis and CD8+ T Cell Metabolism.”

The article is a scientific report on an experiment that illustrates the beneficial outcomes of SCFAs and dietary fiber in protection against infections such as influenza infections. To exemplify this, scientists conduct few experiments on laboratory mice. In the first experiment, they conduct an experiment that shows how the short-chain fatty acids and the fermentable fiber insulin protects against the pathology induced with influenza. The second one shows how short-chain fatty acids alter hematopoiesis by accelerating the bone marrow’s macrophage precursors. In the third experiment the scientists show how the short-chain fatty acids shape the functionality of the macrophage to lessen the damage on the neutrophil-mediated tissue. Ultimately, the last experiment shows how short chain fatty acids enhance the functionality of the CD8 + T cell by altering its metabolism.

An understanding on the beneficial roles that both short-chain fatty acids and dietary fiber have on protecting immunity against infections is very important. From the experiment, it is quite evident that dietary fiber and the short-chain fatty acids have benefits that allow the laboratory mice to control themselves against the influenza infection effectively. Additionally, this involves both dampening and enhancing the immune system’s discrete components such as the immunological tone that is set at a level that allows viral clearance and also avoids excess tissue damage. The scientists also observed that uncontrolled immune responses upon the influenza infection lead to tissue destruction that results in severe mortality and morbidity. However, reducing the neutrophils in the airways in an indirect way, butyrate and dietary fiber prevent both alveolar damage and immunopathology. This was achieved through a mechanism that involves a gut bone marrow-lung that is quite similar to what the scientists described for asthma.

The experiment is quite important as it shows how the effect of short-chain fatty acids and dietary fiber is important in boosting immune systems. It shows how the short-chain fatty acids and dietary fiber can alter the metabolism of the CD8 + T cell to enhance and increase the effector function. Just after stimulation, the CD8 + T cells from the mice fed with the HFD show increased masses on their mitochondria and increased spare respiratory capacity and increased maximal respiration, an indicator of enhanced capacity and capability of using oxidative phosphorylation. Similarly, the glycolytic mass of the mice is increased.

The T cells rely largely on the oxidative phosphorylation pathways so as to produce energy. Therefore, during the effector cell differentiation, cell metabolism switches to glycolysis that enhances the production of metabolic intermediates that are significant for cell proliferation and cell growth. The effector phase is characterized by a high glycolytic rate and the oxidative phosphorylation activities. The effector cells from the mice fed with HFD shows augmented functionality. The CD8 +T cells functional capacity is highly dependent on the availability of glucose and uptake, as Glut-1 is the main transporter of glucose in the T cells that translocate to the surface of the cell upon activation allowing glucose uptake. The mice fed with HFD showed an increased surface expression of the Glut-1, allowing enhance glucose assimilation. The next experiment that scientists should undertake should be conducting a single role of the short-chain fatty acids in preventing infections as they have highlighted a dual role in this experiment.

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Date:A Review of “Oral NaHCO3 Activates a Splenic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway: Evidence That Cholinergic Signals Are Transmitted via Mesothelial Cells.”

The article is a report on an experiment that describes how oral NaHCO3 intake normally invigorate anti-inflammatory pathways. To illustrate how splenic anti-inflammatory pathways are stimulated by the intake of oral NaHCO3, scientists’ experiment by loading oral NaHCO3 then shifting macrophage polarization from inflammatory (M1) to regulatory phenotypes (M2) and FOXP3+ CD4+T-lymphocytes increased in the blood, kidneys and spleen of laboratory mice. The scientists then clearly prove that the same anti-inflammatory changes that were observed in the macrophage polarization in the laboratory mice was the same as those observed in human beings’ blood following the ingestion of NaHCO3.

The scientists used cytometry flow as well as mRNA markers in splenic macrophages that are isolated so as to determine whether M2 macrophage polarization in the both the spleen and the kidney is promoted by the intake of oral NaHCO3. The scientists also investigated the effects of acute NaHCO3 loading on cell profiles in the human blood. They found out that gentle manipulation so as to visualize the spleen at midline during sham splenectomy was necessary to abolish the oral NaHCO3 anti-inflammatory response. The scientists then investigated the pathways in which NaHCO3 intake signaling can be transmitted to the splenic parenchyma. In addition, the scientists use both anatomical and functional evidence in which signals that mediate for these responses are transmitted to the kidney and the spleen through a neural-like function of the mesothelial cells. The study shows how the mesothelial cells have a role in transmitting signals at distal sites and how it combines with the secretion of gastric acid in promoting an anti-inflammatory response to oral NaHCO3.

This study is important as it details how anti-inflammatory response macrophage polarization; including both M1 and M2 are promoted by the intake of oral NaHCO3. The study also explains how intake of oral NaHCO3 increases FOXP3 +CD4+ T regulatory cells within the kidney and the spleen. The scientists were able to confirm that such phenotypic changes are associated with anti-inflammatory effects of using MLR. They were able to examine tissues from the Ls-fed Dahl mice and normotensive Spragie Dawley rats. The scientists also explained how the Dahl mouse model develops both renal injury and hypertension when fed with an HS diet.

The data from the study indicates that the effect of NaHCO3 on macrophage polarization is independent of elevated blood pressure and salt diets. This agrees with the findings of the mice, that oral NaHCO3 promotes anti-inflammatory response in blood. Indeed, the data was a demonstration that NaHCO3 ingested orally can promote powerful anti-inflammatory responses in both human beings and rats. The scientists however speculated that the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway activated the ingestion of oral NaHCO3.

The next experiment that scientists should undertake should involve testing the efficacy of the intakes of oral NaHCO3 to regulate injury in inflammatory disease models in determining the potential of this therapeutic stimuli. This is because, the scientists in this study have only provided a cost effective and a safe method of activating splenic anti-inflammatory pathways in human beings thus may have an important therapeutic potential for the inflammatory disease.

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Black like me

John Howard Griffin defied all the odds by participating in one of the most daring social experiments ever reported. Black like Me thus exposes the double life of a man whose curiosity led the whole society questioning the situation at the time. The story takes place in the Deep South where race is a predominantly significant factor. At this period in time, the country has just gone through the Civil War and is in dire need of reconstruction. One of the factors that led to the Civil War was the opposition of the slave trade. The war resulted in the South losing to the North thus making the damaging the supremacy of the south. As a result, the white race in the South made the life of the newly freed slaves difficult making it hard to be black in the South. Griffin’s transformation is thus not only seen as a social experiment but a daring act that changed the lives of many.

The purpose of the story is to display the life of the African American through the eyes of a white man. The issue in this case mainly focuses on race which is not only a vital factor in the South but in the United States as a whole. The main characters in the story are John Howard Griffin who enjoys all the privileges of being a white member of the society. He chooses to rid himself of his comfortable state so as to take on the challenge of changing his skin color to resemble the one of a black man. Another character in the book is sterling Williams who represents the black solidarity and strength. He encompasses solidarity despite the levels of oppression he and his community have been accustomed.

The book definitely conveys its message whose theme is based on inequality and oppression the members of the black community face. The fact that Griffin changes his skin shows how significant of a factor race is in the society. At this time, people were judged not on their merit and demerits but on their skin color. This unfair culture thus denies the community their rights and privileges making blacks live in conditions that are repugnant to human life. The author brought out the lifestyle of both a white and a black man by living on both sides of the fence. He kept the reader interested in terms of educating individuals of the need for change and equal treatment in the community. His experience made a significant impact in the social setting of both the South and the North.

The climax of the book is realized when Griffin lets the public know of his six month long journey and the results of his actions. This part of the book exposes the level at which the country is divided. On one hand, his article is met with a lot of enthusiasm from his readers both black and white. This was not long lived in that he received a substantial amount of death threats of the whites in the South.

In conclusion, the 1950s were an important time for the country. The economy was changing from the agrarian system to the Industrial revolution. This changed most of the practices such as slavery which was profitable for the cotton plantations. From the time African Americans were granted their freedom, they experienced a significant amount of social injustice that left a lot to be desired. The African American community engaged in the creation of the civil rights movements. The actions of Journalist John Howard Griffin put pressure for the need for change.

Black Lives Matter

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Black Lives Matter and Use of Body Camera

Introduction

Over the past decades in the US, police brutality against African-American people in the US has risen steadily. Racial inequity issues have led to a lot of incoherence in various communities in the world, such as riots and demonstrations. Police brutality is the use of excessive force by police officers on its citizens. African-American people have always felt that cops and the entire criminal integrity system in the US target them as compared to different ethnicities. It prompted people to start Social Movement Organizations (SMOs) to fight for the rights of these people leading to the establishment of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement through the micro-blogging platform, Twitter. (Vanessa, 2018). The Black Lives Matters movement aims at fighting and breaking the racial oppression upon which the US has established herself (Bonilla & Rosa, 2015). It aims at fighting this new kind of racism by bringing together all the black people excluded by the Civil Rights Movements in the past (Bobo, 2011). A single idea started the movement in 2012 triggered by the demise of an African-American teenager, Trayvon Martin, and the acquittal of the officer who led to the death of the former, Officer George Zimmerman (Monica, 2018).

Thesis statement: In this paper, the researcher examines the reasons why the people coined the BLM hashtag and campaign through a content analysis study as well as importance on implementing body cameras by police.

Review of Previous Research

Extent of police brutality

The statistics showing that more than half of the victims of police brutality are either Blacks or Latinos in the US prompted people to formulate the BLM. Despite the black Americans making up 12% of the US population, the criminal justice system seems to target them through fatal encounters with law enforcement agencies.

Alicia Garza, Cullors, and Opal Tometi coined the hashtag BLM on July 13, 2013, through Twitter. The trio formulated the hashtag to dissent the exoneration of George Zimmerman, a police officer, who shot death Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black American youngster (Jelani, 2017).

Bonilla-Silva (2012) argued that people no longer racially discriminate based on biological factors somewhat covert or color-blind racism. He further explains that people should not see the color of an individual skin instead of a person’s social and cultural failings, giving a new base for racism in the US based on culture. People use the skin color of an individual to determine what they are in the inside (Bonilla-Silva, 2012). Bobo (2011) analyzes the colorblind racism and the criminal justice system in the US. Even though the criminal justice system wants to serve people equally, the level of black incarceration in the US tripled between 1980 and 2000. The ration of black people to white people increased to more than 8 to 1. It implies that for every one white American arrested, more than eight black Americans also faced

Problem statement

George Floyd Murder led to a lot of discussions including why often there has been need to use force especially on black men. This led to the discussion on the Collin Kaeprick as he tried kneeling to protest against police brutality as a peaceful means yet the backlash he got led to him losing his job.

The idea on peaceful protest has always been controversial in United States. Leaders like Martin Luther advocated for peaceful protests while Malcolm X on the other hand was seen as advocating for use of violence in fighting systemic racism. 2020 seem to be the year where discussion on which form of protest will seem to yield fruits.

There have been debates that only way peace can be found is if only there are better laws preventing police Brutality

Policy Effectiveness

There has been debates on the need of body cameras so that there is collaboration when it comes to the cases of police brutality (Dorothy, 2015).

Getting to capture these cases is important especially during trials as most police officers often do not want going behind their colleagues making the trial harder.

Most police brutality cases are usually the words of the officer against the police use of cameras would help.

Use of body cameras will help show the side of the story if excessive force will be used. Blue Code of silence is the leading reason as to why most police officers get away with brutality (Anthony, 2017).

Policy Recommendation

There are various police precincts that have implemented the use of body cameras most capturing the interactions between the law enforcers as well as citizens.

All officers should be made to wear body cameras

There should be review of all footage to determine the truth of the matter in cases where citizens file cases of brutality

There is evidence that police officers are far much more lenient when dealing with protests by whites as compared to when the protesters are actually black (Alese, 2020)

Conclusion

The BLM movement plays a pivotal role in raising awareness amongst the black people in American society. The police brutality and inefficiency of the US legal system have prompted the people to fight for their rights and voice their frustrations through social movements leading to a finely tuned awareness and social cohesion.

The social movement should objectify the acquisition of support and enlightening various black communities about colorblind racism. The criminal justice system should formulate laws that can replace the neutral laws that have been a subject of racial discrimination.

The fact that the cases of African Americans getting killed keep soaring then there needs to be a candid discussion on the need for laws that will protect the African Americans from the injustices most specifically police brutality

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Alese Wooditch, C. D. (2020). Perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras: Findings from a Panel Survey of Two LAPD Divisions. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 426-453.

Anthony Braga, P. J. (2017). The Benefits of Body-Worn Cameras: . National Criminal Justice journal, 45-50.

Dorothy Charlse, Kathryn Himmelstern, Walker Keenan Nicholas Baried. (2015). White Coats For Black Lives: Responding to Racism and Police Brutality. Journal of Urban Health, 88-102.

Jelani Ince, F. R. (2017). The Social Media Response to Black Lives Matter: How twitter Users Interact with Black Lives Matter through Hashtag Use. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 14-30.

Monica Anderson, S. T. (2018). An Analysis of Black Lives Matter and other Twitter Hashtags related to political or social issues. Pew Research Center, 50-62.

Vanessa Williamson, Kristella Trump and Katherine Levine Einsten. (2018). Black lives Matter: Evidence that Police caused Deaths Predict Protest Activity. Cambridge University Press, 400-415.

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A review of “Dietary trehalose enhances virulence of epidemic Clostridium difficile.”

The article is a report on an experiment that describes how Dietary trehalose enhances the virulence of epidemic Clostridium difficile. To illustrate this, scientists analyze the whole-genome sequence of Clostridium difficile ribotype 027 (RT0270) strains show binary independent lineages arose in North America from the year 2000 to the year 2003. They also compared the historical, RT027 strains that revealed that both the epidemic lineages obtained a mutation in the gyrA gene, and this led to intensified resistance to antibiotics of fluoroquinolone. Conversely, the increased resistance to these antibiotics played a significant role in spreading of the stains of the RT027 and this resistance was observed in the nonepidemic Clostridium C ribotypes, and were able to identify the strains back in the mid-1980s. Therefore, other factors were responsible for the outbreak of the RT027 epidemic strains.

From the article, it is quite clear that dietary trehalose has played a role in spreading epidemic Clostridium difficile ribotypes. This is because both the strains; RT078 and RT027 were present before the outbreak of the epidemics. The strains were present even during the 1980s, but the outbreak was reported in the year 2003. From the experiments, the severity of disease by the RT027 strain metabolized the trehalose in the mouse model of the Clostridium difficile infection is entirely consistent with the intensified virulence in both the RT028 and the RT027 ribotypes as observed in various patients.

In conclusion, this study is essential since it details how dietary trehalose enhances virulence of epidemic Clostridium difficile. The ability to metabolize trehalose at relatively lower concentrations only shows the competitive advantage of growth in the existence of the intestinal community that is quite complex. The trehalose levels in the ileostomy fluid from patients that eat normal diets is quite high and is highly detected by the strains.

Lucky’s, a chain of gas stations

As far as B2b e-business, Lucky’s may have the capacity to secure products over the Internet, utilize a private mechanical system to arrange their store network with suppliers and oversee stock. Contingent upon the structure of the gas retail business, industry net commercial centers and trades may be useful. As far as B2c e-business, there are very few open doors, as it is wasteful to offer gas over the Internet. Lucky’s could verify that its stations are recorded in prevalent area based portable administrations that help drivers discover close-by corner stores.

Business – to – Business (B2b)

Site emulating B2b plan of action offers its item to a moderate purchaser who then offers the item to the last client. As a sample, a wholesaler submits a request from an organization’s site and in the wake of accepting the relegation, offers the deciding item to last client who comes to purchase the item at wholesaler’s retail outlet.

INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.tutorialspoint.com/e_commerce/images/b2b.jpg” * MERGEFORMATINET

Business – to – Consumer(B2C)

Website emulating B2c plan of action offers its item straightforwardly to a client. A client can see items indicated on the site of business association. The client can pick an item and request the same. Site will send a notice to the business association by means of email and association will dispatch the item/merchandise to the client.

INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.tutorialspoint.com/e_commerce/images/b2c.jpg” * MERGEFORMATINET

Consumer – to – Consumer (C2C)

Site emulating C2c plan of action helps shopper to offer their benefits like private property, autos, cruisers and so forth or rent a room by distributed their data on the site. Site could possibly charge the purchaser for its administrations. An alternate purchaser may select to purchase the result of the first client by review the post/commercial on the site.

INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.tutorialspoint.com/e_commerce/images/c2c.jpg” * MERGEFORMATINET

Consumer – to – Business (C2B)

In this model, a purchaser approaches site demonstrating various business associations for a specific administration. Buyer puts an appraisal of sum he/she needs to use for a specific administration. For instance, correlation of premium rates of individual advance/ auto credit gave by different banks by means of site. Business association who satisfies the purchaser’s prerequisite inside tagged plan approaches the client and gives its administrations (Laudon & Traver, 2007). INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.tutorialspoint.com/e_commerce/images/c2b.jpg” * MERGEFORMATINET

Advantages to Organizations

Utilizing E-Commerce, association can extend their business sector to national and global markets with least capital speculation. An association can undoubtedly place more clients, best suppliers and suitable business accomplices over the globe.

E-Commerce helps association to diminish the expense to make procedure, disseminate, recover and deal with the paper based data by digitizing the data.

E-business enhances the brand picture of the organization.

E-business helps association to give better client administrations.

E-Commerce serves to improve the business methodologies and make them speedier and productive.

E-Commerce lessens paper work a ton.

E-Commerce expanded the gainfulness of the association. It backings “draw” sort supply administration. In “draw” sort supply administration, a business procedure begins when a solicitation originates from a client and it utilizes without a moment to spare assembling way.

Advantages to Customers

24×7 backing. Client can do exchanges for the item or enquiry about any item/administrations gave by an organization whenever, anyplace from any area. Here 24×7 alludes to 24 hours of every seven days of a week.

E-Commerce application gives client more alternatives and speedier conveyance of items.

E-Commerce application gives client more alternatives to analyze and select the less expensive and better choice.

A client can put survey remarks around an item and can see what others are purchasing or see the audit remarks of different clients before making a last purchase.

E-Commerce gives alternative of virtual barters.

Quickly available information. A client can see the significant detailed data inside seconds instead of sitting tight for quite a long time or weeks.

E-Commerce expands rivalry among the associations and as result associations gives significant rebates to clients.

Advantages to Society

Clients require not to venture out to shop an item accordingly less activity on street and low air contamination.

E-Commerce helps lessening expense of items so less prosperous individuals can likewise bear the cost of the items.

E-Commerce has empowered access to administrations and items to provincial territories too which are overall not accessible to them.

References

Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2007). E-commerce. Pearson/Addison Wesley.

Case Study Proposal: Maricopa Medical Center Case Management

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TOC o “1-3” h z u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc316575640 h 2Background Information PAGEREF _Toc316575641 h 3Electronic Medical Record (EMR) PAGEREF _Toc316575642 h 4Benefits of EMR PAGEREF _Toc316575643 h 5Improved Quality of Health Care PAGEREF _Toc316575644 h 6Security Breaches PAGEREF _Toc316575645 h 6Privacy Concerns PAGEREF _Toc316575646 h 6Staff and Storage Expenses PAGEREF _Toc316575647 h 7Connectivity/Communication PAGEREF _Toc316575648 h 7Standardizing Workflow PAGEREF _Toc316575649 h 7Standardizing Data Representation PAGEREF _Toc316575650 h 8Health Care Setting Variations PAGEREF _Toc316575651 h 8Funding PAGEREF _Toc316575652 h 9Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc316575653 h 9References PAGEREF _Toc316575654 h 11

Case Study Proposal: Maricopa Medical Center Case Management

IntroductionThe healthcare system in the U.S. is in difficulty. In spite of investing approximately $1.7 trillion per annum in healthcare, the health care industry is plagued with poor quality and inefficiency. Superior information systems ought to provide the much needed help. Most health care providers lack the requisite information systems in order to coordinate the patient’s care with the pertinent providers. The essential information systems are require in order to ensure that the health care providers share required information, monitor conformity with guidelines for prevention and disease-management, as well as evaluate and improve on performance (Corrigan, 2011).

This paper posits to provide a case study proposal for the Maricopa medical center case management. The rationale for choosing Maricopa Medical Center (MMC) in this proposal was because they are at present in their third year of a five year plan in implementing an electronic medical record (EMR). The MMC presents a perfect example in investigating how organizations are dealing with the changes in the current ear of change. Besides, the case management department is an excellent example to monitor these changes since they are working in numerous areas of the hospital. This includes clinical, financial, social services, as well as customer service. MMC, is able to present a good case in point of multiple spotlights of the business. The focus of the proposal will entail applications, leadership, system integration, regulations, technology, and overcoming barriers. Hospitals employ information systems with the anticipation that the systems would reduce costs, boost the quality of care, and improve the competence of operations and personnel productivity. They also expect that information systems would enlarge service capacity, and enhance the accuracy and timeliness of management information (Kotter, 2006).

Background InformationMaricopa Medical Center is presently converting to some different information systems. MMC uses the Midas program, which is not an EMR. The MMC has been implementing EPIC and Cerner information systems into the hospital in phases. Cerner and Epic offer technology solutions in healthcare systems with the intention to create accountable health care organizations.However, the use of the two systems jointly has been difficult, since it seems that the builders for financial and clinical have not been working together. Consequently, it has been difficult to have the two systems work in collaboration. In order to provide a solution to this predicament, this proposal suggests an immediate shit to EMR.

The case management department at MMC is aware of the role played by the changes to funding in healthcare and reimbursement. The department is mandated to focus on issues that relate to balancing government mandates, managing the insured patients, and managing the self pay/no pay patient. This proposal will look into the various areas of interest, and subsequently provide the necessary recommendations.

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)In the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama in 2009, approximately $1.2 billion included an electronic medical documentation stimulus that grants benefits for electronic medical documentation implementation. The government is working to ensure the shift to EMR integration, since it believes that this would restructure patient care and present the health sector with long-term savings. The electronic medical records stimulus provides incentives to facilitate physicians in converting to paperless medical documentation. However, several studies have proved that even in the absence of the incentives, the integration of EMR has tangible benefits (Dave & Mike, 2010).

The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is an application setting that entails clinical data repository, controlled medical terminology, clinical assessment support, order entry, computerized provider order entry (CPOE), clinical and pharmacy documentation applications. This environment sustains the patient s electronic medical documentation across outpatient and inpatient environments. It is employed by healthcare practitioners to record, monitor, as well as manage the delivery of health care in a care delivery organization (CDO). The information in the EMR is a legal account of what transpired in regard to the patient in their visit at the CDO (Janz, 2010).

The EMR milieu is a sophisticated and complex environment. The foundation of the EMR is the clinical data repository (CDR). This is a synchronized transaction processing catalog of patient clinical data for practitioners. Controlled medical vocabulary (CMV) is vital since it guarantees that practitioners who utilize the EMR access precise and analogous information. The CMV standardizes information from a definitional and relational hierarchy that facilitates related EMR components to operate optimally. Devoid of a functional CMV, clinical decision support system (CDSS) as well as workflow components in the EMR would not perform as projected by the clinicians in the milieu. Applications of EMR setting are clinical documentation for every practitioner/clinician, computerized provider order entry (CPOE) for every clinician/practitioner, as well as pharmacy management (Janz, 2010).

There are several EMR applications foundation, necessary to develop patient safety and eliminate or reduce medical errors. These include, the CPOE, CDR, electronic medication administration record (eMAR), and pharmacy management system functionality. These applications are built and designed on similar architecture as EMR components. However, the EMR system has been implemented slowly due to lack of homogeny. Security concerns have also been a hindrance in several healthcare facilities (Dave & Mike, 2010).

Benefits of EMREMR systems are meant to monitor the patient’s entire health and medical account in an electronic and computerized format. This enormous quantity of data in this format enables healthcare professionals in retrieving and navigating crucial data. This makes the whole healthcare system increasingly efficient and secure for the patients. The principal advantages of EMR, according to several professionals in the medical field, are that the data cannot be damaged by natural disasters or fire. This has occurred on numerous occasions in the past (Corrigan, 2011).

Improved Quality of Health CareElectronic health documentation helps a doctor in instantly accessing the patients’ full medical history. This lessens diagnostic duration and reduces the probability of misdiagnosis as well as medical errors. The CPOE feature assists in increasing the safety of the patient. The system registers specific information for doctors, in prescribing medication. This greatly minimizes errors associated with medication. The CPOE approximates that there are 200,000 medication errors annually. This costs health care facilities approximately $1billion as a result of adverse affects as well as serious reactions (Janz, 2010).

Security BreachesElectronic medical documentation may be susceptible to security breaches, but in general the data is quite secure. Medical records transferred online are exchanged in the safest possible manner. When considering the enormous benefits of electronic medical records, it becomes apparent that the benefits far overshadow the security risks.

Privacy ConcernsAlthough many people are skeptical about having their private medical records over the internet, very few people have access to these records. With the expansion of the international medical environment, more persons travel to other nations for specialized surgeries or treatments. Surgeons and doctors from across the globe can instantly access a patient’s entire medical history. This radically reduces errors and saves time.

Staff and Storage ExpensesAnother benefit of EMR integration is that reduces costs for the physicians.  Avoidable staff expenses as well as, storage costs are eradicated by the EMR. This is because it consumes less space and is easily accessible than the paper versions. Furthermore, the costs of medical documentation chart materials are substituted by reasonably priced maintenance expenses, which assist in paying for investment in the long-run. Successful users of EMR decreased medical records, transcriptionist, billing, data entry, as well as receptionist costs (Dave & Mike, 2010).

Connectivity/CommunicationThree foremost areas of the implementation ought to be entirely understood so as to maximize the likelihood of its success. These three areas include variations in health care settings, standardization, and strategies for training. The implementation process of a health care automation and information system starts with modeling the health care facility in software. The level to of adaptation of the information and automation system to the health care facility if successful would designate an upper limit on the level to which the adoption would be successful. A well-designed and mature system would allow MMC to control how the software works instead of the software dictating its functions to MMC. The system would permit for a large variation in how diverse components of MMC operate. There are two types of standardization that merit consideration. These include data representation and workflow.

Standardizing WorkflowStandardization of workflow basically means, considering two or more comparable components of MMC and having them execute some work function correspondingly. Consequently, people in comparable roles in the dissimilar components parts of MMC execute similar tasks in identical sequence by means of identical tools as well as interact with the users in other comparable roles in a similar manner. Epic’s experience proposes that standardization of workflow ought to play a small role for the duration of the initial implementation. As a general rule, however, standardization, particularly in the perspective of best-practice, is best tackled in subsequent optimization initiatives rather than for the duration of the initial rollout (Janz, 2010).

Standardizing Data RepresentationEven though workflow standardization provides a small purpose for the duration of the initial implementation of successful automation system in health care, the standardization of data representation ought to occupy a great segment of the system modeling period. Data representation establishes how data that is compiled throughout patient care, registration, or related utilization of the system is accumulated and retrievable later. It also determines how it may be evaluated with related data, and the simplicity with which this can be done.

Standardized vocabulary is a prerequisite for complicated clinical studies, billing, population management and several other transformational actions that may be practiced after the initial implementation and launch (Gorman, 2009).

Health Care Setting VariationsDifferent health care settings apparently have dissimilar data collection and workflow requirements. A properly integrated system at MMC would account for the variation by employing similar pieces joined together in dissimilar manner rather than as dissimilar pieces altogether, as would be the case in an interfaced, non-integrated system solution.

Linearity of the workflows should also be considered. A properly integrated enterprise information and automation system would minimize training time. This would be through utilizing similar navigation as well as data compilation tools across the multiplicity of health care settings. It would also facilitate viewing as well as interaction with data, in spite of its source, in an analogous fashion, therefore, enhancing patient care as well as the user experience (Janz, 2010).

FundingThe present approach towards provider reimbursement is founded on a fee-for-service system. This system encourages patient over-treatment and has no incentive for health care providers in efficiently harmonizing a patient’s health care. Besides, it offers little to encourage quality care improvement. Devoid of reform, this structure would persist to perpetuate the increase of healthcare expenditure without essentially improving the health of the population. However, establishment of a system that would reward health care providers for delivering quality health care in an efficient way has the prospective to restrict the healthcare costs, at the same time as also generating improved health results (Fisher, 2009).

Numerous factors such as the expense of care, divergence in patient populations as well as,the seriousness of illness ought to be taken into consideration when developing a payment system. It is essential to consider the risk assumed by health care providers and patients dependent on system of reimbursement. The degree of risk that may be assumed by the health care provider may serve as the foundation for promoting more resourceful provision of health care (Wilensky, 2010).

RecommendationsThere are numerous functions related with patient health documentation. Not only is the documentation utilized to record patient care, but the documentation is also utilized for legal and financial information, research as well as quality improvement functions. Since all this information should be shared between numerous professionals who comprise the healthcare team, and there continues to be difficulties with the paper health documentation, it has become more obvious that developing automated health documentation is imperative.

At the MMC, connectivity and communication issues are evident. The case managers, have an obligation to pull every department involved in patient care together. They should also assist each person make the most appropriate decision on behalf of the patient. This means that, all departments ought to be connected and in constant communication. In order to provide a solution to this predicament, this proposal suggests a full and immediate implementation of EPIC in order to facilitate the technology front in regard to connectivity.

It is fundamental to consider that, the initial execution of health care automation and information systems creates part of the basis for the health care transformation. It should not be seen as transformation in itself. The appropriate emphasis of the initial implementation ought to be on the things that would facilitate the maximum benefits in the long-term. These should include realizing widespread utilization of the system in as many care environments, specialties, as well as departments as practicable. This should be done to standardize data representations and long-range interaction as well as communication plans with the pertinent user community. In the event that,a these three objectives are achieved, MMC would be well positioned to exploit the sophisticated techniques and tools that would change the manner in which health care is generally delivered.

Bearing the factors mentioned in this proposal, Medicopa Medical Center should consider developing a system that would:

Reward health care practitioners for health results and improvements in quality of health care.

Adequately compensate practitioners for care management and coordination services.

Is transparent to the facility as well as to the payers.

Is sustainable.

Regulate for risk on the basis of incidence of ill health in a specified population.

Builds on experiences of comparable restructuring at the local, state, as well as national level.

ReferencesCorrigan, J. (2011). Building a Safer Health System. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Dave, G. & Mike D. (2010). Electronic Patient Records: Healthcare Informatics. Chicago: McGraw-Hill.

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