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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACHCOLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESHEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM

HCA 698 Project

Instructor: Tony Sinay, Ph.D. Call Number: 8750Semester: Spring 2008 Location: SPA 102Ph: 562.985.5304 (Instructor) Time: W 7: 00 – 9:45 or by appointmentPh: 562.985.5694 (Program) Fax: 562.985.5886Office Hours: R 2:00 – 4:00W 4:00 – 5:30 & by appointment

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:Integration of curriculum content through critical thinking in various projects that may range from consulting projects to community based research and recommending potential courses of action. May be repeated to a maximum of six units in different semesters. Letter grade only (A-F).

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Students now are required to take 6 units of HCA 698 Project in the MS curriculum who are expected to enroll HCA 698 Project course two consecutive semesters. The purpose of this capstone course is to facilitate the integration of curriculum content through critical thinking in various projects that range from consulting projects to health services research, including survey and community based participatory research. Students independently work on these projects and are supervised by the course instructor and possibly field preceptors. Operational problems including (not limited to) managerial, economic, financial, and qualitative and quantitative aspects of managing health care organizations may be studied in these projects. Specific examples of these projects may include: process improvement, efficiency studies, financial and managerial comparisons of organizations, departmental or product lines, inventory and supply chain management, financial and statistical forecasting, health needs assessment, market analysis, statistical models, marketing and advertising plans for a selected product or service, business plans, and many others. Students enrolling in the Project course must have completed all graduate course work and/or obtain consent of instructor if a few courses left to complete.

SERVICE LEARNING COMPONENT:

Service learning is both a philosophy of education and a method of teaching that bridge the classroom and the community by engaging learners in the application of theory to service. Literature describes the outcomes of service learning in three categories: civic responsibility, academic and lifeskill development and a commitment to promoting racial understanding. Service learning students are twice more likely to serve community than non service students, and four times likely to do volunteer work. This capstone course may have a

service learning component where students volunteer at a health care facility while gaining experience in operational issues and management concepts. This is optional.

PRIMARY GOAL:

The purpose of this course is to facilitate the integration of curriculum content through critical thinking in a project that requires generating new information and subsequently improving the student’s decision making skills.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

At the successful completion of this course, the student will:

gain specific factual knowledge in the selected topic, its terminology, health care organization and other related aspects

develop decision-making skills using managerial, finance, accounting, research, public health and engineering theories, principles, concepts and techniques most important to health care administrators

understand the scope of health care administration through a real project synthesize, analyze, integrate and apply prior knowledge to develop appropriate

strategies and solutions for improvements in a health care setting improve management and organizational skills along with people’s skills manage a group decision making process and understand the dynamics involved in

group management (if applicable) improve overall writing skills

COURSE ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTATIONS:

This course involves the following steps:A. Identify and analyze the operational problem as suggested above (research,

management, economics, quality improvement, new program development, finance or other related subjects);

B. Conduct a thorough literature review and evaluate the information obtained from the literature review;

C. Formulate a project outline;D. Present the outline to the instructor ( this is WRITING ASSIGNMENT #1)E. Carry out the project outlined above (once approved), and start preparing a

reportF. The Project Report should have at least five main sections combined into three

writing assignments in this class (WRITING ASSIGNMENTS #2, #3, #4). Each writing assignment corresponds with a particular section of the final report. In advance, these writing assignments are clearly defined with specific instructions and evaluation criteria, and should comply with several requirements

G. Combine writing assignments for the final report and make last minute changes and prepare a final approval form for signatures.

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TEXT:

Locke, Lawrence, Spirduso, Waneen, & Silverman, Stephen. (2000). Proposals that Work: A Guide to Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals, 4th Edition. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Behling, John. (2002). Guidelines for Preparing the Research Proposal, 2nd Edition. University Press of America.

Creswell, John. (1994). Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Hamper, Robert, & Baugh, Sue. (1995). Handbook for Writing Proposals. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books.

Fink, Arlene. (1998). Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From Paper to the Internet. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Stanek, William. (2002). Effective Writing for Business, College and Life. Publisher Unknown (ISBN: 1575450577).

GENERAL GUIDELINES ON WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:[1] Each written assignment is worth 20 points. The final finished report is worth

100 points. This report primarily uses the written assignments prepared during the semester.

[2] The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association [2004] is the required style guide for all written work.

[3] Four written assignments and the final report must be completed in this course. These written assignments are:

[a] Writing Assignment #1: Report Outline [potential topics will be presented]

[b] Writing Assignment #2: Introduction and Literature Review[d] Writing Assignment #3: Methodology and Data Sources[e] Writing Assignment #4: Findings, Results or Analysis[f] Final Report

[4] Each written assignment should be word processed, be single-spaced and have one inch on top, bottom, left, and right margins.

[a] It should have section headings, where appropriate, printed in bold.

[b] It should have page numbers on each page except the first page. The page numbers should be in the upper right corner.

[c] The assignments should be printed in a 12 character per inch font.


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[d] There should be double spacing between paragraphs and after a heading.

[e] Each written assignment should conform exactly to the page structure and format requested. In most instances, this will require careful thought and editing on content.

[g] Papers must be delivered in person or by e-mail unless other arrangements have been made.

[5] References, when used in any assignments, should be listed on the last, and a separate page.

[6] The final report is due early Late November if you intend to finish it in two semesters. If you want to finish it in one semester, then more rigorous timeline is needed for completion. Preliminary drafts should be submitted beforehand to allow ample time for critique by the instructor. Project reports are typically at least 50 pages long, not including appendices. A final original copy of your completed project will be kept in the HCA program office.

[7] The purpose of this course is to develop the ability/habit of critical thinking and reasoning while learning and this can be best accomplished in a setting of phased learning. The written assignments and the feedback students receive from the instructor are designed to advance the cause of critical thinking and writing. This means students are expected to revise written assignments based on instructor’s comments.

[8] Student papers in this course presume both research, and original and individual thought. Any source the student uses in the composition of the assignments/papers must be cited fully and accurately. The University Code of Honesty describes plagiarism as “giving the impression that you have written or thought something that in fact you borrowed from someone else.” Any failure (whether accidental and/or intentional) to follow the standards of scholarly accuracy constitutes dishonesty and will result in a mark of ‘F’ for this course.

[9] Papers will be returned for revision in a reasonable time period (about 2 weeks).

[10] Students should revise the original paper and discuss it with the instructor to make sure changes are accurate.

[11] At the end of semester, the final report which primarily uses written assignments must be accompanied by the first submission of written assignments along with the instructor’s comments.

IMPORTANT DATES:

January 30 Introductions, Project AssignmentsFebruary 6February 13February 20 Assignment #1-First Draft dueFebruary 27March 5 FEEDBACKMarch 12


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March 19March 26 Assignment #1-Second Draft dueApril 2 Spring BreakApril 9April 16 FEEDBACKApril 23 April 30May 7 Assignment #1 –Final version dueMay 14 DONE


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WRITING ASSIGNMENT #1

CONTENT

This assignment requires preparation of a working bibliography, reading and summarizing the bibliography, and outlining the student’s assigned project. The literature review is an important part of the project which provides the researcher/student with an initial understanding of the subject area and further development of the research/consulting project. This must be done following certain steps:

[1] Using library indexes or/and related computer databases such as Medline and PubMed, identify promising sources such as journal articles, books, reports or reviews. To create a working bibliography, the most common approach is to use index cards to record the information which includes the author’s last name and initials; the title of the journal article, book or report; volume or issue number; year and the month of the journal; publisher of the book; the edition and date of when the book was published; page numbers of the article; and library call number. However, this information may be written on paper instead of note cards due to easier reporting of literature review results.

[2] It is recommended that the literature be searched by looking at the most current literature first, then working backwards in time. This will familiarize the student with the newer methods, techniques, procedures, instrumentation and data analysis.

[3] After identifying each source in the working bibliography, the next task is to quickly evaluate the potential value of the book, article, report, etc. for the proposed research. This is done by scanning the table of contents, books, indexes, chapter summaries and article abstracts. Some references will be thrown out because they hold no promise of being helpful.

[4] When specific sources are determined as valuable to the research project, each one must be read in depth. While reading (critical reading), the researcher (student) should take notes.

[5] Finally, outline the research/consulting project using the following format. This assignment should help students learn more about the subject area and organize their thoughts for developing a report for the assigned project. Student outlines (proposals) should include:

[a] Title: Select a title that reflects the project’s purpose and content, such as “Business Plan for an Eating Disorders Program,”

[b] Statement of the problem with pertinent background information,[c] Literature review: Include both content and methodological issues to demonstrate that

you are applying current knowledge and using an appropriate approach. Include specific citations to materials that are directly related to your project, not just a list of books or articles. You should have at least 10 sources.

[d] Project objectives: State the expected outcome or product, deliverables; be sure to relate objectives to the problem statement.


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[e] Methodology: Specify how you will solve the problem; data collection and analysis plan. Make sure that methods you are proposing to use will achieve your objectives.

[f] Format of presentation of results and findings.[g] Importance of the study to the organization.[h] Work plan and schedule: Include a project timeline or Gantt chart.[i] Bibliography. Prepare a preliminary bibliography of 10-15 sources you have read or

plan to read.

[6] Students are expected to find a sufficient number of sources (depends on the research topic) and create a working bibliography. Cite the article or book in APA editorial style and list them in alphabetical order on the last page of the assignment.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

[1] 5 points: Thorough literature review and sufficient working bibliography.[2] 5 points: The past research, beyond summarization, was explored in such a

way that the student was able to organize his/her thoughts to deliver a project outline appropriate for a consulting project.

[3] 5 points: Correct word processing format such as margins, titles, page numbers, etc.

[4] 3 points: Overall, the writing is well-organized, conceptually sound and conforms to the APA style.

[5] 2 points: Outline includes all required sections.


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CONTENT

This written assignment develops the first two sections/chapters of the Project Report- Introduction and Background Information (Past Research). In this part of the Report, the operational problem is introduced, convincing the reader that the study is worthwhile, interesting and original. A typical introduction section includes the following components:

[1] A paragraph or two to help lead the reader into the problem. Introduce the organization and the unit where the operational problem or project does exist. Some references to the literature can be made to show how important this project to the organizations, and improvements in this area could help the organization to be more effective or efficient. This is called “motivation” or “background information” about the topic/project.

[2] State the operational/research problem, clearly, concisely and definitely. This statement results from the researcher’s analysis of all of the facts and explanations that might possibly be related to the problem. Following are examples of the problem statement:[a] This study focuses on the efficiency of hospital’s supply chain management

practices and investigates the consistent variances in hospital’s annual budget last few years due to the high price of medical supplies.

[b] The study is concerned with the effectiveness of community outreach projects at the George Washington hospital.

[3] State why the study is done. The researcher spells out the reason or reasons or objectives of the study. Examples are as follows:[a] The main purpose of the project is to improve efficiencies and lower annual

spending for hospital staff without risking the health care quality. [b] The purpose of the study is twofold: (1) to show the importance of the migrant

clinics to the safety provider network and (2) to present evidence that current practice of migrant clinics are substandard.

[4] State the delimitations of the study. In this subsection, the researcher draws a line around the study which includes the number of variables, subjects, tests, measures, time and the duration of the study.

[5] State the limitations of the study. Limitations are those items the researcher could not control but which may have influenced the results of the study. These weaknesses may be caused by:[a] sampling problems[b] research methodology problems[c] uncontrolled variables[d] misrepresentation of subjects[e] lack of data.

[6] Demonstrate assumptions included in the study. In general, these assumptions are supported by background information and literature review, and they are assumed to be true for the purpose of developing/carrying out the research project. Assumptions


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are made about the way the instrumentation, procedures, methods, techniques and most importantly, the behavior and conditions of subjects. For example,[a] it is assumed that all consumers are rational.[b] all subjects completed the questionnaire honestly and correctly.

[7] State the hypothesis or hypotheses. A hypothesis is a belief, hunch, or prediction of the eventual outcome of the research/project. The hypothesis permits the researcher to predict the outcome of the study in advance, and they present tentative explanations for the solution of the problem. It is important that the hypothesis is testable. Examples are:[a] inefficiencies in hospital supply chain management may be a result of lack of

planning and software deficiencies. [b] two different diets such as vegetarian and low sugar may yield different

results in weight loss.[c] cost containment in the hospital industry forced hospitals to lay off some

employees such as nurses, administrators, etc.[8] Define terms and concepts which may have multiple meanings. These definitions

help the reader to follow the project outline and prevent confusion. Realize that the reader may not know anything about the subject (generally Board members fall in this category) which is investigated in the project. The following examples require clarification of terms such as supply chain management, financial and economic efficiencies, budget variances and cost accounting.[a] Merging hospital units can achieve economic efficiencies![b] Rural health care has been deteriorating due to the lack of funding!

A typical “Literature Review or Background Information” section includes the following: [1] This section should be a well-organized chapter which consists of an insightful

analysis, and evaluation of each literature source which relates to the objectives of the current study. The literature review helps to justify the outline of the project study.

[2] The review of literature does not have to be presented in chronological order and should not be presented as a series of abstracts. Instead, the discussing content literature should present relevant facts, theories, hypothesis, data, results and most importantly, how they are related to the selected project topic.

[3] Generally, the literature review section follows the introduction section of research projects.

[4] Cite each article in APA style in a sentence before it is briefly summarized capturing the essential information revealed. For example,[a] George (1992) reported that the productivity of part time employees in the

US affects ………..[b] According to George (1992), senior employees are more productive…….

[5] A short statement should be made about how this article is related to the current research problem and whether it helps to develop a hypothesis or it helps to narrow down the project/research topic.

[6] At the end of the literature review section, write a paragraph to make the transition from the “Literature Review Section” to “Methodology.”


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EVALUATION CRITERIA

[1] 5 points: All recommended segments of Introduction are covered. [2] 5 points: The citation of each article/book is appropriate and contains relevant

information such as fact, theory, and hypothesis. Each source is relevant to the research topic.

[3] 5 points Overall the writing is well organized and rhetorically and conceptually sound.

[4] 5 points: Correct word processing format such as margins, titles, page numbers, etc.


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CONTENT

This assignment deals with the preparation of section in the Project report called “Methodology,” “Procedures,” or “Analysis.” Following the introduction and literature review, the student/researcher needs to obtain sufficient information (data) to analyze the case and, generate solutions and recommendations. This requires either data collection through survey questionnaire or the use of existing data (secondary data) obtained from the organization’s internal MIS system. In the VA consulting projects, students/researchers may use both techniques. If it is a survey research, the following is appropriate: [1] Determine the population that the research project targets.[2] Determine the sample size.[3] Use appropriate sampling techniques to make sure that the selected sample represents

the target population. Some of the sampling methods are:[a] simple random sampling[b] stratified sampling[c] systematic sampling[d] cluster sampling[e] deliberate sampling[f] non-probability sampling.

[4] Decide what type of survey is the best and suitable for the purpose the research project. Survey types include:[a] Mail Survey[b] Telephone Survey[c] Face to Face Interview[d] Internet.

[5] Select questions which best describe the topic in consideration. Comply with the “Total Design Method (TDM)” to form the survey. Understand differences between belief, attitude or attribute which are associated with survey questions.

[6] Determine the order of questions to be asked in the survey. For example, the most important questions related to the research topic should appear early in the survey.

[7] Design an appealing questionnaire with borders, frames, colors, etc.[8] Start the survey with an informative paragraph which provides sufficient information

to the reader about the purpose of the survey and confidentiality issues. Do not forget to thank the surveyor at the end of this paragraph.

[9] More information for survey design will be provided if needed.

If the project requires the use of secondary day (this is most likely scenario), then the following steps are appropriate:

[1] Determine the type of data, variables and the duration of data needed (financial, accounting, managerial, qualitative or quantitative, etc.)

[2] To analyze the data, use three distinctive steps:[a] select the technique appropriate for the data and research questions


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[b] collect or obtain the data needed[c] store the data once obtained[c] apply the technique or calculate outcome measures

[2] Storing data could be done in Lotus or Excel. Also, a statistical package called SPSS is available at the Computer Lab which can be used for data entry and statistical analysis.

[3] Summarize the information provided in the data by calculating descriptive statistics.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

[1] 5 points: Data and variables are appropriately selected. [2] 5 points: Data collection is successful.[3] 5 points: Methodology is appropriate and applied successfully.[4] 5 points: Overall the writing is well organized and rhetorically and conceptually

sound. Correct word processing format such as margins, titles, page numbers, etc.


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CONTENT

This assignment should report the findings of the study called “Results,” “Findings” or “Data Analysis.” At the end, the final section of the paper “Conclusion” is written following the “Results” section.

[1] Summarize the information provided in the data by calculating descriptive statistics or any other outcomes. Additional calculations for hypothesis testing, chi-square and means tests can also be used for advanced studies.

[2] Create well organized tables, charts or figures to present the results of the study. Make sure these displays are precise and are easy to read, and that they come after the discussion in text.

[3] Use short sentences to explain the most important findings in these tables/charts. There is no need to explain every single figure or number. Read every written sentence several times to make sure it says what it intends to say.

[4] At the end of this section, make sure to write a transition paragraph from “Findings” section to “Conclusion” section. One paragraph should be sufficient to serve for this purpose.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

[1] 5 points: Major research findings are accurately and concisely stated.[2] 5 points: The section is well organized and conceptually sound.[3] 5 points: Tables, graphs, etc. are well designed and easy-to-understand.[4] 5 points: Overall the writing is well organized and rhetorically and conceptually

sound. Correct word processing format such as margins, titles, page numbers, etc.


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THE FINAL REPORT

The final report should be high quality, and appropriate for graduate study and perhaps publication in a journal, which include all three assignments (five sections) completed during the semester. However, the organization and content of the final paper may require additional effort for an outstanding final product. Work-in-progress may be reviewed with the instructor for preliminary feedback.

[1] Include revised Introduction from Written Assignment #2 which must include definition of the project topic; objectives and the importance of research/project; the scope and hypothesis (es) as well as assumptions and shortcomings (if needed).

[2] Include revised Literature Review from Written Assignment #2 which consists of an insightful analysis, and evaluation of background information which relates to the objectives of the current study. The literature review helps to justify the study.

[3] Include Methodology and Data Analysis section separately from Written Assignment #3 into the Report.

[4] Incorporate the section called Research Results, Analysis or Findings with organized tables and charts as needed.

[5] Write up a section called “Conclusion” and summarize the paper and findings. [6] Include Bibliography as a separate section in the end.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

[1] 5 points: All sections are included.[2] 5 points: Writing, grammar, punctuation, etc. [3] 5 points: Conclusion is written and included.[4] 5 points Timeliness.


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STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET – HCA 685

Name___________________________________________________________________

Name you prefer to use____________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Phone(s):_______________________________________________________________

Best time/place to reach you:_______________________________________________

Fax:_________________________________________________________________

E-mail address:__________________________________________________________

Appointment Log with instructor:


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