Analysis/Discussion Section
Due: Thursday, January 11, 2018
For this section of the paper, you will be answering your essential question. This should be a balance of outside sources, your raw data (from internship) and your own personal commentary and interpretation of the evidence you are providing.
Outline first with a peer!
Some reminders for this section:
- This should be written in third person (no I, me, you, we, us)
- Put this section in your Action Research paper document
- There should be in-text citations throughout this section
- 3-4 pages double spaced
Example #1: Should art be considered a part of the core curriculum for elementary students in North County public schools?
Analysis
The arts are fundamental to a student and his or her education. There is an evident correlation between a child’s academic success and their involvement in art programs throughout their school career. Furthermore the arts benefits a child’s interpersonal skills as well as better prepare them for a successful future. Therefore, students in North County public schools should keep art as part of the core curriculum. Teachers witness first hand the impact art has on a student’s education. Elementary school teachers thoughts and opinions on the subject of art education were recorded through a series of interviews conducted at the Discovery Children’s Museum located in Escondido California. As quoted by one teacher “Well since we are a pre-school I try to find different ways to incorporate art into my class everyday.” is is clear that this particular teacher values art in the classroom. She has not only conveyed her personal success of art based lessons in her classroom, but also the desire to further pursue the incorporation of art into her future lesson plans. Furthermore the teacher mentions the notion of expanding art outside of simply incorporating art into subjects, “I wish I was better at art, it’s kind of difficult for me to teach the kids something I’m not very good at. We should consider hiring more art teachers” (Interview 2). the teacher presents the idea that having a typical “core based” teacher instruct art lessons is not enough and schools should consider putting more funding towards art classes and programs in schools. Or at least consider hiring teaching with better adept skills in the arts. With the presented data from actual teachers, it is not presumptuous to assume that teachers find art significant in a child’s education. These teachers are able to witness the benefits of art in the classroom and have actually advocated for further implementation.
Student benefit from art in their standardized test scores as well. In their paper titled “Arts at the Core: Recommendations for Advancing the State of Arts Education in the 21st Century” College Board suggests that students who partake in some sort of art program (theatre, music, art classes) were able to better assimilate in common core subjects such as mathematics and reading (p. 11). In addition, college board suggests that by implementing arts programs in schools for earlier grades such as pre-k and elementary school these students are more likely to enroll in challenging courses in middle and high school, as a result increasing the amount of students who attend college (pp. 11-12). The evidence points to a positive relationship between a student’s involvement in art and academic achievement.
Other experts and researchers support the claim that arts benefits children academically. One such researcher is Elizabeth Speckle. Speckle, a developmental psychology professor at Harvard, stresses that there is no doubt a connection between how a child performs in school and his or hers participation in art programs. In her research Speckle claims that students who are involved in music programs showed a greater depth of understanding in math, specifically geometry, than their peers (College Board, p. 13). Besides math, it has also been shown that students involved in arts programs achieve greater test cores. Students who had enrolled in art classes for greater lengths of times typically had greater SAT scores in the verbal and math sections (NASAA, p. 8. ). The research points to a correlation between a child's ability to not only understand subject matter but also, do better than students not as involved in art programs.
Beyond the benefits of incorporating art into other subjects, art programs on their own are just important for fostering well rounded students. The fine arts also provide students with non-academic benefits that develop a strong character; such as promoting self-esteem, motivation, aesthetic awareness, cultural exposure, creativity, improved emotional expression, as well as social harmony and appreciation of diversity (Lehman). These skills are all essential in ensuring a student is a model 21st century citizen, prepared for the changing environment. In addition to interpersonal skills the arts allows students to develop social skills. Art projects could build teamwork and teach students to work with other students in order to complete a piece (Interview 1). It is not just drawing and painting that encourage skills in children, but also other art programs such as theatre, music and dance. A study done by the Arts Education Partnership, illustrates how various forms of art benefits students in different ways. For example, drama can improve a child’s verbal skills as well as their understanding of social relationships and complex emotions ( NASAA, p. 9). In addition other forms of art such as dance can improve a child’s creative thinking skills and teaches them how to express themselves better (NASAA, p. 9). There are evidently beneficial effects of art programs go beyond academic achievement, that teach children skills to be valuable members of society.
Through the presented information it is evident that there should be a bigger push for art programs in schools. It is clear that the benefits of art education for children are too vast to ignore. Children learn skills they will need as they progress through school and by not providing arts programs to students is robbing them of a school career where they can build more than just their academic profile but also their personal qualities. Arts programs should be implemented into the earliest grades so that as a child progresses through school they are adept for their future.
Example #2: How can Oasis Medical Center be enhanced in order to improve wait times and the patient experience?
Analysis
In order to improve wait times and the patient experience at Oasis Medical Center, both doctors and patients must understand and make use of Athenahealth. Prior to the invention of computers and networked systems, patient information was shared and regulated through a manual process. Doctors, nurses, and receptionists used paper-based records to keep track of what tests a patient had undergone, what their insurance may or may not cover, and how claims were handled. As computers became more prevalent, the medical community entered a generation of electronic record keeping and billing. According to the patent by Todd Park, one of the two founders of Athenahealth, the online record keeping system can be used for so much more than storing information. Athenahealth allows a healthcare professional to access a patient’s workflow and add, delete, and/or change anything related to the patient’s movements. It also allows another healthcare professional from anywhere to edit the patient’s information and communicate with the other professional regarding the patient via the online chart. Additionally, Athenahealth provides patients access to their own charts where they can edit their info as well as check in and update their current status on the day of their appointment. There are many features of Athenahealth that appeal to both the administration and patients, as the use of this futuristic patient portal can increase productivity and patient satisfaction. Historically, the Athenahealth portal has been misunderstood and misused, but with new advances in technology and education on the subject any office’s wait times can be improved.
In order to improve patient wait times one needs to first understand the factors that hinder office efficiency. Prior to the implementation of Athenahealth education, the majority of patient wait times were not exceeding the target time of approximately five to ten minutes. The data collected over the course of a few months showed that the majority of patients were waiting between sixteen to thirty five minutes. Increased wait times could have been caused by a number of factors including, but not limited to, a patient or doctors’ unpunctuality, variations in service time, differing appointment intervals, and variations in patient “no shows”, as suggested by Robert B. Fetter and John D. Thompson’s study of outpatient clinics. After addressing just one of these issues, service time using Athenahealth awareness and scribing, patient wait times improved from 56.6% of patients experiencing a sixteen to thirty five minute wait to 27.4% of patients experiencing a sixteen to thirty five minute wait (See Appendix C). These values can be improved even more with the help of an even distribution of time spent with each patient.
Another potential solution to decrease wait times is bringing awareness to the Athenahealth portals’ many features. Oasis Medical Center employs the help of two medical assistants who, in addition to charting and settling claims, take patient histories. However, it is unnecessary for the medical assistants to interrupt their charting to ask patients for their history, if the patient can complete it on their own via the Athenahealth portal. Thus, it was the changes implemented around the office that brought more awareness to the features Athenahealth offers. The researcher began encouraging patients to use the portal on their own by strategically placing flyers around the office. The increased awareness motivated patients to use the portal provided to them and contributed to the decrease in patient wait times, allowing 41.2% of patients to experience a fifteen minute or less wait (See Appendix C; Graph B). This can also be helped in part by making use of scribes.
An alternate solution to decrease wait times is utilizing scribes; Scribes have been used in various professions, including the medical profession, to improve patient interaction and office productivity. In the medical field, they tend to be unpaid students interested in pursuing a career in medicine who assist physicians with clerical aspects of patient care. A study conducted by the United Heart and Vascular Clinic demonstrated that the use of a scribe in an outpatient facility provides noticeable improvement in physician productivity as well as increases in direct and downstream revenue. All of which can be achieved at a low cost, without disruption to patient or office flow, with unchanged high patient satisfaction ratings, increased direct patient-doctor time, and increased quality of interactions. At Oasis Medical Center specifically, scribes helped to decrease wait times and increase overall patient satisfaction.
Additionally, Oasis Medical Center can diminish wait times and increase patient satisfaction by focusing on body mass index screening and followups for all ages. Extensive survey data has illustrated a lack of satisfaction from patients ages eighteen to sixty four undergoing body mass index (BMI) screening and followups (See Appendix B; Graph A) as well as patients sixty five and older undergoing BMI screening and followups (See Appendix B; Graph B). This may be attributed to a few different factors, one being the nature of the testing. Patient sensitivity tends to be heightened during conversation surrounding their weight. According to Kurt Laederach-Hofmann, Susanne Kupferschmid and Lutz Mussgay in their study on obesity related to depression, anger, and anxiety, patients who are overweight are less capable of somatic risk control. Thus, decreasing the likelihood that the patient feels comfortable and satisfied with their care. Whereas, in less stressful or personal moments of their care they are more open to interaction and enjoying the patient experience.
A final suggestion to reduce wait times centers on the tobacco screening, documentation of current medications, and imaging studies section of the patient’s intake. Analysis of survey data uncovered that there are overall high patient satisfaction ratings from patients with appointments regarding tobacco screening (See Appendix B; Graph D), documentation of current meds (See Appendix B; Graph C), and imaging studies for lower back pain (See Appendix B; Graph E). All of which fall under the duties performed by a medical assistant. Tobacco screening and the documentation of current medication can be accomplished by the patient through the Athenahealth portal, thereby decreasing wait times and boosting patient satisfaction. Whereas, imaging studies are completed as part of the intake process along with a series of questions that make the patient feel important and taken care of. This process also allows for additional staff-patient interactions that encourage patients to recommend Oasis Medical Center to others. Overall, high patient satisfaction ratings have continued to keep old patients coming back and new patients walking in the door.