Week 1 discussion

In 1–2 paragraphs, describe issues and trends that affect health informatics What is the current state of affairs in in general? For example, most facilities have implemented an electronic health record system, but interoperability with their other systems may be an issue As a nursing informaticist change agent, how can you address these types of concerns in your field?

Week 2 discussion

The role of the informaticist is to facilitate innovative project solutions, encourage team collaboration, help staff learn new systems, etc What part does research and investigation into specific issues, problems, and trends play in the role of the informaticist? What competencies and skill sets are required for managing change that is based on research?

Week 3 discussion

When you delve into research, you may find an exhaustive amount of information on your topic How will you organize your research? What strategies or tools will you use to keep track of everything you are reading, referencing, and synthesizing? In your post, list the keywords you will use to search your topic Provide suggestions to your peers for focusing the search or for searching subtopics

Week 4 discussion

There are many possible sources of literature available, including the West Coast University library electronic databases (Medline, Cinahl, ProQuest, LexisNexis Academic, and PubMed) and online journals provided by informatics organizations Which specific scholarly articles did you use for your literature review and why did you choose them for your topic?

Week 5 discussion

Share the theoretical or conceptual framework that you are using in your research proposal Explain why you chose/developed this framework Reference any nursing theoretical underpinnings if it supports your framework How do you see this research as eventually helping the nursing profession or informatics specialists in general?

Week 6 discussion

DQ1 Although you are not implementing your project at this point and conducting studies with human participants, IRB is an important step in research State the required components one should look for in a project to determine if IRB submission is needed Discuss an example of a research study found in one of your literature review articles that needed IRB approval Specifically, describe why IRB approval was needed in this instance

DQ2 Visit the Yale Center for Bioethics Cases in Research Ethics website Choose one of the three cases below to read and respond to in this week’s discussion Be sure to read the background of the study, the ethical and regulatory issues raised by the IRB, and the comments presented at the end of each case

Choose from one of these three cases:

Case 1: Payments to subjects who are substance abusers

Case 5: Reasonable right to privacy for patients accessing hospital services

Case 6: An ethnographic study of homeless adolescents

Address the following in your response:

Identify the key ethical issues that are questioned in this case and the category of risk: physical, psychological, social, or economic harm

Do you feel the level of questioning and concern by the IRB was appropriate? Were you surprised by any of the IRB’s decisions? Explain

Identify a risk or red flag in this study that you may not have considered on your own prior to reading this study

Present a new perspective you gained about the IRB, the type of study you read about, the ethics involved, or human subject research processes

In your replies to peers, respond to at least one peer who chose a different study

Week 7 discussion

All research projects are based around variables, which are essentially the characteristics of an individual, group, or the environment that is of interest in a research study Variables can be straightforward and measurable (eg, gender, age, amounts, funding) Variables can also be complex (eg, socioeconomic status of a group, attitudes toward a topic, aspects of a system) Now that your research topic has been identified and you have reviewed the overall literature and constructed your framework, you should identify the key variables of interest In the discussion board this week, free write a list of variables that revolve around and within your topic of study Are there variables that are of particular interest or focus in your study? Can you narrow your study down based on your list of variables? Is there anything you need to do to narrow your scope of research and your research questions?

Week 8 discussion

In session B of the Culminating Experience, you will be diving into the methodology you would use if you were to conduct your research The methodology section describes the specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, and analyze data in order to understand your identified research problem The methodology section of a research paper answers two main points: how the data was collected and how it was analyzed This week, post a preliminary outline about your proposed methodology for your research problem If you were to move to full implementation, how would you collect and analyze the data? Would your study be qualitative or quantitative and why? In week 1 of Session B, you will submit your full methodology draft for your proposal, so please use this forum to help formulate your ideas

Week 2 Problem Identification, Research Questions, and Description

This week, submit a 1–2 page problem identification and description of the project you have chosen for your culminating project that includes:

A cover page

A title and abstract: 150–200 words describing the project

A problem statement, problem identification, or purpose of the project: Provide a concise statement of the problem, need, or questions being investigated Give a clear and explicit statement of the problem, including the target population and background information relative to the specific problem Include 1–2 research questions that you will explore within your research

A preliminary review of the literature: List, reference, and summarize 3–4 peer-reviewed sources that support your identified project and the need for change, the issue at hand, or the need for further research Be sure that the data supports the need for investigation or change and that your problem is not one that has already been widely solved

You will have opportunities to refine your problem statements and research questions throughout this course Be sure to review your instructor’s feedback

Week 4 Integrative Literature Review

Write a literature review of your topic using peer-reviewed articles and books, as well as non-research literature such as evidence-based guidelines, toolkits, and standardized procedures Identify and cite all sources of data according to APA guidelines

In at least 5 pages:

Critique the most current research to support your problem; this research will help drive the focus of your project

Summarize the key findings of the research and it’s relevancy to your project

Describe any gaps in knowledge that you found and the effects this may have on health informatics as it relates to your project topic The literature review should be a synthesis of how each article or study relates to your project

When writing your literature review, remember to include subtopics to your main topic and gather data on these areas as well

Your integrative literature review should be at least 5 pages in length, not including the cover or reference pages, and must contain a minimum of 10 scholarly articles published within the past 5–7 years

This literature is considered a draft and will need to be revised for integration into your final paper Please make sure to review your instructor’s feedback

Week 5 Theoretical or Conceptual Framework

This week, review your literature and look for gaps of knowledge in your topic What is missing? What questions do you still have that you can potentially solve in your research? Compose a 2- to 3-page paper that outlines the framework for your research project

Address the following:

Explain the problem and briefly summarize the research you have completed in your literature review

Define any gaps or relationships that are apparent and how you will address them in your project Be sure to reference back to your research questions and problems to ensure that the gaps correlate with your problem and questions

Demonstrate that the solution you propose is not based on your personal opinions or guesses, but are formed from the facts that you have read from the authors of the previous research

You may find that you are adding onto your references and your literature review based on new investigation and that is okay!

Explain your perspective and reference any nursing or informatics theoretical underpinnings if it supports your framework

Week 7 Predictions, Outcomes, and Variables

Develop your project predictions and desired outcomes portion of your paper using the following as starting points:

Describe the desired outcomes: Specifically, state the purpose, focus, and viewpoint of the project as well as its expected accomplishments While you may not be implementing your project, you should have a goal in mind that relates to solving your problem

A project goal should reference the project’s benefits in terms of cost, time, and/or quality that address needs or changes, results, impacts, or consequences that the project has on people, programs, or institutions

Goals and objectives should be measurable, shared, and hypothetically agreed on by all key stakeholders They are directly linked to the concept of project success factors

What variables need to be considered and would you have control over them? For example, if you were to implement a department wide system change, would budget be an issue and how would you address that variable?

If you were to implement your study, how would you gather data? Would the focus be qualitative or quantitative?

What will your research provide to the community or to social change?

In the statistical sense, what is already known about your problem? Cite evidence from your literature review

Compose a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the intended outcomes of your project

Issues and Trends Affecting Health Informatics