HIIM 4173 COMPREHENSIVE FINAL STUDY GUIDE

HI Research

____________________ involves investigating processes, applications, information systems, and technologies impact on health services

HIM Research

Researchers study the practice of acquiring, analyzing, storing, retaining, and protecting information vital to the patient's treatment

Research Frame

also known as research paradigm and consists of theories forming a basis for the study (TRUE)

Theories

Predicts phenomena. Behavior and events.

Research Methodology

Utilized to study and analyze basic, applied, observational, and translational research methods

Basic Research

Type of research that answers, "WHY"

Applied Research

Type of research which tells the researcher what happened, how it happened and when the incidents occurred

Translational Research

Uses findings gathered in basic research to adopt treatment practices and strategies to diagnose and treat health conditions

Quantitative approach to research

Outcomes are numerical and measurable

Qualitative approach to research

Evaluates how events are received by individuals (patients' response to medications)

Mixed methods

Combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research

Inductive reasoning

Researchers draw conclusions based on a sample of observations and work towards creating theories around the events/observations

Deductive reasoning

Conclusions are determined by the researcher and then observations are gathered to validate or invalidate the established theory

Correlational Research

Evaluates the relationship between variables and involves statistical regression

Observational Research

Researcher evaluates situations for patterns and trends

Direct Participant observation

Researcher is physically present during research

Nonparticipant observation

gather data without the researcher actively engaging in the environment or activities being studied

Naturalistic observation

Researcher observes employee behavior at a facility to determine whether the EHR is being poorly utilized

Simulation observation

Research selects lab vs field experiences and observes how well individuals use them

Focus Groups

Widely used in health care to solve problems and gain information as a form of observational research

Ethnography

In depth investigation into the culture of the organization to establish a new hypothesis

Field Notes

utilized in research that tends to be subjective and are written as soon as possible to the completion of the study

Survey Research

Involves asking questions either face-to-face, via mail, telephone or website

Structured questions

standardized inquiries built with predefined formats, closed-ended options, or specific logical components (Ex. Yes/No Questions OR Likert Scale)

Unstructured Questions

free text option for responses during a survey completion

Validity

instrument is measuring what the researcher wanted it to measure

Reliability

Results are the same for the 5th test as the 1st test

IRB (Institutional Review Board)

Approval and oversight of a clinical trial for chemotherapy patient s monitoring the welfare and privacy of patients

Face validity

Confirmation at the surface level that the survey seems to measure what is et out to measure

EX. EHR audit trail, AI

Criterion-related validity

measurement of accuracy of clinicians entering order into the EHR

Content Validity

Survey instrument captures the information the researchers intended to capture Ex. (evaluate H/Ps for appropriate content to meet the regulatory requirements) ((Chief complaint in own patient words)

Population

In healthcare, the population could be patients seen at our facility by Dr. Thomas during June 2026 (Total collection of all elements)

Census

patient specific information such as date of birth, age, gender, occupation, allergies and medications (Account of all elements in the population)

Stratified random sampling

Physicians, patients and clinicians are individual subgroups and a few from each subgroup are asked to complete a survey

Systematic random sampling

All patients who had a hip replacement by Dr. () are asked to complete a survey

Cluster sampling

Divide population in clusters (small groups), (zip codes and survey everyone form zip code 71270)

Experimental research

Only tope of research to truly establish cause and effect of outcomes

Independent variable

Medication administered to a participant for elevated blood pressure

Dependent variable

Infection resolved flowing administration of antibiotics

Confounding

Can impact the outcome, but not always occurring (snows and you work road crew)

Cross over design

Using two groups of participants and both groups participate in both the experimental group and the group. Participants will switch groups at a designated time and the researchers can evaluate process

Quasi-experimental study design

can determine a causal relationship

Static group comparison

two groups examined, one groups gets the intervention and the other doesn't. A posttest is administered to determine results of intervention

One shot case study

Intervention is provided to only the participants in one group and these participants in one group and these participants are followed over time and their outcomes are monitored

One group pre-test post-test method

Very similar to one shot case study, however a pretest is administered

Maturation

Natural changes that occur during research

FINER

F-feasible, at least 30 subjects, the researcher must have time to dedicate; I-interesting, is the research topic of interest to the researcher, pick a topic that is significant to the funding agencies, N-novel, answering the research questions confirms or advances the current knowledge in the field, E-ethical, can the study be performed without harming subjects or participants, R-the study's results advance the scientific knowledge, evidence based practice or both

Quantitative process

researchers conduct investigations to generate objective information, the process focuses the question to be researchable and specific, results are numerical

Qualitative Process

researchers conduct investigations to interpret or understand phenomena, the process focuses the question to be iterative or follow a cyclical process, (comments, free text responses)

Source of Research Questions

Research models, recommendation of previous researchers gaps in body knowledge, problematic areas, problems

Research models

Show the factors and relationships in a theory, researchers can select factors other researchers have found (don't have come to fruition but can result in hypothesis)

Recommendations of previous researchers

written in the journal articles these, conference proceeding, researchers make recommendations about the next study or what could be done (Not the first to study topic but come up with your own educated guess)

Gaps in the body of knowledge

has not answered by any existing study (may have to adjust research topic if info is missing)

Problematics areas

Systematic reviews or controversial topics on which researchers do not agree, flaws (Causation does not equal correlation)

Organizations' problems

Management dilemmas, operational issues (Supplies issues, fraud and abuse)

Hierarchal questions

if our topic to broad, we need to narrow down and "drill down" to a more concentrated focus

PICOTS

characteristics of a manageable research questions

P

Patient - population or problem includes the condition and demographic

I

Intervention - can the independent variable be manipulated

C

Comparison - Control group vs. intervention

O

Outcome - specific results of interest, must be measurable, specific and related to the questions

T

Timing - the time frame of the study (not applicable in all studies)

S

Setting - the context of interest, such as the physician's office, hospital, home

Problem Statement

single sentence with an action verb, "explore, compare" that succinctly states what the researcher will be doing. Should be opening line of your abstract

Null hypothesis

- no different in use of support clinicians (educated guess and what you expect to find)

(my car gets < 35 miles to the gallon)

Alternative hypothesis

there IS A difference (my car won't get < 35 miles to the gallon) (won't expect to find)

One tailed hypothesis

researcher predicts the direction of the results as being greater than or less than <> (in one direction)

Ex. Numerical estimate and predict where its going, (10% or greater increase in EHR usage after education)

Two tailed hypothesis

gives a variance between null and alternative and does not provide a direction of the variance

; the researcher makes no prediction about the direction and simply states that a difference exists

Literature review

1. Orient the readers to the issue and persuade them to of the necessity of the study,

2. Assure the reader that researchers has conducted a thorough review of all aspects of the topic,

3. To build the researcher's knowledge in the topic

Conventions of literature review

Transparency,

organizational structure,

progression,

Equitable coverage,

pertinence,

style

Transparency

Provide adequate information so that someone else could replicate

a. Ex. Journal article replicate someone else study/ simulated

Organizational structure

Helps the readers follow the researcher thinking, explicit stating ordering in the narrative and clearly defining the research model (quantitative or mixed method or qualitative) ((research model)

Progression

start with a broad general question and then gradually narrow down (investigate questions) the topic, problem statement

Equitable Coverage

provide adequate coverage for conflicting viewpoints or finding (contrasting)

Pertinence

studies that will advance the topic, add a new variable, maybe some confounding variables and investigate new areas

Style

Verb tense mattes, the verbs situate the event or idea in time, present tense for truths, accepted theories and facts; past tense reflects on past studies and historical findings

Data collection plan

data that is to be collected, who will collect the data, how will the data be collected, when will the data be collected and timeframe for collecting the data

Quantitative plan for data collection

Quantitative research establish a step by step plan that considers every logistical detail and is written in conjunction with the statistical analysis plan

Qualitative plan for data collection

the plans for qualitative studies are less structured and depends on the amount of time the researcher has available

Face validity

extent to which the instrument measures what it says it measures

Subject matter experts

authorities in the instrument's domain, topic and field

Content Validity

high content validity occurs when the instrument includes all of a topic's content that it is supposed to contain (an instrument about EHR usage should contain items about each component of the EHR)

Construct validity

degree to which an instrument measures the constructs that it claims to measure (constructs-abstracts that are non-observable) tax tables, fixed interest rates,

Convergent Validity

degree of correlation between the instrument and the other instruments designed to measure similar constructs, If something is said to have HIGH CONVERGENT validity, it has demonstrated when the results of two instruments measuring self-efficacy have a high positive correlation

Discriminant Validity

degree to which the instrument does not positively correlate to instruments measuring dissimilar constructs

Concurrent validity

instruments ability to discriminate between groups it should differentiate (instrument would be able to discriminate between expert and novice)

Inter-rater reliability

degree of agreement in the results among repeated administrations of an instrument or test (2 different coders code the same chart)

Intra-rater reliability

same person completes instrument at two points in time and the results are similar (same person codes the same chart 2 weeks apart)

Kappa coefficient

signified by lower case "k" used to assess the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, k=1.0, perfect strength of agreement,

Epidemiology

The study of patterns of cancer in a population in 2026 would be considered a form of...

Epidemiology DEF

examines the patterns of disease occurrence in human populations and the factors that influence these patterns in relation to time, place and persons.

Descriptive Study design Ex.

Explores a design and generates new ideas rather than proving the existing hypothesis

Descriptive Study design DEF:

(only type of research that involves cause and effect) Explores a design first determining the prevalence in the community or geographic region and generates new ideas rather than proving the existing hypothesis (new ways to study something)

Cross sectional study Ex.

American Hospital Association performed a study to see the utilization rate of the EHR by healthcare providers in the US

Cross sectional study DEF:

(identify the prevalence)- performed when little is know about the disease or health characteristic HI research example of a CSS would be the AHA did a study to see the prevalence of EHR utilization in the us (how prevalent do doctors use the EHR compared to scribes using it?)

Prevalence rate Ex.

The proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus compared to the population studied over a period of time

Analytic study design

The researcher determines if there is a relationship between the IV (exposure to risk) and the DV (contracts the disease), for example-smoking and heart disease

Case control study design

With this study design, it is relatively easy to assess the IV by looking back intime and studying cases of patients who did contract a disease compared to the control group

Cohort Study design

With this study design, it is relatively easy to assess the IV by looking back intime and studying cases of patients who did contract a disease compared to the control group

Clinical trials

These studies are performed in a controlled environment, usually medical schools and involve the study of medications or supplies and disease prevention