Health Data Analysis for Research

Catalog description

Introduction to data sources and use of software for data management and analysis in health services research. H P A 528 Health Data Analysis for Research (3)The statistical analysis of quantitative data is a major tool for health services researchers. This course provides students with an overview of practical, concrete information about identifying, acquiring, processing, and analyzing data in typical health service research settings. The course covers three main content areas: Data issues in health services research, including legal and ethical information on human subjects and private health information; manipulating primary and secondary health services research data to create files amenable to research analysis; and basics of descriptive and exploratory analysis of health services research data. The objectives of the course are: (1) to give students a solid foundation of knowledge about health services data issues for their thesis and related research projects in the future; (2) to give them practical experience manipulating commonly used data sets in health services research; and, (3) to allow them to begin to explore potential research hypotheses for thesis and other research. Its primary role is to guide students in the master's of science and doctoral programs in Health Policy and Administration as they begin to explore research. It is also appropriate for other graduate students who intend to do research in or related to health services research.