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 (e.g., gender, age, amounts, funding). Variables can also be complex
(e.g., 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.