Devry HSM544 Week 7 Course Project

Introduction

This course contains a Course Project for which you will
identify and solve a healthcare problem. Assuming you have been listening to
the news or following talk shows for the last 6 months (more like 2 decades),
you know that healthcare is a key and contentious issue in America. There is no
shortage of concerns, nor are there approaches on how to best solve them. (Some
people call healthcare, from a problem standpoint, a target-rich environment.)
The Course Project requires you to identify a problem and, using the below
model, arrive at a recommended solution along with its implementation. The
Course Project is a key academic activity. Because of its importance, you may
need to commit time throughout the course, beginning with developing a topic in
Week 2, to successfully complete the project.

Below is a review of the academic expectations for the
project, examples of how to write an effective problem statement, and
evaluation criteria.

Important!

Remember, your Course Project is due in Week 7 but your
choice of topic is due in Week 2. Don’t forget to submit your assignments!

Academic Requirements

Format: The two main content sections are (a) the title page
and table of contents (noncontent pages) and (b) the body (content sections 1–7
listed below).

Content: Write a problem-solving, decision-making research
paper that is no fewer than 8 pages and no more than 12 pages of content (body
of paper) and double spaced. It should be based on your chosen subject, in
which you convince your readers to support your recommendation.

Details on format and content follow.

Category Sections
(Headings and Subheadings Within Paper) Points Description

Organization and Formatting

Title Page

Table of Contents

20

A quality paper will include its title page and all content
sections, beginning with an executive summary through references.

The content will be properly subdivided into the required
headings and subheadings (bold and in caps).

In a quality paper, each step in the problem-solving model
will be complete with relevant content that meets the content expectations for
that section; a thoughtful problem statement, clearly researched and defined,
with relevant and reasonable problem-solving recommendations, assessed in ways
that produced a constructive solution and implementation plan is the
expectation.

Managing communication flow is key to effective writing.

Content Content
Sections

Executive Summary, 15 points

Problem Statement, 25 points

Literature Review, 30 points

Problem Analysis, 40 points

Possible Solutions, 30 points

Solution and Its Implementation, 25 points

Justification, 20 points

185

A quality paper will have significant scope and depth of
research to support thoughts, statements, concepts, and conclusions.

Relevant illustration or examples are encouraged.

Use of external source material is required.

A quality paper will employ use of sound reasoning and logic
to reinforce conclusions.

Documentation References 15

A quality paper will include proper citations and
references.

Grammar and Composition

(Entire paper) 15

A quality paper will be free of any spelling, punctuation,
or grammatical errors.

Sentences and paragraphs will be clear, concise, and
factually correct.

Total 235

A quality paper will meet or excess all of the above
requirements.

Executive Summary (Content Section 1)

Once your paper is completed, you will need to summarize the
paper’s main points for your reader. Explain succinctly the problem or issue
you are writing about, along with a summary of your paper’s main points.
Include the solutions offered along with your identified best solution and plan
and how it will solve the identified problem or issue. The purpose is to
provide the reader (in this case, your professor) an overview of the main
points in the paper. The maximum length of an executive summary is one page,
single spaced.

Problem Statement (Content Section 2)

Identify and clearly state the problem that needs
improvement or is not meeting expectations. Remember that what appears to be
the healthcare problem or issue may actually be just a symptom of a bigger
problem: Dig deep to be sure that you have identified the real problem or
problems. If there appears to be more than one problem or issue, decide if they
are separate or related issues. State the problem in the form of a single,
clear problem statement (required). A problem statement contains and identifies
the focus issue that the rest of the model addresses. It presents an existing
adverse outcome or concern. For the Course Project, the problem statement can
be a statement or a question. The following is an example of a national-level
focus (do not use it): “The un- and underinsured receive 45% of their
healthcare through expensive rates (two to three times higher than standard
delivery systems) for emergency eepartments (ED), adversely impacting the
ability of EDs to meet their quality service standards.” The following is
an example of a healthcare facility focus (do not use it): “How can
healthcare access be improved? Our lack of an automated information management
system is adversely impacting our ability to compete; how can we achieve
automated information management?”

Please note, there should be no more than one paragraph in
this section with a clear problem statement easily identified in that
paragraph. The problem statement should be underlined and in bold letters.
There will be a deduction if more than one paragraph is used.

Constructing an Adequate Problem Statement

Leaders and managers must be clear in their definition of an
issue, concern, or problem to achieve an effective outcome. Decision making is
not just about problem solving, but problem solving outcomes are often the
measure of decision making. Although problem solving has many steps, the
process depends upon an adequate definition of the problem. Keep in mind if
outcomes have not been clearly articulated, those tasked with planning and
implementing actions directed at achieving new outcomes will be less than
efficient and effective, and managers will be unable to measure performance
quality against new outcomes.

An effective problem statement should contain the following
two elements: an adverse outcome and suggested causal factors.

Below are examples of an adverse outcome.

Cost of healthcare is rising faster than inflation.

Access to healthcare in rural areas is lower than in urban
areas.

Research indicates the quality of care in the United States
has declined over the last 2 decades.

Below are examples of relevant factors to the above adverse
outcomes.

There is a greater use of unnecessary care, the uninsured
are being provided care via the most costly delivery methods (emergency
departments), or the cost of health insurance is rising.

Rural areas lack sufficient numbers of healthcare providers,
or rural areas lack specialists.

Physicians do not spend enough time with patients to arrive
at a correct diagnosis, or physicians perform unnecessary services that
needlessly expose patients to less than high-quality outcomes.

Literature Review (Content Section 3)

Present what you discovered in your search of the
literature. Review theories, concepts, and studies discussed in class and in
our textbook, and review what other writers or researchers have to say about
the subject of your analysis. In short, demonstrate an understanding of the
literature and apply it sensibly to the problem. This is not a course in
applied commonsense; however, such practical intelligence is important,
especially in the application stage. A literature review is like playing a
video game in which you are in a chamber with many doors. As you open each
door, you uncover clues to help you progress to the next level. Similarly, in a
literature review, your objective is to open the doors that can point the way
to solving your business problem. Begin your literature review with a broad
look at your field of interest, then narrow your focus until you zero in on the
essential issue or issues of concern. Please note, a literature review is a
required element of this assignment. At least 10 resources are required, beyond
the textbook and course readings, to ensure the effectiveness of your research.
Be sure to list them in the bibliography. A suggestion is to begin your
literature survey by accessing Keller’s online library at www.keller.edu (Links
to an external site.).

Problem Analysis (Content Section 4)

This section should provide a detailed analysis of the
causes of the problems or issues you identified in Section 2. A major objective
is to clearly illustrate how you are using course concepts (as well as what you
learned from your literature review) to better understand the causes of the
problems or issues. Show that you are applying course material! The purpose of
this analysis is to make clear the focus issue (problem). It narrows the focus
from the understanding created in the Literature Review into a clear problem
definition, which is the detail that the problem-solving effort is to correct.

Possible Solutions (Content Section 5)

List, number, and describe at least three alternative
solutions that could be appropriate methods to solve the identified problem or
issue. Number each solution to make them clear to the reader (required). Be
sure these solutions are logical, based on your analysis, and that each would
effectively treat the problem, not the symptoms. Also discuss the anticipated
outcomes (positive and negative) of implementing each of the possible solutions
you identified. This is a probability assessment, meaning your assessment of
the alternatives’ ability to solve the problem and at what cost. This assessment
should transition to the solution section, meaning the solution should be the
one you assessed as having the best chance to solve the problem within any cost
constraints (key to the selection process).

Solution and Its Implementation (Content Section 6)

Outline your recommended solution to the problem or issue.
(It will be one of the alternatives explored in Section 5 or a combination of
those alternatives.) State your solution clearly and specifically. Describe
exactly what should be done; describe how it should be done, including by whom,
with whom, and in what sequence; explain when actions should begin; and
estimate cost and means of payment. List each bold and underlined word and then
discuss (required).

Here are key points to keep in mind as you write this
section.

Have I indicated an awareness of the problem and of
implementation (i.e., the what and how aspect)?

Have I been specific enough ( i.e., when and cost)? (A
specific solution will state what style is most appropriate for the situation
and how you will attempt to the have the manager realize the appropriate
style.)

What aspects of the problem remain unresolved by my
solution?

Does my recommended solution and implementation plan address
the problem or issues and causes identified in the previous sections?

Does my solution consider and resolve the identified pros
and cons?

How will I evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented
recommended solution?

What process checks or procedures will I put in place to
institutionalize the improvement?

Could my solution cause other problems or issues?

What risks are inherent in the solution I recommend?

What contingency plans do I recommend?

Assess the realism of your proposed action plan. For
example, are there adequate time, money, or other resources for your solution?
In addition, does your solution place too much reliance on other people being
reasonable (i.e., on what you think is reasonable)?

Justification (Content Section 7)

Justify why your recommended solution and its implementation
will solve the identified problem or issue in the organization or unit you have
selected. An important element of this section is to show very clearly how you
applied course concepts to arrive at a workable solution and a successful
implementation. Apply appropriate course material; support your conclusions
with appropriately referenced facts, quotes, and readings; and be sure your
justification addresses identified pros and cons.

References

All citations in the paper must appear in the reference
list, and all references must be cited in the text. Choose references
judiciously, and cite them accurately. A citation of an author’s work in the
text documents your work, briefly identifies the source for readers, and
enables readers to locate the source of information in the alphabetical
reference list at the end of the paper. To use the ideas or words of another
without crediting the source is plagiarism.

Plagiarism in its purest form involves copying entire
passages either verbatim or nearly verbatim, with no direct acknowledgment of
the source. The most common (and unconscious) form of plagiarism is when a
direct quotation is simply paraphrased. Paraphrasing does not relieve you of
the obligation to provide proper identification of source data. The best way to
avoid plagiarism is to make sure all quotes, ideas, or conclusions that are not
your own are given proper acknowledgment in your text. Footnotes are required.

Grammar and Composition

The paper must use acceptable terminology in standard
English and reflect the use of word processing software and spell check.
Acceptable sentence structure must be reflected with appropriate use of