HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Sample Answer for HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts Included After Question
Topic 1 DQ 2
Description:
Discuss why it is important for a person working in health care to understand statistical concepts. Provide an example of how statistical data is used in your organization or specialty area today and what you are expected to do with this information as a practitioner.
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Title: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
As leaders in healthcare, the ability to understand data and apply it is an essential skill because predictability assumptions create a stronger model of care, which increases quality outcomes and patient safety. Statistical tools and concepts are often used in healthcare to measure quality improvement initiatives and to track patient safety events. For instance, control charts and process capability analyses help determine if a change made in a healthcare process is resulting in improvement (Benneyan, Lloyd, & Plsek, 2003). “Analyzing health care data could help to identify quality outcomes related to infection rates and fall risks, changes to procedures based on data findings, and changes in patient interactions based on satisfaction survey results” (June Helbig & Jayme Ambrose, 2022). At my healthcare facility, we use statistical data to keep track of the rate of infections that patients get while in the hospital. We do this every month and compare the numbers to standards set by the state and country. We use charts to monitor changes over time and see if any efforts we make to lower infection rates are working. If there’s a sudden rise in HAI rates, it’s crucial to identify potential causes and implement interventions. Understanding the data helps me to identify patterns, determine the efficacy of interventions, and ensure the best outcomes for my patients.
References:
Benneyan, J. C., Lloyd, R. C., & Plsek, P. E. (2003). Statistical process control as a tool for research and healthcare improvement. Quality & safety in health care, 12(6), 458–464. https://doi.org/10.1136/qhc.12.6.458
June Helbig & Jayme Ambrose. (2022). Applied Statistics for Health Care. Grand Canyon University (Ed.). (2022). Applied statistics for health care (2nd ed.).
A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Title: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Statistics is the science of collecting, analyzing, interpreting and presenting data for an easier application in improving specific phenomena. Healthcare professionals must comprehend various statistical concepts to integrate them into healthcare delivery. The statistical concepts help the nurses Interpret and use statistical data to make informed decisions about patient care (Crawford et al., 2022). It also guides in comparison of the effectiveness of various interventions. It also helps streamline communication and collaboration on statistical data to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery. Statistical concepts guide nurses to stay up-to-date on the latest research findings, facilitating the effective application of evidence-based practice (Crawford et al., 2022). Therefore, applying statistical concepts guides the evaluation and interpretation of research findings, clinical outcomes, and population data, enabling evidence-based decision-making (Crawford et al., 2022). It also guides quality improvement and patient safety by evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and patient outcomes. In a nutshell, it is essential to encourage statistical concept competency among nurses for effective healthcare improvement initiatives.
Our organization utilizes statistical data to track various metrics, including patient satisfaction, readmission, and infection rates. It guides in identifying specific areas for improvement, leading to the provision of quality healthcare services (Uzay & Ahmet, 2023). For instance, in cardiology, statistical concepts and data are utilized to analyze clinical trials, providing crucial information on the effectiveness and safety of different treatment strategies. Statistical analysis appraises the clinical trial results to make a comprehensive, evidence-based decision to improve patient outcomes. Additionally, the application of statistical modeling is employed for risk assessment among patients to enhance understanding of the risk factors (Javaid et al., 2022). Integration of statistical tools such as Framingham Risk Score and the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equations helps estimate a patient’s future risk of cardiovascular issues, enabling tailored treatment plans and preventive interventions (Javaid et al., 2022). Overall, applying statistical concepts is critical in improving the quality of healthcare outcomes through identifying areas of improvement and analyses of clinical issues to make informed decisions.
References
Crawford, C. L., Rondinelli, J., Zuniga, S., Valdez, R. M., Tze‐Polo, L., & Titler, M. G. (2022). Barriers and facilitators influencing EBP readiness: Building organizational and nurse capacity. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12618
Javaid, A., Zghyer, F., Kim, C., Spaulding, E. M., Isakadze, N., Ding, J., Kargillis, D., Gao, Y., Rahman, F., Brown, D. E., Saria, S., Martin, S. S., Kramer, C. M., Blumenthal, R. S., & Marvel, F. A. (2022). Medicine 2032: The future of cardiovascular disease prevention with machine learning and digital health technology. American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 12, 100379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpc.2022.100379
Uzay D., & Ahmet S O., (2023). Quality Improvement of Healthcare Services Through Data Analytics Processes. Advances in Business Information Systems and Analytics Book Series, 76–93. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8386-2.ch004
A Sample Answer 3 For the Assignment: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Title: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Health statistics measure four types of information which are referred to as the four Cs which are correlates, conditions, care, and costs (Medline Plus, 2020). Statistical concepts are important for health care workers in many ways because they allow them to collect, monitor, analyze, interpret data, and contribute to evidence-based practice. Statistics is a vital aspect in the health care sector and applicable for many reasons and specializations. The healthcare system uses statistical knowledge to enhance its quality, safety practices, health promotion, and leadership. In addition to this, statistical data has a great influence on patient outcomes (Hagan, 2018). It can be used to assess or monitor patient progress, plan healthcare services, predict disease outbreaks, allocate adequate resources, manage health risks, monitor trends, evaluate treatment effectiveness and decision making. For example, a nurse may observe that a patient requires attention from the collection of statistical data. Nurses can use statistics to identify patterns in vital signs and symptoms so they can make informed decisions and apply critical thinking to better respond to a patient ‘s changing medical status. This allows care to be delivered efficiently (Hagan, 2018).
In addition, statistical data is also used by health care organizations to assess the quality of care, measure performance, and contribute to research and improvement programs. Data measuring performance and quality indicators are collected and analyzed for specific trends or responses to interventions (Anaesth, 2018). This statistical data may be regarding patients (mortality, diagnoses), hospitals (length of stay, readmission rates), the process of care (use of beta-blockers, the rate of check-ups with patients), and adverse events (Anaesth, 2018).
References
Anaesth. (2018). Statistical Literacy for Healthcare Professionals. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles
Hagan. (2018). The Use of Statistics in Healthcare Quality Improvement. Retrieved from https://juniperpublishers.com/jojnhc/pdf/JOJNHC.MS.ID.555746.
Medline Plus. (2020). Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/healthstatistics
Description
Statistical application and the interpretation of data are 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:
1. Describe the application of statistics in health care. Specifically discuss its significance to quality, safety, health promotion, and leadership.
2. 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. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Objectives:
1. Describe an example of each type of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio.
2. Define basic statistical terms.
3. Explain the historical application of statistics.
4. Describe the application of statistics in health care quality, safety, health promotion, and leadership
Applied Statistics for Health Care
Description:
Read Chapter 1 in Applied Statistics for Health Care.
Introduction
Description:
Read “Introduction,” and watch the associated videos by Lane, Hebl, Osherson, and Zeimer, from Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study.
The Visual Learner: Statistics
Description:
Refer to the “Visual Learner: Statistics” to learn more about the statistical calculations presented in this topic.
Nominal, Ordinal, Interval Ratio: Examples
Read “Nominal, Ordinal, Interval Ratio: Examples,” by Stephanie (2014), located on the Statistics How To website.
Fundamentals of Statistics 1: Basic Concepts :: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval and Ratio
Description:
Fundamentals of Statistics 1: Basic Concepts :: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval and Ratio,” located on the Usable Stats website.
Health Statistics
Description:
Explore the Health Statistics page of the MedlinePlus website.
Evidence-Based Practice for Nursing: Levels of Evidence
Description:
Read “Evidence-Based Practice for Nursing: Levels of Evidence,” located on the Northern Virginia Community College website.
Measuring the Quality of Healthcare in the U.S.
Description:
Read “Measuring the Quality of Healthcare in the U.S.,” by Claxton, Cox, Gonzales, Kamal, and Levitt (2015), located on the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker website.
Quality Data Critical to Healthcare Decision-Making
Description:
Read “Quality Data Critical to Healthcare Decision-Making,” by Nicholson and Penney (2004), located on the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) website.
Data and Statistics
Description:
Explore the Data and Statistics page of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
Health
Description:
Explore Health page of the United States Census Bureau website.
Health Topics: Health Statistics
Description:
Explore the Health Statistics page of the MedlinePluse website.
Lopes Write Policy
For assignments that need to be submitted to Lopes Write, please be sure you have received your report and Similarity Index (SI) percentage BEFORE you do a “final submit” to me.
Once you have received your report, please review it. This report will show you grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors that can easily be fixed. Take the extra few minutes to review instead of getting counted off for these mistakes.
Review your similarities. Did you forget to cite something? Did you not paraphrase well enough? Is your paper made up of someone else’s thoughts more than your own?
Visit the Writing Center in the Student Success Center, under the Resources tab in LoudCloud for tips on improving your paper and SI score.
Late Policy
The university’s policy on late assignments is 10% penalty PER DAY LATE. This also applies to late DQ replies.
Please communicate with me if you anticipate having to submit an assignment late. I am happy to be flexible, with advance notice. We may be able to work out an extension based on extenuating circumstances.
If you do not communicate with me before submitting an assignment late, the GCU late policy will be in effect.
I do not accept assignments that are two or more weeks late unless we have worked out an extension.
As per policy, no assignments are accepted after the last day of class. Any assignment submitted after midnight on the last day of class will not be accepted for grading.
Communication
Communication is so very important. There are multiple ways to communicate with me:
Questions to Instructor Forum: This is a great place to ask course content or assignment questions. If you have a question, there is a good chance one of your peers does as well. This is a public forum for the class.
Individual Forum: This is a private forum to ask me questions or send me messages. This will be checked at least once every 24 hours.
Important information for writing discussion questions and participation
Welcome to class
Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to
I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.
Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.
If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.
Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.
Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.
I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!
Hi Class,
Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.
Contact me if you have any questions.
Important information on Writing a Discussion Question
- Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
- There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
- Include in-text citations in your response
- Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
- Follow APA-7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor
- A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
- Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
- Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
- Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
- Follow APA 7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
- Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
- Here are some helpful links
- Student paper example
- Citing Sources
- The Writing Center is a great resource
As we begin this session, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify my expectations for this course:
Please note that GCU Online weeks run from Thursday (Day 1) through Wednesday (Day 7).
Course Room Etiquette:
- It is my expectation that all learners will respect the thoughts and ideas presented in the discussions.
- All postings should be presented in a respectful, professional manner. Remember – different points of view add richness and depth to the course!
Office Hours:
- My office hours vary so feel free to shoot me an email at Kelly.[email protected] or my office phone is 602.639.6517 and I will get back to you within one business day or as soon as possible.
- Phone appointments can be scheduled as well. Send me an email and the best time to call you, along with your phone number to make an appointment.
- I welcome all inquiries and questions as we spend this term together. My preference is that everyone utilizes the Questions to Instructor forum. In the event your question is of a personal nature, please feel free to post in the Individual Questions for Instructor forum I will respond to all posts or emails within 24 or sooner.
Late Policy and Grading Policy
Discussion questions:
- I do not mark off for late DQ’s.
- I would rather you take the time to read the materials and respond to the DQ’s in a scholarly way, demonstrating your understanding of the materials.
- I will not accept any DQ submissions after day 7, 11:59 PM (AZ Time) of the week.
- Individual written assignments – due by 11:59 PM AZ Time Zone on the due dates indicated for each class deliverable.
Assignments:
- Assignments turned in after their specified due dates are subject to a late penalty of -10%, each day late, of the available credit. Please refer to the student academic handbook and GCU policy.
- Any activity or assignment submitted after the due date will be subject to GCU’s late policy
- Extenuating circumstances may justify exceptions, which are at my sole discretion. If an extenuating circumstance should arise, please contact me privately as soon as possible.
- No assignments can be accepted for grading after midnight on the final day of class.
- All assignments will be graded in accordance with the Assignment Grading Rubrics
Participation
- Participation in each week’s Discussion Board forum accounts for a large percentage of your final grade in this course.
- Please review the Course Syllabus for a comprehensive overview of course deliverables and the value associated with each.
- It is my expectation that each of you will substantially contribute to the course discussion forums and respond to the posts of at least three other learners.
- A substantive post should be at least 200 words. Responses such as “great posts” or “I agree” do not meet the active engagement expectation.
- Please feel free to draw on personal examples as you develop your responses to the Discussion Questions but you do need to demonstrate your understanding of the materials.
- I do expect outside sources as well as class materials to formulate your post.
- APA format is not necessary for DQ responses, but I do expect a proper citation for references.
- Please use peer-related journals found through the GCU library and/or class materials to formulate your answers. Do not try to “Google” DQ’s as I am looking for class materials and examples from the weekly materials.
- I will not accept responses that are from Wikipedia, Business dictionary.com, or other popular business websites. You will not receive credit for generic web searches – this does not demonstrate graduate-level research.
- Stay away from the use of personal pronouns when writing. As a graduate student, you are expected to write based on research and gathering of facts. Demonstrating your understanding of the materials is what you will be graded on. You will be marked down for lack of evidence to support your ideas.
Plagiarism
- Plagiarism is the act of claiming credit for another’s work, accomplishments, or ideas without appropriate acknowledgment of the source of the information by including in-text citations and references.
- This course requires the utilization of APA format for all course deliverables as noted in the course syllabus.
- Whether this happens deliberately or inadvertently, whenever plagiarism has occurred, you have committed a Code of Conduct violation.
- Please review your LopesWrite report prior to final submission.
- Every act of plagiarism, no matter the severity, must be reported to the GCU administration (this includes your DQ’s, posts to your peers, and your papers).
Plagiarism includes:
- Representing the ideas, expressions, or materials of another without due credit.
- Paraphrasing or condensing ideas from another person’s work without proper citation and referencing.
- Failing to document direct quotations without proper citation and referencing.
- Depending upon the amount, severity, and frequency of the plagiarism that is committed, students may receive in-class penalties that range from coaching (for a minor omission), -20% grade penalties for resubmission, or zero credit for a specific assignment. University-level penalties may also occur, including suspension or even expulsion from the University.
- If you are at all uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, you should review the resources available in the Student Success Center. Also, please review the University’s policies about plagiarism which are covered in more detail in the GCU Catalog and the Student Handbook.
- We will be utilizing the GCU APA Style Guide 7th edition located in the Student Success Center > The Writing Center for all course deliverables.
LopesWrite
- All course assignments must be uploaded to the specific Module Assignment Drop Box, and also submitted to LopesWrite every week.
- Please ensure that your assignment is uploaded to both locations under the Assignments DropBox. Detailed instructions for using LopesWrite are located in the Student Success Center.
Assignment Submissions
- Please note that Microsoft Office is the software requirement at GCU.
- I can open Word files or any file that is saved with a .rtf (Rich Text Format) extension. I am unable to open .wps files.
- If you are using a “.wps” word processor, please save your files using the .rtf extension that is available from the drop-down box before uploading your files to the Assignment Drop Box.
Grade of Incomplete
- The final grade of Incomplete is granted at the discretion of the instructor; however, students must meet certain specific criteria before this grade accommodation is even possible to consider.
- The grade of Incomplete is reserved for times when students experience a serious extenuating circumstance or a crisis during the last week of class which prevents the completion of course requirements before the close of the grading period. Students also must pass the course at the time the request is made.
- Please contact me personally if you are having difficulties in meeting course requirements or class deadlines during our time together. In addition, if you are experiencing personal challenges or difficulties, it is best to contact the Academic Counselor so that you can discuss the options that might be available to you, as well as each option’s academic and financial repercussions.
Grade Disputes
- If you have any questions about a grade you have earned on an individual assignment or activity, please get in touch with me personally for further clarification.
- While I have made every attempt to grade you fairly, on occasion a misunderstanding may occur, so please allow me the opportunity to learn your perspective if you believe this has occurred. Together, we should be able to resolve grading issues on individual assignments.
- However, after we have discussed individual assignments’ point scores, if you still believe that the final grade you have earned at the end of the course is not commensurate with the quality of work you produced for this class, there is a formal Grade Grievance procedure which is outlined in the GCU Catalog and Student Handbook.
A Sample Answer For the Assignment: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Title: HLT 362 Discussion: Health Workers Understanding Statistics Concepts
Health statistics measure four types of information which are referred to as the four Cs which are correlates, conditions, care, and costs (Medline Plus, 2020). Statistical concepts are important for health care workers in many ways because they allow them to collect, monitor, analyze, interpret data, and contribute to evidence-based practice. Statistics is a vital aspect in the health care sector and applicable for many reasons and specializations. The healthcare system uses statistical knowledge to enhance its quality, safety practices, health promotion, and leadership. In addition to this, statistical data has a great influence on patient outcomes (Hagan, 2018). It can be used to assess or monitor patient progress, plan healthcare services, predict disease outbreaks, allocate adequate resources, manage health risks, monitor trends, evaluate treatment effectiveness and decision making. For example, a nurse may observe that a patient requires attention from the collection of statistical data. Nurses can use statistics to identify patterns in vital signs and symptoms so they can make informed decisions and apply critical thinking to better respond to a patient ‘s changing medical status. This allows care to be delivered efficiently (Hagan, 2018).
In addition, statistical data is also used by health care organizations to assess the quality of care, measure performance, and contribute to research and improvement programs. Data measuring performance and quality indicators are collected and analyzed for specific trends or responses to interventions (Anaesth, 2018). This statistical data may be regarding patients (mortality, diagnoses), hospitals (length of stay, readmission rates), the process of care (use of beta-blockers, the rate of check-ups with patients), and adverse events (Anaesth, 2018).
References
Anaesth. (2018). Statistical Literacy for Healthcare Professionals. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles
Hagan. (2018). The Use of Statistics in Healthcare Quality Improvement. Retrieved from https://juniperpublishers.com/jojnhc/pdf/JOJNHC.MS.ID.555746.
Medline Plus. (2020). Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/healthstatistics