HCA 640: Applied Statistical Research in Health Sciences

Course Description

In this course, graduate students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions as professionals working in the health services field. This includes the utilization of descriptive and inferential statistics to assess health data and covers the principles and methods of data analysis and inference. The course is designed to provide students from a variety of backgrounds with the foundations of research methods in health services administration and health informatics. Emphasis is on the use and application of various data analysis techniques and their assumptions in analyzing health related data and data sets. The course is also intended to acquaint students with the conceptual and methodological issues of research design and secondary data analysis widely used in empirical health services research. This course concludes with the production of a scientific research proposal for the final project of the Program’s Capstone Course  (3 credits)

Associated Program Learning Outcomes

  • HCA #1. Create a strategic plan for health care organizations or entire systems.
  • HCA #5. Assess customer service and client satisfaction for continuous performance improvement.
  • HCA #6. Assess economic factors and payment sources that influence health care decisions of the population served.
  • HIF #1. Apply healthcare informatics and technology concepts and skills to case studies and real-world situations.
  • HIF #2. Calculate and assess health data and statistical data for decision making in the healthcare environment.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  1. Create an outline for implementing the key components of a literature review.
  2. Perform a needs assessment analysis for a healthcare institution.
  3. Apply knowledge of key historical ethical issues in research, including historical violations such as the case of Henrietta Lacks and The Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
  4. Evaluate theories and models to determine the appropriate application for a proposed research project.
  5. Show how reliability and validity are related to one another.
  6. Compose an essay discussing the role of qualitative data in healthcare administration.
  7. Describe and give examples of different types of surveys and identify the correct application for each.
  8. Apply knowledge of research topics including reliability, validity, qualitative data, surveys, data tools, and performance improvement.
  9. Analyze a case study to identify and evaluate individual elements of research.
  10. Analyze how each component of sample size determination influences the other components.
  11. Analyze and discuss four different types of cost analyses that can be used in a healthcare setting.
  12. Apply basic inferential statistics concepts to calculations, including the use of one and two tailed tests, chi square, confidence intervals, error types, and hypothesis testing.
  13. Construct a scientific research proposal that comprehensively addresses a healthcare administration issue.

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsWeight

Discussions (140 Pts, Weeks 1-6, 8)

14%

SWOT or SOAR Analysis (100 Pts, Week 1)

10%

Quiz (100 Pts, Week 7)

10%

Stats Module (100 Pts, Weeks 2-7)

10%

Essays (200 Pts, Weeks 2 & 3)

20%

Midterm (100 Pts, Week 4)

10%

Case Study (60 Pts, Week 5)

6%

Research Proposal Idea (100 Pts, Week 6)

10%

Final Project: Research Proposal (100 Pts, Weeks 7- 8)

10%

Total

100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's online bookstore

  • Perrin, K. (2020). Principles of planning, evaluation and research for health care programs. Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN-13: 9781284203912

Additional Resources

  • Selected sections of Khan Academy’s AP Statistics course will be assigned and students may work on this between Weeks 1-6. Log in information will be provided in Week 1.

Course Schedule

Week

PLOs

SLOs

Readings and Exercises

Assignments

1

HCA #1,6

HIF #1

1,2

Topics: Research and Social Determinants of Health

  • Readings and Videos:
    • Perrin, Chapter 1
    • Perrin, Chapter 5
    • Pdf on Lit Review
    • PowerPoints
    • Video, QI
    • Video, Health Equity
  • Introduce yourself in discussion forum
  • Discussion Board #1 – lit review
  • SWOT or SOAR
  • Khan Academy Progress Report

2

HCA #5

3,4,7,8,12

Topics: Theories and Models; Ethics in Research

  • Readings and Videos:
    • Perrin, Chapter 4
    • Perrin, Chapter 6
    • PowerPoints
    • TED talk, Henrietta Lacks: Preserving Her Legacy
    • Crash Course #12 Henrietta Lacks, Tuskegee Experiment and Ethical Data
    • HI: Payne pdf and Vest and Jasperson pdf
    • HCA: Chapter 11
  • Discussion Board #2
  • HI: HIE paper
  • HCA: Survey paper
  • Khan Academy Progress Report

3

HIF #2

5,6,12

Topics: Reliability, Validity, and Qualitative Data

  • Readings:
    • Perrin, Chapter 7
    • Perrin, Chapter 10 (pp. 139-168, 219-241)
    • PowerPoint
    • Johnson pdf
    • Thokala pdf
    • Tips for Using PUBMED pdf

 

  • Discussion Board #3
  • Essay
  • Khan Academy Progress Report

4

HIF #2

HCA #5

7,8,12

Topics: Surveys and Data Tools

  • Readings:
    • Perrin, Chapter 11
    • Perrin, Chapter 12 (pp.243-298)
    • PowerPoints

 

  • Discussion Board #4
  • Midterm
  • Khan Academy Progress Report

5

 HCA #6

HIF #1

9,10,12

Topics: Populations and Samples and Elements of Research

  • Readings and Videos:
    • Perrin, Chapter 8
    • Perrin, Chapter 9
    • TED Talk

 


 

  • Discussion Board #5
  • Case Study
  • Khan Academy Progress Report

6

 HIF #2

HCA #6

11,12,13

Topics: Budgets and Cost Analyses and Inferential Statistics

  • Readings:
    • Perrin, Chapter 13
    • Perrin, Chapter 3
    • PowerPoints
    • Al-Riyami pdf
    • Chadramohan pdf
  • Discussion Board #6
  • Submit Idea for Final Project
  • Khan Academy Progress Report

7

HIF #2, HCA#5

12,13

Topics: Reports and Presentations

  • Readings:
    • Perrin, Chapter 14
    • PowerPoint

 

  • Quiz #2
  • Khan Academy Progress Report

8

HIF #1

13

Topic: Putting It All Together

  • Videos:
    • Video, OWL, Formatting
    • Video, OWL, Citations
  • Discussion Board Help / Ideas / Feedback
  • Research Proposal Paper

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.