This course provides a framework for understanding the changing landscapes for healthcare and for public health, exploring the importance of health informatics for the success of both. Topics will include the ongoing transition from a pay-for-services model of healthcare delivery to accountable care networks, emerging public health and healthcare partnerships, and the need for analytics that can address the particular characteristics of big health data.
Upon successful completion of HIN 601, the student will demonstrate the ability to:
Please note that all times in the syllabus and in Blackboard refer to Eastern Time. The discussion board and assignment links for each week will open at the start of the week for submissions.
Discussion Board 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.
APA Style Self-Check Quiz: Throughout this program, you will submit written assignments using APA Style and formatting. In week 1, you will watch a tutorial on APA Style and complete a five-question quiz. The quiz questions are based on the tutorial. 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.
RefWorks: In Week 1, you will get started using an important tool from the UNE Library that will support you in learning, research, and scholarship throughout this graduate program. Create a RefWorks account and submit a screenshot of the All Documents page with at least one saved resource.
Slide Presentation: In week 2, you will demonstrate your understanding of the U.S. healthcare system by creating a 5-10 slide presentation exploring one of the topic choices provided.
Data Visualization: In week 3, you will explore the healthcare payor models in your state and create a pie or bar chart to communicate your healthcare data findings. A one-page written document offering your perspective and considering the socio-economic impact to your state will accompany your chart.
Key Assignments: The culminating final project for this course is a 5-6 page research paper. You will focus on a challenge or problem in a defined healthcare setting of your choice such as ambulatory care, critical care, lab service, etc. You will identify a potential solution based on peer-reviewed literature and the knowledge and skills gained from your coursework. This assignment introduces you to academic writing and peer-reviewed literature searches, a skill needed to be successful in your graduate program.
You will create and submit the parts that go into writing a research paper in weeks 3 through 5. Each assignment will build upon the previous part and you will receive instructor feedback. Your final project research paper will integrate the feedback received on each component.
Topic and Research Question: In week 3, you will submit a word document with your topic and research question. For your topic, you will choose a challenge or problem in a defined healthcare setting (ambulatory care, critical care, lab service, etc.). Your research question will include the potential solution that may help solve the identified problem. Your research question guides your search for peer-reviewed literature on the topic and potential solution.
Annotated Bibliography: In week 4, 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. You will create an annotated bibliography.
Research Paper Outline or Mind-map: In week 5, you will organize your thoughts around the final paper and submit an outline or mind-map.
Final Project Research Paper: In week 7, you will submit an APA formatted research paper between 5-6 pages long that fully integrates the Instructor feedback received on previous assignments and addresses your chosen topic and research question.
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.
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Assessment Item | Possible Points | Percent of Total Grade |
---|---|---|
Discussion Boards (8 @ 3 points each) | 24 | 24 % |
APA Style Self-Check Quiz | 5 | 5% |
RefWorks | 8 | 8 % |
Slide Presentation | 8 | 8 % |
Data Visualization | 8 | 8 % |
Topic & Research Question | 8 | 8 % |
Annotated Bibliography | 8 | 8 % |
Research Paper Outline or Mind Map | 8 | 8 % |
Final Project Research Paper | 23 | 23 % |
Total | 100 points | 100 % |
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 |
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.
Learning Modules | Topics | Assignments Due |
Week 1 1/8 – 1/15 |
Overview of US Health Care Delivery System |
Introductory Discussion APA Style Self-Check Quiz RefWorks due Wednesday |
Week 2 |
Health Systems Foundations |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Slide Presentation due Wednesday |
Week 3 1/22 – 1/29 |
Health System Finance |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Data Visualization due Wednesday Topic and Research Question due Wednesday |
Week 4 1/29 – 2/5 |
Health Systems Processes I |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Annotated Bibliography due Wednesday |
Week 5 2/5 – 2/12 |
Health Systems Processes II |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Research Paper Outline or Mind-map due Wednesday |
Week 6 2/12 – 2/19 |
Healthcare Policy |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday No additional assignments due, work on final project research paper |
Week 7 2/19 – 2/26 |
Healthcare Technology Systems |
Discussion – Initial post by Sunday, responses by Wednesday Final Project Research Paper due Wednesday |
Week 8 2/26 – 3/1 |
Future of Health Services Delivery |
Discussion – Initial post by Friday, responses by Sunday |
Week 1 – Overview of US Health Care Delivery System
Course Materials:
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.
Learning Outcomes:
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:
Course Materials:
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:
Course Materials:
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:
Course Materials:
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:
Course Materials:
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:
Course Materials:
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:
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:
Course Materials:
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?
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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.
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.
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Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
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