What I learned

Through this assignment, I learned how important it is to evaluate policy solutions from multiple perspectives before making a recommendation. Rather than only identifying a healthcare problem, I had to consider the feasibility, costs, equity implications, stakeholder interests, and possible unintended consequences of different policy options. This helped me understand that effective health policy requires balancing evidence, ethics, financial impact, and political reality.

I also learned how policy can directly affect patient access to care, especially for individuals facing barriers such as cost, insurance coverage, transportation, provider availability, or lack of care coordination. This assignment strengthened my ability to use research to support an argument and communicate policy recommendations in a clear, organized way. I am proud of this artifact because it shows my growth in analyzing healthcare issues at a systems level instead of only focusing on individual patient care.