Syllabus

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

Learning Modules	Topics	Assignments and Due Dates
Week 1 8/28 – 9/4	Overview of US Health Care Delivery System	Introductory Discussion Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 9/1, responses by Wednesday 9/4 APA Style Self-Check Quiz RefWorks – Wednesday 9/4
Week 2 9/4 – 9/11	Health Systems Foundations	Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 9/8, responses by Wednesday 9/11 Slide Presentation – Wednesday 9/11
Week 3 9/11 – 9/18	Health System Finance	Discussion – Initial post by Sunday9/15, responses by Wednesday 9/18 Data Visualization – Wednesday 9/18 Topic and Research Question – Wednesday 9/18
Week 4 9/18 – 9/25	Health Systems Processes I	Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 9/22, responses by Wednesday 9/25 Annotated Bibliography – Wednesday 9/25
Week 5 9/25 – 10/2	Health Systems Processes II	Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 9/29, responses by Wednesday 10/2 Research Paper Outline or Mind-map – Wednesday 10/2
Week 6 10/2 – 10/9	Healthcare Policy	Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 10/6, responses by Wednesday 10/9 No additional assignments due, work on final project research paper
Week 7 10/9 – 10/16	Healthcare Technology Systems	Discussion – Initial post by Sunday 10/13, responses by Wednesday 10/16 Final Project Research Paper – Wednesday 10/16
Week 8 10/16 – 10/20	Future of Health Services Delivery	Discussion – Initial post by Friday 10/18, responses by Sunday 10/20

Weekly Course Schedule

Week 1 – Overview of US Health Care Delivery System

Learning Outcomes:

• Discuss the primary characteristics of the US healthcare system
• Distinguish the differences between sources of healthcare information
• Utilize RefWorks for the collection of library resources

Course Materials:

• Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapters 1 and 4
• Pew Research Center website: (http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/health-care/)
• See Blackboard course for resources from UNE Library Services and Student Academic Success Center including links to web pages and tutorial videos
• See Blackboard course for The Basics of APA Style Tutorial video
• See Blackboard course for links to RefWorks tutorials

Assignments:

APA Style Self-Check Quiz: After watching The Basics of APA Style Tutorial from the American Psychological Association, you will complete a five-question, self-check quiz. You must answer all 5 quiz questions correctly to gain access to your week 1 Discussion questions and RefWorks assignment. You will have 3 attempts to get all 5 questions correct. Please contact your instructor if you have not gained access to this week’s assignments after 3 quiz attempts.

Introductory Discussion: Please take a moment to introduce yourself. Where do you work/live? What do you like to do in your free time? What is your background? What, if any, healthcare experience do you have? (In this course, we hope to share perspectives from those in the trenches of healthcare but also from those that are on the outside looking in.) Feel free to post a photo of yourself or of something important to you so we can get to know you a little better.

Discussion Question: This week we will look at how healthcare in the US has evolved into the system that exists today. We will consider the resources and processes that make up the current system and take a look forward to the future of healthcare delivery. Using the chart on how to tell the difference between Scholarly Journals, Trade Journals, and Popular Magazines as a  guide, find three articles, one of each resource type. The three articles can pertain to any part of this week’s reading about the healthcare system. In your initial post include the links to the three resources. Identify each resource as being scholarly, trade/industry, or popular and explain why. Also, include a brief summary of how the article relates to this week’s reading. 

RefWorks: Your assignment this week is to review the tutorials in the course materials and set up a UNE RefWorks account. Once you have set up your account, practice finding a journal article in the UNE Library and save one article to your account. Take a screenshot of the All Documents page. Make sure your name and your saved document are visible in your screenshot. Please upload your Word doc with the screenshot into this week’s upload link. Refer to the resources provided in the Blackboard course for tutorials on RefWorks and taking screenshots. See the RefWorks Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 2 – Health System Foundations

Learning Outcomes:

• Discuss the implications of competing American anthro-cultural values for healthcare delivery
• Explain the evolution of the US healthcare delivery system including resistance to national health insurance, corporatization, and current healthcare policy

Course Materials: Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapters 2 and 3

Assignment:

Discussion Question: How have American cultural values and beliefs affected the development of the US healthcare system? Why has universal national healthcare never become a reality in the United States? Can you give an example of another country that has national healthcare? What do you believe are the key strengths and weaknesses of a national healthcare system, when compared to the healthcare system we have today?

Slide Presentation: In this assignment, you will choose one topic: Describe the events in history that have impacted the evolution of healthcare in the American healthcare system. OR Describe how the American culture has played a part in the development of the current infrastructure. Create a 5-10 slide presentation using PowerPoint or Google Slides and use APA format for all citations. Refer to the Blackboard course for resources to assist you in completing this assignment. See the Slide Presentation Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 3 – Health System Finance (Cost, Access, and Quality)

Learning Outcomes:

• Discuss the role of health care finance and the impact on the delivery of healthcare
• Identify measures of quality that affect patient outcomes and cost/reimbursement
• Formulate a research question to address a problem in a specific healthcare setting
• Construct a chart to communicate healthcare data

Course Materials:

• Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapters 6 and 12
• See Blackboard course for multiple resources for research and writing support

Assignments:

Discussion Question: This week you learned about the financial system integrated with healthcare. Please choose one of the following discussion questions for your initial post: What provisions has the federal government made for providing health care (including behavioral health and access to care) to military personnel and veterans of the US armed forces including women? What have been the challenges? Make sure to describe what services are offered, to whom and the payment model. Also, analyze the effectiveness of this model and any gaps you identify in your research. OR For people with chronic conditions (i.e. diabetes, severe allergies, congestive heart failure), what financial challenges are experienced in trying to maintain their health? Analyze the financial impact over the life of the patient for medications, durable medical equipment, and personal care. Include insurance reimbursement and out-of-pocket expenses.

Data Visualization: This week you will explore the healthcare payor models in your state. This assignment will provide you with some insight into this important public policy topic and how your state manages it. Also, it is essential to consider how healthcare payment impacts the state’s economy and well-being of the population. This assignment also provides practice gathering and communicating data visually, an important professional skill to develop. Using the keywords given, perform an internet search on the data for your state and create a pie or bar chart that includes the percentage of recipients whose healthcare is funded through employer, non-group, Medicaid, Medicare, other public, and uninsured. You may use any software you prefer to create your chart such as Word, Excel, Google Sheets, etc. Based on the data in your chart, consider how the healthcare funding in your state may impact the greater state’s socio-economic situation. Write one page offering your perspective (opinion) on the results you found. Your submission should include your pie or bar chart, one written page, and an APA formatted reference page listing your data source(s) used. Refer to the Data Visualization Rubric for submission guidelines.

Topic and Research Question: In preparation for the final project, you will begin creating the parts that go into writing a research paper. From now through the end of the term, you will submit a component of the paper that will culminate in the final project research paper. Make sure to review the Instructor feedback for each component and integrate that into your submitted final paper. This week you will identify a topic and formulate a research question. To begin, identify a healthcare challenge or problem. This challenge or problem can be something you have encountered in your professional career, experienced as a healthcare consumer, or a topic of interest. Once the challenge or problem is identified, then you must be specific about the setting where this problem occurs. Is it a primary care issue, an intensive care unit, lab service, etc.? Choose a potential solution (based on peer-reviewed literature) that may help solve the challenge or problem in the defined healthcare setting and formulate a research question (see the Blackboard course for examples). Submit your topic and research question in a word document. Your submission will be graded as Complete or Partially Complete. A grade of Partially Complete requires resubmission of your topic and research question. Refer to the Topic and Research Question Rubric for submission guidelines. Please wait to get feedback and approval of topic and research question before moving forward with the paper.

Week 4 – Health Systems Processes I

Learning Outcomes:

• Evaluate the differences between the ways healthcare is delivered
• Create an annotated bibliography from peer-reviewed sources

Course Materials:

• Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapters 7 and 8
• See Blackboard course for multiple resources to assist with completing an annotated bibliography

Assignment:

Discussion Question: In this week’s discussion, you will appraise the quality and availability of the healthcare services provided by your community and state. List the challenges regarding the availability and quality of healthcare services in your state or community and consider how these factors are related to resources.  How far away are the nearest hospitals and healthcare clinics from where you live? What services do they offer? How do these services and location(s) or lack thereof impact your community?
Provide an example of how a hospital or clinic in your community or state has changed over time.

Annotated Bibliography: In this week’s assignment, you will start gathering, summarizing, and examining peer-reviewed articles that are relevant to your topic and research question. From these articles, you will select 5, one of which directly addresses your topic’s defined healthcare delivery setting; the other four should be related to the topic or research question. For each of the five articles write a brief summary of the article. Examine how the article relates to your topic, healthcare setting, and/or research question and write a few sentences on your findings. Consider the background or authority of the author(s) and how the research relates to your topic or contributes to your thesis. Submit an APA style, Annotated Bibliography as a word document. Refer to the resources provided in the Blackboard course to assist you in completing this assignment. See the Annotated Bibliography Rubric for submission guidelines.

Week 5 – Health Systems Processes II

Learning Outcomes:

• Create a research paper outline or mind map to organize ideas
• Assess the challenges and barriers to access to care

Course Materials:

• Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapters 10 and 11
• See Blackboard course for resources on using an outline or mind map before writing a draft

Assignments:

Discussion Question: There are two parts to this week’s discussion. In Part I: Identify a specific health concern of interest to you for each of the following populations: the mentally ill, children, and the elderly. For part 2, choose one of the health concerns you identified in Part 1. Find one resource (can be scholarly or industry-focused) that describes a solution. Describe the resource and explain how the solution is tied to the issue.

Research Paper Outline or Mind-map: Drawing on your previous week’s work and Instructor feedback, it’s time to organize your thoughts around the final paper before writing the first draft. There are several strategies for organizing ideas; you will choose between creating an outline or creating a mind-map. Submit an outline or mind-map for your topic and research question. Your submission should include enough detail to make your thoughts on the organization of this paper explicit. Refer to the Outline/Mind-map Rubric for submission guidelines. Your Instructor will provide feedback and considerations for you to incorporate into your research paper submission in week 7. Please note, if you are requested by your instructor to redo your outline or mind-map, there will be a link to resubmit in the Blackboard course in week 6.

Week 6 – Healthcare Policy

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the stakeholders in healthcare policy
• Identify the problems addressed by healthcare policy
• Evaluate policy effectiveness

Course Materials:

• Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapter 13
  
• Pew Research Center website
• Kaiser Family Foundation website

Assignments:

Discussion Question: Identify a healthcare problem, then find a policy that was written to address the problem. Who are the stakeholders? How does the policy address the problem? Would you change anything to make the policy more effective?

Week 7 – Healthcare Technology Systems

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the role of government to promote the use of healthcare technology
• Discuss the positive and negative impact of technology on the patient population

Course Materials:

• Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapter 5
• HealthIT.gov Infographic
• Video: EHRs can save lives: Regina Holliday’s story-updated

Assignments:

Discussion Question: The HITECH Act of 2009 mandated and incentivized hospitals and providers to use electronic health records. These electronic health records have made it easier to spot trends and efficiencies in care; however, there are some costs to patients and providers. Identify and discuss instances where technology could fail and cause a problem for the patient and/or the provider.

Final Project Research Paper: In this research paper, you will fully integrate the Instructor feedback received on previous assignments into the final draft. Your research paper should be between 5-6 pages long (not including the title, abstract, and reference pages) and include the following elements:

• Introduce and describe a challenge or problem in a defined healthcare setting (ambulatory care, critical care, lab service, etc.). Explain the significance of the problem. Include relevant background information on the topic and healthcare setting to provide context for the reader.
• Identify a potential solution based on research. State the solution and a summary argument in a thesis statement.
• Summarize the findings of your research articles and describe how it addresses your research question. Provide evidence to support your main points and arguments.
• What are the ethical considerations of your potential solution?
• Develop a conclusion that makes the final “argument” for your solution (thesis statement) and healthcare setting.
• Include at least 5 peer-reviewed journal articles published within the past 5 years.
• Use APA Style citations and paper formatting.

 Refer to the Final Project Research Paper Rubric for submission guidelines. Use the sample APA formatted paper in the Blackboard course as a model of APA style.

Week 8 – Future of Health Services Delivery

Learning Outcomes:

• Develop ideas or solutions to improve healthcare delivery for predicted future trends for specific populations.

Course Materials:

• Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2018) Textbook: Chapter 14
• Website Healthy People 2020, (section on Disparities) 
• Video: Karalee Close: Will healthcare embrace digital or will we die waiting?

Assignments:

Discussion Question: One initiative mentioned in this week’s reading, Healthy People 2020, seeks to increase equitable access to healthcare across all socioeconomic groups. However, implementing this aspect of the initiative is extremely difficult given the political and cultural climate in the US. Please comment on one of the following questions: What would the effects be on the healthcare system if the initiative were to be fully implemented? How would you justify the ongoing funding? OR What are the areas in which you see (or would expect to see) the results of the partial implementation of the initiative? How would you prioritize which parts of the initiative to implement?

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

• https://www.apastyle.org

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:

• UNE Student Academic Success Center

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 Online Student 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:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
5. 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.