Research Project

Carefully read through all components (listed below) required for completion of the Research Project. In selecting your project topic, ensure that you will be able to ascertain the appropriate data/information needed to complete the project in terms of the deliverables.

Select a health care organization (local or national, large or small, public or private) and perform a needs assessment/gap analysis. You may utilize your own organization if you are employed in a health care related company. You may approach the Research Project from a (1) Human Resources, (2) Operations, or (3) Facilities perspective. You may select an organization in your own community.

1. Human Resources: staffing, training, recruitment, retention, job function redesign, etc.
2. Operations: delivery of service/care, access, wait times, equipment usage, process improvements, resource optimization, regulatory compliance, etc.
3. Facilities: space planning, construction, redesign, relocation.

The components for the Research Project include the following:

1. Title Page
2. Executive Summary (Needs Content Criteria)
3. Description of the organization (history, length in service/operation, how many beds? clients served? location; rural vs. urban, satellite locations, total number of staff, client usage information/demographics, etc.)
4. Needs Assessment/Gap Analysis: What is not currently being offered? Room for improvements? Service delivery deficits? Personnel issues/shortages? Justify with supporting data and statistics.
5. Propose an intervention (service or facility) based on the needs/gap analysis.
6. Justify your proposed intervention by providing an analysis from:
   1. Cultural
   2. Social
   3. Legal
   4. Economics
   5. Regulatory
   6. Reimbursement
   7. Managed care
   8. Health legislation
   9. Contracts perspectives
7. Pick a minimum of three of the elements listed above depending on the organization selected and which apply to the specific organization/situation selected.
8. Create a plan to implement your intervention. Identify the stakeholders involved, and their role (s) in implementing the intervention. Include finance and staffing elements required to implement the intervention.
9. Develop a marketing communication plan on how the stakeholders will be informed, kept up-to-date, etc. prior to the intervention, during the intervention, and post intervention.
10. Develop a plan for measurement effectiveness of the intervention. What indicators will determine if the intervention is successful?