Students are to complete an analytical research paper of publishable quality focusing on either
a current systems issue, a clinical issue, an organizational issue, or a policy issue in
healthcare. Your topic should be about something in healthcare that you would like to
research. It can be about a problem that you have noticed at your job that you would like to
resolve. Is there a process that can be improved? What do you recommend? Can you think of a current healthcare topic in the news for which you can offer solutions?Looking for an OUTLINE, not an essay about the paper. You should be presenting a problem and offering possible solutions for it. Try to come up with something original. This paper should NOT be written in first person! This project is research-based, relevant to current practice, and is focused on making
a difference in the healthcare environment. The topic will be an area of interest for the student
that will integrate coursework in the functional areas of healthcare involving the basic direction
and goals of an organization, including the social, political, technological, economic, and global
environment. In addition, the role of the health administrator will be addressed. Students must use the following section headings for this paper.
Identification of the issue–This section of the paper will identify the issue and any influence
factors. It should also address why this issue should be researched.
Background–Students will use this section of the paper to build the foundation for the project. It
should include a discussion of the current status of the issue or trend. Both the status of the issue
for the student’s current state as well as the current national status of the issue should be addressed. The final component of this section should address the current impact of this issue on the role of the health administrator. Problem Analysis/Literature Review–The problem analysis is based on a critical review of published literature; the theories typically used to frame research on the subject area, knowledge available, and research methods used with what degree of success. Select at least five research studies from peer-reviewed journals in the field that relate to the topic issue. Students will discuss current research findings related to the issue. The discussion should be more than a summary of the articles. It should be a critical analysis of the research. This review should provide support for the selection of the current issue. Discussion–This section should address the limitations of the current research. Because all
research has its limitations, it is important to discuss the limitations of the research articles under examination. 20 Proposed Solutions–This section should address proposed solutions to bring attention to the
selected issue. Although transformational thinking is encouraged, rational solutions should be
proposed. This section should also address how the role of the health administrator will be
altered based on the solutions proposed. Be original.
Conclusions–The conclusion restates the problem the paper addresses and summarizes the
writer’s thoughts on the selected issue. This section also offers areas for further study.
