UAA HLT 362 Application of Statistics in Health Care Questions
UAA HLT 362 Application of Statistics in Health Care Questions
UAA HLT 362 Application of Statistics in Health Care Questions
Clinical decision is of utmost importance in the provision of quality health outcomes. Contingent upon this premise, the two articles establish decision-making procedures and practice guidelines relevant for clinical practice. The first study assesses the feasibility of decision-making processes by nurses stationed at the emergency department of a care facility (Fisher, Orkin & Frazer, 2010). On the other hand, the work of Tjia et al. (2010) purposes to develop guidelines required to monitor the dispensation of high-risk medications while at the same time establish the prevalence of existing laboratory testing concerning these medications. In order to draw clinical evidence on a factor in decision making, the article by Fisher, Orkin and Frazer (2010) employed the usage of nonparametric tests comprising Fisher’s exact tests and chi-square. The study relied on conjoint analysis to reflect upon the decision-making patterns. The results of this study provided quality outcomes by demonstrating that nurses depended on the functional status of patients, future health status, and family input to undertake decisions on healthcare delivery for their clients. The article by Tjia et al. (2010) utilized t-test and Likert-type scale to formulate guidelines for the utilization of high-risk drugs and to monitor the frequency of dispensing them. The non-parametric test was instrumental in developing medication dispensing guidelines in terms of drug classes, the frequency of medication, monitoring and laboratory testing for efficacy.
According to numerous empirical studies, parametric parameters receive useful application in the testing of study group means. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the methodology remains debatable within the context of the present articles. For instance, the use of t-test and ANOVA requires normal distribution of the applicable data regarding the research. Since data from the two articles were not distributed, it became paramount for the authors to consider skewing of non-normal distribution to produce the results (Gibbons & Chakraborti, 2011). Therefore, the approach remains embedded on assumptions and as such it has a high vulnerability to error. However, the assertion receives higher applicability in the second article. Nonetheless, the application of ANOVA and t-test requires studies that have a broad distribution of sample sizes, a threshold that neither of the two articles met.
Despite providing results on the clinical decision and high-risk drug dispensing techniques, certain strengths and weakness characterized the studies. The first article used conjoint analysis techniques to design a workable mathematics model required for clinical decision-making process for nurses in the emergency department (Fisher, Orkin & Frazer, 2010). However, the technique involving proxy decision-making for this study is complex considering the premise that it does not uniformly address the responses of all nurses. As such, the study could be subject to speculation hence casting doubt on the accuracy of information obtained from the first study. In the article by Tjia et al. (2010), the selected study design captured a multispecialty population and therefore provided a reflection of clinical practice in the United States of America. However, utilization of the Likert-type scale could subject the study outcomes to errors due to a lack of consensus on the questions administered to participants. Considerably, findings and recommendations in the work of Fisher, Orkin and Frazer (2010) provide the need for aligning clinical decisions as per the patients in the emergency department for purposes of improving the quality of care. Correspondingly, the other article offers guidelines for safe administration of high-risk medications to establish an evidence-based practice in a healthcare setting.
In the entire coursework, the present author discovers nonparametric tests as commonly applied to the processes of analyzing data. Specifically, chi-square dominates most of the literature review in clinical research. Evidently, the adoption of this test has demonstrated effectiveness in the analysis of nominal data. Furthermore, the technique has a high level of accuracy since it has received comparison with observed frequencies obtained from null hypotheses. Nevertheless, the adoption of other nonparametric tests such as the Wilcoxon matched-pairs test, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests does not readily occur since they measure rank-ordered data. According to Gibbons and Chakraborti (2011), the application of the above-mentioned non-parametric tests in multifarious clinical studies does not normally occur since outliers have the capacity to obscure the outcomes. Moreover, the outliers have minimal impact on the chi-square tests.
Reference
Fisher, K., Orkin, F., & Frazer, C. (2010). Utilizing conjoint analysis to explicate health care decision making by emergency department nurses: a feasibility study. Applied Nursing Research, 23(1), 30-35.
Gibbons, J. D., & Chakraborti, S. (2011). Nonparametric statistical inference. In International encyclopedia of statistical science (pp. 977-979). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Tjia, J., Field, T. S., Garber, L. D., Donovan, J. L., Kanaan, A. O., Raebel, M. A., … & Gurwitz, J. H. (2010). Development and pilot testing of guidelines to monitor high-risk medications in the ambulatory setting. The American journal of managed care, 16(7), 489-496.
Description
Statistical application and the interpretation of data is important in health care. Review the statistical concepts covered in this topic. In a 750-1,000 word paper, discuss the significance of statistical application in health care. Include the following:
- Describe the application of statistics in health care. Specifically discuss its significance to quality, safety, health promotion, and leadership.
- Consider your organization or specialty area and how you utilize statistical knowledge. Discuss how you obtain statistical data, how statistical knowledge is used in day-to-day operations and how you apply it or use it in decision making.
Rubric Criteria
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Criterion |
1. 1: Unsatisfactory |
2. 2: Less Than Satisfactory |
3. 3: Satisfactory |
4. 4: Good |
5. 5: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Paper Format Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment) |
0 points Template is not used appropriately, or documentation format is rarely followed correctly. |
3.25 points Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent. |
3.75 points Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present. |
4.25 points Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style. |
5 points All format elements are correct. |
|
Argument Logic and Construction Argument Logic and Construction |
0 points Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources. |
5.2 points Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility. |
6 points Argument is orderly but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis. |
6.8 points Argument shows logical progression. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative. |
8 points Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative. |
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Mechanics of Writing Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use) |
0 points Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used. |
3.25 points Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied. |
3.75 points Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed. |
4.25 points Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech. |
5 points Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English. |
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Application of Statistical Knowledge to Organization or Specialty Area Application of Statistical Knowledge to Organization or Specialty Area |
0 points Application of statistical knowledge to organization or specialty area is omitted. More than one criterion regarding how statistical data are obtained, used in day-to-day operations, or applied in decision making are omitted. |
19.5 points Application of statistical knowledge to organization or specialty area is summarized. How statistical data are obtained, used in day-to-day operations, and applied in decision is unclear; one criterion is missing. More information is needed. |
22.5 points Application of statistical knowledge to organization or specialty area is generally discussed. How statistical data are obtained, used in day-to-day operations, or applied in decision making is summarized. . |
25.5 points Application of statistical knowledge to organization or specialty area is discussed. How statistical data are obtained, used in day-to-day operations, or applied in decision making is described. Some information or detail is needed for clarity. |
30 points Application of statistical knowledge to organization or specialty area is thoroughly discussed. How statistical data are obtained, used in day-to-day operations, or applied in decision making is described in detail. The ability to understand and apply statistical data is clearly demonstrated. |
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Documentation of Sources Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style) |
0 points Sources are not documented. |
3.25 points Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors. |
3.75 points Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present. |
4.25 points Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct. |
5 points Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error. |
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Thesis Development and Purpose Thesis Development and Purpose |
0 points Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim. |
4.55 points Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear. |
5.25 points Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose. |
5.95 points Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose. |
7 points Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear. |
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Application of Statistics in Health Care (quality, safety, health promotion, leadership) Application of Statistics in Health Care (quality, safety, health promotion, leadership) |
0 points Application of statistics in health care is omitted or incomplete. The significance to quality safety, health promotion, and leadership is omitted. |
26 points Application of statistics in health care is summarized. The significance to quality, safety, health promotion, and leadership is partially presented. One or more criteria are missing. There are inaccuracies. Significant information or rationale is needed. |
30 points Application of statistics in health care is generally described. The significance to quality, safety, health promotion, and leadership is generally described for all criteria. There are minor inaccuracies. More information or rationale is needed to fully illustrate the application of statistics overall. |
34 points Application of statistics in health care is described. The significance to quality, safety, health promotion, and leadership is described for all criteria. Some minor information or rationale is needed to fully illustrate the application of statistics to health care and the specific areas. |
40 points Application of statistics in health care is described in detail. The significance to quality, safety, health promotion, and leadership is described thoroughly for all criteria. Strong information and rationale is provided to fully illustrate the application of statistics, and its significance, to health care and the specific areas. |
APA Writing Checklist
Use this document as a checklist for each paper you will write throughout your GCU graduate program. Follow specific instructions indicated in the assignment and use this checklist to help ensure correct grammar and APA formatting. Refer to the APA resources available in the GCU Library and Student Success Center.
☐ APA paper template (located in the Student Success Center/Writing Center) is utilized for the correct format of the paper.
APA style is applied, and format is correct throughout.
☐ The title page is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.
☐ The introduction is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.
☐ Topic is well defined.
☐ Strong thesis statement is included in the introduction of the paper.
☐ The thesis statement is consistently threaded throughout the paper and included in the conclusion.
☐ Paragraph development: Each paragraph has an introductory statement, two or three sentences as the body of the paragraph, and a transition sentence to facilitate the flow of information. The sections of the main body are organized to reflect the main points of the author. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.
☐ All sources are cited. APA style and format are correctly applied and are free from error.
☐ Sources are completely and correctly documented on a References page, as appropriate to assignment and APA style, and format is free of error.
Scholarly Resources: Scholarly resources are written with a focus on a specific subject discipline and usually written by an expert in the same subject field. Scholarly resources are written for an academic audience.
Examples of Scholarly Resources include: Academic journals, books written by experts in a field, and formally published encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Peer-Reviewed Journals: Peer-reviewed journals are evaluated prior to publication by experts in the journal’s subject discipline. This process ensures that the articles published within the journal are academically rigorous and meet the required expectations of an article in that subject discipline.
Empirical Journal Article: This type of scholarly resource is a subset of scholarly articles that reports the original finding of an observational or experimental research study. Common aspects found within an empirical article include: literature review, methodology, results, and discussion.
Adapted from “Evaluating Resources: Defining Scholarly Resources,” located in Research Guides in the GCU Library.
☐ The writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English. Utilize writing resources such as Grammarly, LopesWrite report, and ThinkingStorm to check your writing.
