HLT 362V Week 1 Statistics Assignment
HLT 362V Applied Statistics for Health Care Professionals Papers
HLT 362 Week 1 Statistics Assignment
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.
Three peer-reviewed, scholarly or professional references are required.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
HLT 362V Week 1 Statistics Assignment – Application of Statistics in Healthcare Example
Interdisciplinary dependence and multisectoral collaboration are vital to healthcare. Healthcare is a sector that cannot stand alone and relies heavily on statistics, education, and technology to enhance its success in healthcare activities. The collaboration increases the quality of healthcare and other fields. Statistics is one of the most applied disciplines. Healthcare professionals utilize statistics in all their vital processes, from prevention and health promotion to research, staff education, curative services, and rehabilitation. Vital activities such as quality improvement, staffing, and resource allocation also utilize statistics. This essay explores the interaction between statistics and healthcare and its use in daily activities.
Application of Statistics in Healthcare
Statistics are vital to the delivery of quality care. Healthcare leaders use statistics in their daily activities. These activities include performance appraisal, resource allocation and budgeting, staff scheduling, delegation, and quality improvement. Performance appraisal methods use numerical figures to evaluate staff performance for organizational purposes, such as promotion, demotion, salary adjustments, and other benefits (Lin et al., 2019).
Resource allocation and budget preparation are vital leadership roles that require extensive use of statistics for their successful completion. Nurse leaders assess organizational needs and prepare to allocate resources depending on the urgency and significance of these activities. Staff scheduling and delegation also require the nurse leader to use their knowledge of statistics to balance schedules and ensure staff are evenly distributed and given tasks that require their knowledge, experience, and training (Fowlers et al., 2021).
Statistics’ role in quality improvement projects and delivery of care cannot be underestimated. Healthcare professionals use data to determine the presence, severity, and causes of problems within the healthcare facility. Statistics in quality improvement are useful in pre-implementation research, ongoing assessment, and post-implementation survey. Healthcare leaders use statistics to assess the relevance and environmental conduciveness of an innovative idea. They then use statistics to ensure project implementations are according to plan. They collect data and conduct surveys, which they analyze using statistical methods to determine their relevance and test hypotheses. Lin and Kellough (2019) note that well-curated statistical methods in performance appraisal are vital for bias-free evaluation, talent recognition, and fair appraisal of workers.
Statistics help evaluate interventions such as healthcare technologies. Kim et al. (2020) note that statistical tests, such as chi-square and regression analyses, are widely used in healthcare to determine the statistical relevance of data. They help quantify change and thus eliminate retrogressive or ineffective practices, thereby maintaining quality care delivery. Most desired patient outcomes in quality improvement initiatives, such as self-reported healthcare experiences, mortality, morbidity, and remission, depend on statistics for their successful evaluation. Thus, statistics are vital for delivering quality care and evaluating healthcare.
Statistics are also vital to patient safety. Healthcare dashboards are technologies that use statistical data to promote patient safety (Simsekler & Qazi, 2022). Healthcare institutions and relevant regulatory bodies assess healthcare data and develop benchmarks against which organizations measure their performance in promoting care quality and patient safety. Dashboard metrics include the number of patients with nosocomial infections, the number of older adults with pressure ulcers, and the percentage of older adults who sustain falls.
Healthcare institutions evaluate their data against these benchmarks and initiate quality improvement initiatives to promote patient safety (Simsekler & Qazi, 2022). Other uses of data in patient safety are in disaster preparedness. Healthcare institutions collaborate with other sectors and statistically evaluate epidemics and natural disasters to determine the resources needed and plan adequately for the events. Thus, statistics and statistical data are vital in promoting patient safety.
Statistics are also helpful in health promotion and preventive health services. Stewart (2018) notes that statistics are vital for identifying disease patterns and determining which diseases have the greatest need for preventive and promotive health services. For example, the US has a high burden of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease mortality and healthcare costs; hence, there is a nationwide need for preventive and promotive health services in these areas (Benjamin et al., 2019).
The disease burden varies across regions, and assessing the immediate community using statistical methods helps professionals identify areas with the greatest need and implement change as needed. Besides, statistical data are vital for evaluating the effectiveness of preventive and promotive health interventions in achieving the desired outcomes (Kim et al., 2020). For example, numerous studies, analyzed using statistical methods, have reported behavior change with adequate diabetes control (Bean et al., 2021). Thus, statistical data are indispensable for preventive and promotive health services.
Utilizing Statistical Knowledge in Healthcare
Statistical data collection occurs daily, actively, or inactively. Routine documentation of patients’ diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes is a passive source of statistical data. Healthcare providers routinely collect data as they interact with patients. It forms the least expensive and continuous source of data. Healthcare institutions also actively conduct research directed toward specific objectives, such as disease surveillance or QI improvement. The data source is more accurate, reliable, and less cumbersome but more expensive. These data sources are interdependent and provide vital statistical data for healthcare activities.
The healthcare facility’s statistical data helps in day-to-day tasks such as delegation and task allocation. Other vital purposes include continuity of care and billing during discharge and transfers. Care providers assess healthcare data in patient management to inform their decisions on further care. Nurses and other healthcare professionals use statistical knowledge to perform dosage calculations, balance stock, and order supplies (Fowler et al., 2021). They use patient data to determine their needs, such as medications and non-medical supplies. Data is collected for legal purposes and also as evidence of care delivered.
Occasionally, the institution conducts specific research, such as evaluating staff attitudes towards new technology or QI, as mentioned earlier. The institution then uses the data to determine further actions, such as staff training or QI improvements, based on the research results. Healthcare institutions also use their statistical data to seek support from stakeholders. Fowler et al. (2021) note that statistical data is a powerful tool for convincing stakeholders and leveraging financial support. Thus, statistical data are used in day-to-day healthcare activities and are vital for decision-making in all departments of healthcare institutions.
Conclusion
Statistics are vital in healthcare, and their roles are undisputably vital. Most nursing activities require sound decision-making, including resource allocation, budgeting, staffing, delegation, medication administration, and research. These uses make them vital for promoting leadership roles, quality care delivery, and patient safety. Nurses must thus have a deep understanding of statistics and their roles in health to participate in data collection, analysis, and utilization in improving care quality and patient safety.
References
Bean, C., Dineen, T., Locke, S. R., Bouvier, B., & Jung, M. E. (2021). An evaluation of the reach and effectiveness of a diabetes-prevention behavior-change program at a community site. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 45(4), 360–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2020.10.006
Benjamin, E. J., Muntner, P., Alonso, A., Bittencourt, M. S., Callaway, C. W., Carson, A. P., … & American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. (2019). Heart disease and stroke statistics—2019 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 139(10), e56-e528. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000659
Fowler, J., Jarvis, P., & Chevannes, M. (2021). Practical statistics for nursing and health care. John Wiley & Sons.
Kim, M., Mallory, C., & Valerio, T. (2020). Statistics for evidence-based practice in nursing. (3rd Ed.). Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Lin, Y. C., & Kellough, J. E. (2019). Performance appraisal problems in the public sector: Examining supervisors’ perceptions. Public Personnel Management, 48(2), 179–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026018801045
Simsekler, M. C. E., & Qazi, A. (2022). Adoption of a data‐driven Bayesian belief network investigating organizational factors that influence patient safety. Risk Analysis, 42(6), 1277-1293. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13610
Stewart, A. (2018). Basic statistics and epidemiology: a practical guide. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315383286
HLT 362 Week 1 Article Analysis 1
The interpretation of research in health care is essential to decision making. By understanding research, health care providers can identify risk factors, trends, outcomes for treatment, health care costs and best practices. To be effective in evaluating and interpreting research, the reader must first understand how to interpret the findings. You will practice article analysis in Topics 2, 3, and 5.
For this assignment:
Search the GCU Library and find three different health care articles that use quantitative research. Do not use articles that appear in the topic Resources or textbook. Complete an article analysis for each using the “Article Analysis 1” template.
Refer to the “Patient Preference and Satisfaction in Hospital-at-Home and Usual Hospital Care for COPD Exacerbations: Results of a Randomised Controlled Trial,” in conjunction with the “Article Analysis Example 1,” for an example of an article analysis.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
HLT-362V Week 4 Quality Improvement Proposal Paper
Quality Improvement Proposal
Identify a quality improvement opportunity in your organization or practice. In a 1,250-1,500 word paper, describe the problem or issue and propose a quality improvement initiative based on evidence-based practice. Apply “The Road to Evidence-Based Practice” process, illustrated in Chapter 4 of your textbook, to create your proposal.
Include the following:
- Provide an overview of the problem and the setting in which the problem or issue occurs.
- Explain why a quality improvement initiative is needed in this area and the expected outcome.
- Discuss how the results of previous research demonstrate support for the quality improvement initiative and its projected outcomes. Include a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources published within the last 5 years, not included in the Class Resources or textbook, that establish evidence in support of the quality improvement proposed.
- Discuss steps necessary to implement the quality improvement initiative. Provide evidence and rationale to support your answer.
- Explain how the quality improvement initiative will be evaluated to determine whether there was improvement.
- Support your explanation by identifying the variables, hypothesis test, and statistical test that you would need to prove that the quality improvement initiative succeeded.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Topic 3: Clinical Inquiry and Hypothesis Testing
Search the GCU Library and find two new health care articles that use quantitative research. Do not use articles from a previous assignment, or articles that appear in the topic Resources or textbook.
Complete an article analysis for each using the “Article Analysis: Part 2” template.
Refer to the “Patient Preference and Satisfaction in Hospital-at-Home and Usual Hospital Care for COPD Exacerbations: Results of a Randomised Controlled Trial,” in conjunction with the “Article Analysis Example 2,” for an example of an article analysis.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
HLT 362 Week 5 Article Analysis and Evaluation of Research Ethics
Search the GCU Library and find one new health care article that uses quantitative research. Do not use an article from a previous assignment, or that appears in the topic Resources or textbook.
Complete an article analysis and ethics evaluation of the research using the “Article Analysis and Evaluation of Research Ethics” template. See Chapter 5 of your textbook as needed, for assistance.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
HLT 362V Week 5 Assignment 2 Summary and Descriptive Statistics
Summary and Descriptive Statistics
There is often the requirement to evaluate descriptive statistics for data within the organization or for health care information. Every year the National Cancer Institute collects and publishes data based on patient demographics. Understanding differences between the groups based upon the collected data often informs health care professionals towards research, treatment options, or patient education.
Using the data on the “National Cancer Institute Data” Excel spreadsheet, calculate the descriptive statistics indicated below for each of the Race/Ethnicity groups. Refer to your textbook and the topic Resources, as needed, for assistance in with creating Excel formulas.
Provide the following descriptive statistics:
- Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median, and Mode
- Measures of Variation: Variance, Standard Deviation, and Range (a formula is not needed for Range).
- Once the data is calculated, provide a 150-250 word analysis of the descriptive statistics on the spreadsheet. This should include differences and health outcomes between groups.
APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are not required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
