Syllabus
Master of Healthcare Administration
HCA 765 – Communication for Healthcare Leaders
Credits - 3
Description
Students in the course will examine concepts, theories, and best practices for communicating in the professional workplace. The goal of this course is to refine written, oral and visual communication. Participants in this course will develop strategies to create meaningful communication for a vast audience. Students will enhance their skills in natural and scholarly writing, oral presentation, and visual demonstrations.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Program Outcomes addressed by this course:
- Understand the purpose and process of communication in business and industry
- Recognize and be able to analyze effective and ineffective communication
- Understand and execute the written, visual, and verbal processes of communication
- Communicate information in a complete, accurate, and honest form
- Recognize and use the rhetorical and stylistic elements necessary for the successful practice of scientific and technical communication
- Prepare various types of technical documents that are appropriate and effective for diverse and various audiences (e.g. multicultural)
- Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information
- Convey clearly, cogently and correctly, through written media, the technical aspects of a practice to non-specialist audiences
- Balance verbal and visual elements of communication in technical documents
- Use clear, focused, specific, and grammatically correct language in documents
- Communicate information clearly and effectively in all class discussions and course assignments
Course Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of HCA 765, the student will demonstrate the ability to:
- Evaluate patient-facing promotional videos from a healthcare provider for their quality and efficacy.
- Develop a healthcare communications blueprint that includes the major paid and shared media channels, internal communications channels, and research backbone for a modern urban provider.
- Write a healthcare communications code of conduct that could be socialized across all departments in the provider as well as used for promotional purposes with potential patients and caregivers.
- Evaluate and present the strengths and weaknesses of a provider’s corporate branding strategy.
- Develop a cyber breach response communications plan that spans from the receptionist to the CEO and IT leadership.
- Develop a segmentation chart that describes the various messaging approaches for healthcare-related personas across a variety of generational demographics.
- Analyze a case study of a practical situation that has arisen for a major healthcare provider.
Assignments
Please note that all times in the syllabus and in the course refer to Eastern Time. The discussion area and assignment links for each week will open at the start of the week for submissions.
Discussion Posts: These assignments will assess your ability to clearly and accurately apply concepts from your readings and from your own experiences. Each week you are expected to submit an initial post and comment on at least 2 other students’ posts. You need to follow APA guidelines for citing any sources you may reference in either your initial post or your response to others. Refer to the Discussion Rubric and discussion question for submission guidelines. Please be sure to follow the individual directions provided with each Discussion Board Prompt, as the requirements may vary from Discussion Board to Discussion Board.
Initial post: You should submit your initial post by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Your initial post should be approximately 500 words.
Response to others: You should comment on at least 2 other students’ posts by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Your comments to others should be thorough, thoughtful, and they should offer some new content. Do not merely respond with “I agree” or “I disagree.” Engage directly with the ideas of your classmates and briefly mention which part of the post you are responding to.
Healthcare Communications Blueprint: In Week 2, you will develop a healthcare communications blueprint that includes the major paid and shared media channels, internal communications channels and research backbone for a modern urban provider.
Communications Code of Conduct: In week 3, you will develop a 3-page healthcare communications code of conduct that could be socialized across all departments in the provider as well as used for promotional purposes with potential patients and caregivers.
Corporate Branding Strategy Evaluation: In week 4, you will pick a provider, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their corporate branding strategy as a group, and produce a document presenting your findings.
Cyber Breach Response Communications: In week 5, you will develop a cyber breach response communications plan that spans from the receptionist to the CEO and IT leadership and includes unified messaging and press relations implications.
Segmentation Chart: In week 6, you will create a segmentation chart that describes the various messaging approaches for healthcare-related personas across a variety of generational demographics: millennials, Gen X, Boomers, doctors, nurses, patients, and families.
Case Study Analysis: In week 8, you will be sent a healthcare communications case study to analyze to apply the learnings from the past 8 weeks to a practical situation that has arisen in a major healthcare provider.
All assignments use scoring rubrics to assess student performance. Thoroughly review the rubric and assignment instructions for guidance on what’s required for each assignment.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assessment Item | Possible Points | Percent of Total Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Discussions (6 @ 2.9 points each, 1 @ 10 points) | 30 | 30 % |
| Evaluating Promotional Videos | 5 | 5 % |
| Healthcare Communication Blueprint | 5 | 5% |
| Communications Code of Conduct | 10 | 10% |
| Corporate Branding Strategy Evaluation | 10 | 10% |
| Cyber Breach Response Plan | 10 | 10% |
| Segmentation Chart | 10 | 10% |
| Case Study Analysis | 20 | 20% |
| Total | 100 points | 100 % |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course learning modules are divided into weeks. Each week starts on Wednesday at 12:00 am Eastern Time (ET) and closes on Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday. All assignments must be submitted by 11:59 pm ET on the due date.
Course Schedule at a Glance
Week 1: Oct 30 – Nov 6
Week 2: Nov 6 – Nov 13
Week 3: Nov 13 – Nov 20
Week 4: Nov 20 – Nov 27
Week 5: Nov 27 – Dec 4
Week 6: Dec 4 – Dec 11
Week 7: Dec 11 – Dec 18
Week 8: Dec 18 – Dec 22
| Learning Modules | Topics | Assignments and Due Dates |
|
Week 1 |
The Growth of Health Communications in an Era of Consumerization |
Introductory Discussion Evaluating Promotional Videos Assignment – Wednesday |
|
Week 2 |
The Communications Planning & Research Process |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Healthcare Communications Blueprint – Wednesday |
| Week 3 | The Ethics of Healthcare Communications & Health Literacy |
Discussion – Initial post by Wednesday, responses by the following Sunday Communications Code of Conduct – Wednesday |
| Week 4 | Institutional Aspects and Building a Brand |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Corporate Branding Strategy Evaluation – Wednesday |
| Week 5 | Crisis Communication |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Cyber Breach Response Plan – Wednesday |
| Week 6 | Consumerization of Healthcare Communications |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Segmentation Chart – Wednesday |
| Week 7 | Reaching “Hard to Reach” Audiences: Rural and Disadvantaged |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday |
| Week 8 | Effectively Deploying 21st Century Social and Mobile Technologies for Internal and External Communications |
Discussion – Initial post by Friday, responses by Sunday Case Study – Sunday |
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Health Informatics page
APA Style Guide
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- MSIN Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/health-informatics/
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Attendance Policy
8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.