HCS 535 Population Health Research Lecture Notes PDF

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HCS 535 POPULATION HEALTH RESEARCH LECTURE NOTES This chapter talks about different type of studies that can be done when it come to treatment along with which are better than other and also looks at the over all cost of the studies. The first study that they talk about is the double blind confirmation, this is the study where both the researchers and the people who are participation in the study does not know which group that they are in, if they are in the control group or the experiential group. I feel that this is one of the best test that can be done since both parties does not know which group that they are in and it will provided a unbais information. However it is costly and it does take a long time which is not cost effective. The second studies that this chapter takes about is trend analysis, this seem to be more common and less expensive along with being pratical for the study. What trend analysis does it that it study how the medication is effect the patients treatment over time and see if there are any changes regards to peoples health. Effective decision making is vital in all healthcare activities. While this decision making is typically complex and unstructured, it requires the decision maker to gather multi-spectral data and information in order to make an effective choice when faced with numerous options. The systematic approach and application of knowledge management (KM) principles and tools can provide the necessary foundation for improving the decision making processes in healthcare. Research as seen throughout this chapter serves a number of functionalities. (Nash, 2016) in the book creating a culture of wellness explains procedural methods from the techniques used in researching to the challenges a researcher studying a certain population might encounter. One of the biggest challenges while conducting a research is time. Normally, plenty of time is taken to thoroughly sum up to a conclusion and gather findings which has its implications. Time in research has been termed as a base that one needs to watch keenly as often has surprises. Some of the unexpected things that often arise; is depletion of resources estimated to lead through the research. Research on behavioral traits in population health such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, among others are unpredictable and can incur extra duration than expected or trigger unexpected situations that often act as a game changer to the research purpose. Inspite of these (Nash, 2016) advices that its good for researches planning to conduct a research should be well prepared and use severity adjustment techniques methods among others. There are five segments of population health status and these cover everything from wellness to catastrophic illness. The first segment includes physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, and social wellness. Another segment of population health is acute illness. Acute illnesses do not receive a lot of attention in population health research as chronic or lifethreatening health issues do but they still have a significant effect on the health of the population as a whole. There has also been efforts to reduce chronic illnesses in what is known as the disease management (DM). In this category falls common chronic illnesses that are targeted for research and population health programs to spread awareness. The programs that are created from this research help the patient and their families to navigate through the difficult time of getting treatments. These programs give the patient and their families more information and how to cope with the illness the best they can. Another thing population health research has

accomplished is to ease the burden of life-threatening illnesses from an economic standpoint, health plans, and insurers. To continue with population health research, there are two different types of research for population health. These two different types of research are primary and secondary research. Primary research involves collecting and analyzing original source data. All of the data that is collected is used specifically for the research study. In secondary research, it involves the analysis of the existing data and any other prior research information that may lead to new uses or conclusions. There are four different research designs. These research designs are: doubleblind confirmation, trend analysis, comparative effectiveness, and predictive modeling. Because of increases in obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and chronic illnesses in the United States, there has been an increase in the need for research done in population health. The goal is with this research to establish evidence-based solutions that can be used to improve the efficiency of care; overall the goal is to advance health care delivery for everyone. In all areas of study from social science to political science research is needed to help locate missing understanding and guide development of programs. Understanding of what is considered baseline measurements. As Nash (2016), states by understanding the baseline starting point a crosswalk towards ideal goals can begin. For our class and our projects Health People 2020 provides objectives with goals that communities, organizations and groups can use as baselines. In my reading and research this week for our project I came across the Healthily People 2030 website. Many of the objectives that Healthily People 2020 have developed for objectives are listed and are continuable of the 2020. Establishing goals in population health is critical for communities to improve overall. Many hospitals are setting certain goals to improve the health of their communities. Some of these goals are financial, clinical, and engagement. First, financial goals are crucial to make sure that resources are allocated for certain measures, or policies. There are both long-term and shortterm financial goals. Short-term goals center on managing and coordinating care as efficiently as possible, and the long term is prevention of chronic conditions and keeping people healthy. Long-term focuses on prevention and wellness, such as promoting medication adherence. Clinical goals include both process metrics and outcomes metrics. Local hospitals should assess the health of the community to determine what the greatest needs are to define metrics. Engagement goals are the most vital because they deal with patients. Patient engagement is an overreaching goal in population management. The one challenge is how to create that relationship with our patients and provide them with resources and information and opportunities to do a better job managing their own health in between visits to the provider's office. By setting specific financial, clinical and patient engagement goals, community hospitals can easily prioritize efforts and improve the health of their community which is critical to do (Rodak, 2012). According to Nash, et al., (2016), Surveys and health assessments are often the first tools used to measure baselines, process measures, and health outcomes in population health. One of the easiest tools to deploy is a satisfaction survey(p.365). The most honest and valuable information can come from patients. Valuable information can be gained by assessing the perceived value of a program or service from the perspective of as many constituents as possible, but always

starting with the patient(p. 365). Patients can be questioned on many levels, from specific improvement in control of a disease process to a self-assessment of general well-being or a report on improved convenience or functional status. Surveys requesting patients' evaluations of care providers are also being utilized (e.g., patients are asked to comment on the performance of their doctors or their healthcare delivery systems)(p.365)....