The student must then post two (2) replies of at least 450–600 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on
Sunday of the assigned Module: Week (Part II). For each thread (Part I), there are multiple
questions based off the case study; each question response must be supported with at least 1
peer-reviewed source. Each thread must also include 1 biblical application/integration. Each
response must be supported with at least 2 peer-reviewed sources and include 1 biblical
application/integration (Part II). Note that the biblical application/integration cannot be more
than 10% of the thread or replies.
First Discussion Post:
What is the management-research question hierarchy for Akron Children’s Hospital?
For their examination of their position within the children’s hospital market of northeastern Ohio, Akron Children’s Hospital’s management-research question hierarchy, defined as the, “process of sequential question formulation,” (Schindler, 2022), that the management of an entity uses to make a business decision.
In this instance, the management question facing Akron’s children’s hospital could be defined as how best to differentiate themselves within a market that is both crowded and competitive? To answer this question, a research question was then formulated to ask what it is about the service and care provided by Akron Children’s Hospital that lets them rise above their competitors, in the minds of parents throughout the region?
While conducting the research necessary to answer that research question, several investigative and management questions would then be raised and need to be answered. One investigative question that the researchers needed to answer was how best to capture the data needed to make the management decision while working with a subject as sensitive as Children’s health care. In the end, that question was answered by doing in-person observations of patient care.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of an observation study for this research?
The question of how best to conduct the research needed to answer the management question that Akron Children’s Hospital was faced with was arguably the most difficult decision of the entire process. The process of a family seeking and receiving health care for their children is one of the most sensitive processes any family can go through.
A potential disadvantage of conducting observation research of families receiving health care for their children is that the family may feel like they’re being intruded upon, possibly worsening the family’s interpretation of their level of health care provided, which may even cause the health care outcomes to worsen. Obviously, this would be antithetical to the desires of Akron Children’s Hospital, so they needed to make every effort possible to ensure that the family’s being observed were comfortable with the process.
Researchers, “have long recognized the importance of separating observation,” (Ahrestani, Hebblewhite, & Post, 2013), from other types of research. This is because direct observation presents the distinct advantage of letting researchers view the entirety of the proceedings themselves, as opposed to relying on testimony, or data that only presents partial impressions of the entire process.
What does the brand promise recommendation reveal about what researchers experienced and concluded from their study?
The brand promise recommended by the researchers at Marcus Thomas llc., “Akron Children’s Hospital focuses ALL of the hospital’s resources (energy, creativity, state-of-the-art technology, compassion, technical skill, competence, etc.) toward the simple goal of helping every child reach his or her full potential,” reveals several key conclusions that were reached.
First, the promise shows that Akron Children’s Hospital should emphasize that they’re a hospital whose entire focus in on the treatment of children, as a way to reassure parents that the hospital is focused entirely on the health care they provide to their children.
Secondly, in using the phrase, “helping every child reach his or her full potential,” they’re emphasizing the compassionate, human nature of the care provided by Akron Children’s Hospital. This extra level of care and compassion can come in many different ways, for example, “rephrasing and simplifications of the wording in the items to avoid confusion,” (Gilijam, et. al., 2019). By emphasizing the human nature of the care that they can provide, Akron Children’s Hospital can help to reassure parents that all of their concerns will be addressed.
If you were designing such an observation study, what would you direct researchers to record/look for/listen for?
While conducting observational research of families receiving health care, the first concern must always be for the safety and privacy of the patients involved. Once those concerns have been addressed, the first thing that I would have researchers look for are any moments of confusion between the doctor and the patient and patient’s family.
All too often, patients are afraid to ask questions to clarify moments of confusion during the health care process. By having observers make note of these moments, doctors can be trained to proactively recognize and resolve these moments of confusion, improving the overall health care process for the patient.
Another subject I would have researchers focus on is making sure that the care isn’t too focused on the parents, as opposed to the children themselves. Research has shown that, “it is a misunderstanding to assume that outcomes are the same for parents and child,” (Coye, Hallstrom, & Soderback, 2016). With this in mind, researchers should note how much of the focus of the doctors is on the children and how much is on the parents.
What ethical issues would surface in hospital studies in general and this study in particular?
Any research into people’s health care is an inherently sensitive subject, made only more so by the fact that the patients in this case are children. Also, since research has shown, “parents of children in poorer health are less likely to perceive they are respected and listened to by their child’s provider,” (Bleser, Young, & Miranda, 2017), it must be stressed to researchers that they remain as unobtrusive as possible, so as not to negatively influence the outcomes of the health care provided to patients.
One other concern when doing research of this type is that the privacy and confidentiality of the patients must remain a priority of all parties involved, both researchers, and doctors. If families don’t even feel like their privacy is safe with Akron Children’s Hospital, they’ll never trust them with the health of their children.
References
Schindler, Pamela S. (2022). Business Research Methods, 14th ed., ISBN: 9781264098538, Copyright Page (mheducation.com)
Ahrestani, F. S., Hebblewhite, M., & Post, E. (2013). The importance of observation versus process error in analyses of global ungulate populations. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 3, 3125. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1038/srep03125
Gilljam, B-M, Arvidsson, S, Nygren, JM, Svedberg, P. Child participation in health care (ChiPaC)—Development and psychometric evaluation of a self-report instrument for children’s participation in health care. J Clin Nurs. 2020; 29: 107– 118. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1111/jocn.15063
Coyne, I., Hallström, I., & Söderbäck, M. (2016). Reframing the focus from a family-centred to a child-centred care approach for children’s healthcare. Journal of Child Health Care, 20(4), 494–502. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367493516642744
William K. Bleser, Sara I. Young, Patricia Y. Miranda, Disparities in Patient- and Family-Centered Care During US Children’s Health Care Encounters: A Closer Examination, Academic Pediatrics, Volume 17, Issue 1, 2017, Pages 17-26, ISSN 1876-2859, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.06.008. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876285916303345)