Question Description
Research resources should not be more than 5 years old
PART 1 Assignment
- Title
- Research Question/Hypothesis
Assignment details:
Title: Choose a health care-related topic, preferably something that interests you and is connected in some way to your job – or the job you would like to have. Once you have determined an appropriate topic, write the title of your primary research proposal. A good title will provide the reader a window into the topic you will be investigating.
Research Question/Hypothesis: Write the primary question you are seeking to investigate; about what you want to find the truth over opinions and perceptions.
For example, some patients will complain about how long they must wait in the waiting room before they can be seen by a health care professional. Is this a legitimate complaint or just a vocal few who feel they have waited too long? You might then want to research the actual wait times experienced by all patients [ie. A statistically significant number of all patients], to determine the facts about patient wait times at your facility.
Submit your original work as a Microsoft Word document to the appropriate Assignment link no later than Sunday, 11:59 pm. Estimated length: one-half-to-one page
PART 2 Assignment
Introduction
Topic area
Research question
Significance
Assignment details:
Based on your work from week 1 [improved by using any feedback received] continue to elaborate on your proposed research study.
Topic Area: Begin by stating the type of facility in which, or about which, the research will focus [for example: hospital, physicians’ office, urgent care center, etc.]
Then, follow with a strong introduction that will share a brief overview that will inform the reader about the specifictopic on which the research will focus. This section should also include a brief explanation of why the results are expected to be relevant to the facility, and its ability to be effective and efficient.
Research Question: Once the topic area is established, repeat and elaborate on what you wrote about your research question in week one’s assignment [improved by implementing any feedback, as necessary]. What specific issue or question will your work investigate? What can be learned from this research project?
Significance: Why is this study, and its statistically significant results, important to this facility and its ability to provide quality health care services? Explain why it will be beneficial to answer this question with facts. What are the implications of completing this study? How might these facts [statistically significant results] affect the policies and procedures of this facility? This section should also include why the reader should find value in the completion of the project.
Submit your original work on a Microsoft Word document . Estimated length: two-to-three pages
PART 3 Assignment
Literature review: State of current industry knowledge
Previous research: as currently available in peer-reviewed journals, government reports, accreditation agency research, etc.
Identify what specifics have been confirmed or denied by these previous studies, as they relate to your topic for this study
Assess what in the current industry (last 3-5 years), including laws and regulations, have changed since these previous studies were completed
Evaluate what updates or new components could possibly be addressed (unresolved or remaining questions) by your proposed research study
Assignment details:
The purpose of the literature review is to position your proposed research in the context of what is already known in the industry about this topic. This review does not need to be exhaustive, however it must be recent (within the last 3-5 years), so you can illustrate how this proposed study will benefit the whole; the facility, the sub-sector of the industry, and the health care system overall. It should provide the theoretical basis for your work, show what has been done in the area by others, and set the stage for your work.
In this literature review, you should give the reader a sufficient number of connections to existing, legitimate literature so that the reader can have confidence that you have found, read, and assimilated the current literature in the field. It is recommended that you include a paragraph that summarizes each article’s contribution to this topic area, along with your interpretation of the relevance to your study.
Unresolved or remaining questions: This is where you present the missing or outdated points in the knowledge that need to be plugged, and by doing so, establish the benefits of your proposed study’s results. This is the section of this proposal where you can establish that this study fits in and can potentially provide significance to the industry.
NOTE: Legitimate literature must be determined to be a valid credible source, including but not limited to websites from the US federal government [,gov], higher educational institutions [.edu], certain industry related non-profit organizations [.org]. Be cautious about using commercial websites [.com] and do not accept information without establishing the credibility of the author(s). Healthcare websites from systems and facilities in another country should be used very cautiously because they do not have the same health care systems nor the same laws and regulations governing these services. For example: .ca = Canada; .uk = United Kingdom, .au = Australia.
Submit your original work on a Microsoft Word document .Estimated length: three-to-five pages plus References page, as per APA formatting. A minimum of three (3) legitimate sources cited.
PART 4 Assignment
Methodology
Approach
Data collection
Data Analysis techniques
Plan for interpreting results
Assignment details:
Approach:This section should clearly explain whether your study will be conducted qualitativelyor quantitatively using what type of contact with participants, including the specific criteria that will make a participant eligible and then how you will recruit these eligible participants (e.g. online, in person, at a specific facility, etc.).
Data Collection: This might include the physical location description, the type of instrument (interview, survey questionnaire) you will use to collect relevant data. Be certain to address any obstacles to collecting data, such as patient consent or corporate approvals.
Statistical Analysis: Once you have collected the required statistically significant number of responses, you will need to organize and assess the results to determine the conclusions that can be drawn. Methods of analysis may include frequency analysis or chi square test while tools of analysis may include software programs such as SPSS or Excel.
Interpretation: Once the data collected has been analyzed, this portion of your proposal should indicate how the anticipated outcomes will be interpreted to answer the research question. It is extremely beneficial to anticipate the range of outcomes from your analysis, and to explain their meaning. For example, the term “majority” is not sufficient, you must include the level of majority that will make this determination significant, such as ± 0.05 or >25 or 57%.
Submit your original work on a Microsoft Word document to the appropriate Assignment link no later than Sunday, 11:59 pm. Estimated length: three-to-five pages.
PART 5 Assignment
Expected results
Possible Action Plans
Assignment details:
Expected Results: This section should provide an overview of what you expect the results to prove. It should join the data analysis and possible outcomes to the theory and questions that you have raised. It will be a good place to summarize the significance of the work.
Possible Action Plans: Once you have the results, theorize on how you might put this new knowledge into action to improve the facility’s service. For example, if you look at the example shared in the Week 1 assignment details investigating patient wait times, here, in this section, you might theorize action plans for both potential determinations: a) if the results show patients are waiting longer than other facilities of the same category [according to benchmarking analysis], we might look to make the admission process more efficient by providing patients with forms to complete, via email or patient portal, so they can arrive with these forms completed; improving triage protocols, or have staff check third-party payer eligibility and verification at least 24 hours prior to the appointment; or b) if the results show patients are not waiting an unreasonable length of time, we will construct a response for staff members to courteously respond to a complaint or developing ways to change the perception of time [ie. Television, fee WiFi, etc.].
Submit your original work on a Microsoft Word document to the appropriate Assignment link no later than Sunday, 11:59 pm. Estimated length: two-to-three pages.
PART 6 Assignment
Research Study Budget
References
Assignment details:
Research Study Budget:Your budget needs to itemize and estimate the costs for conducting and completing this study.
Be specific about each of the elements for which you will need money: staff hours/overtime, cost of special software, a statistician or other consultant, other supplies, transportation, etc.
Use employment sites, such as Indeed, to identify salary or hourly rates for staff members to work on the project. You can Google to find general rates for consultants, as well. Remember, even free sources, such as government or internal facility databases take time, which means you will need to pay someone to pull the data, organize, etc.
References: Collate all of your references into one cohesive reference list. Double-check for complete citations, using APA formatting. Need help? Consult Purdue Owl APA: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
PART 7 Assignment
COMPLETE PROPOSAL
Put all of the sections of your Proposal – improved by incorporating feedback and help from the writing center. Proof read it. Run Microsoft’s Spelling and Grammar check. Read it through one more time.
