The Heller School for Social Policy and ManagementBRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

Doctoral Seminar in Health Services Research

Fall Semester 2016

Instructor: Jon Chilingerian, Ph.DRoom: G3Class Time: Monday 12:15 to 13:45 pmTelephone: (781) 736-3828Cell: (617) 921-7618Office Hours: Monday 02:00 p.m. -- 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday 09:00 a.m. -- 12:00 p.m.

My Office Location: Room 306_______________________________________________________________________

"For so it is, oh Lord my God, I can measure it, but what it is that I can measure I do not know." St. Augustine

"Upon my word, Watson, you are coming along wonderfully. You have really done very well indeed. It is true that you have missed everything of importance, but you have hit upon the method." Sherlock Holmes (Sir A. C. Doyle)

"Alas, research is not so easy...because research is never completed, it is only abandoned! And research is not so easy...because if you can't write it, you just don't know it." Chilingerian

I. Goals and Objectives

I hope this seminar will be collaborative and fun. I have re-designed the seminar to lay a foundation for good empirical research in health services. It is designed for Ph.D. students who will undertake research in scholarly health journals. Not every student has the same preparation to conduct research so I hope this will be a collaborative learning process. The core competencies for HSR are easily accessed at: http://archive.ahrq.gov/funding/hsrcomp08/hsrcomp08.html You should use these competencies as a guideline.

Beyond the competencies for HSR, this seminar will set several realistic goals. One goal is to get everyone thinking about the health care research methods right away. A second goal is to examine the steps required to frame empirical research questions, guided by theory and supported by methods. A third goal is to help doctoral students identify and develop a dissertation topic.

Revised August 10, 2016

This seminar has been established as one mechanism to help doctoral students interested in health services research achieve their research goals as Ph.D. students.

This seminar will introduce Ph.D. students and AHRQ Fellows to the work going on at Heller, and some faculty doing innovative research. The aim of the sessions is to acquaint students with how methods are used to conduct research.

II. Course Description

Plan: During this semester we will focus on research methods. The themes this semester will be: your Jungian type as a researcher; designing quantitative research with large and small data sets, varieties of qualitative research, library search strategies, frontier methods, framing interesting research questions, and developing action plans. I have also chosen two other profession-building topics: reviewing papers and abstracts and teaching with cases.

Since this is a seminar, not a survey course, we will only scratch the surface of health services research (in terms of what is being covered). It is intended to offer some methodological perspectives for the study of health policy, in order to open the way for students to begin developing their own areas of professional concentration.

Conduct: Class sessions are arranged in two formats. The first involves a series of class and panel discussions based upon experiences. These discussions are designed to stimulate thoughtful consideration of research methods.

The second format involves guest speakers and invites seminar participants to consider specific methods and/or health and social policy research endeavors. Each speaker will present materials related to her or his own research agenda and the role such research plays in addressing health and social policy. I have chosen this design in an attempt to have seminar participants grapple with some of the practical issues in research methods and to hear how researchers in the field address both general research and career concerns. There is wiggle room for students to invite speakers in the spring and fall!!

Structure: The class will meet once a week on Monday for one hour and thirty minutes. Students should identify and cultivate significant others (mentors, shadow consultants, colleagues, tender comrades) at Heller and elsewhere. These "significant others" should be willing to engage in a variety of actions and interactions--i.e., listening (actively) to your research ideas, offering suggestions, sharing key readings, reading your papers, sitting on your dissertation committee, co-authoring papers, and so on. These are serious, "two-way street" relationships that require reciprocity. I am available to talk to you anytime we can agree on a time.

The key readings should be completed before the class in which they will be discussed; however, many of the articles are for reference. I have attempted to provide you with a "folio of resources" that you can draw upon in the years to come. These articles have

Revised August 10, 2016

been chosen as "thought starter" references. They provide a start toward a minimal personal library.

Course Requirement:

I. Attend every scheduled session and be prepared to participate.

II. Each student will be required to write one 3-5-page action plan for completing their dissertation. Students will be required to handout and present their action plan at the end of the semester.

III. This Fall or Spring, read a Heller Ph.D. Proposal and Final Dissertation and attend one proposal hearing and one Ph.D. defense. If possible, for second and third year Ph.D. students, I recommend reviewing drafts and/or taking notes for someone during defenses.

IV. OPTIONAL—In the Spring, try and attend one (or several) of the joint Boston University, MIT, and Harvard Health Economics join seminars. See schedule and topic papers here: http://www.bu.edu/econ/research/seminars/

Performance: In concert with the class discussions, I am looking for thoughtful confrontation with the speakers and other class material. Second and third year students should be prepared to talk at least twenty minutes sometime during the semester to talk about their research progress. This will most likely be in the Spring, unless someone wants to do it in the Fall. Although we will schedule these near the end of the semester, students may ask for time to talk throughout the semester.

Academic Integrity: Violations of University policies on academic integrity, described in Section 3 of Rights and Responsibilities, may result in failure in the course or on the assignment, and could end in suspension from the University. If you are in doubt about the instructions for any assignment in this course, you must ask for clarification.

Notice: If you have a documented disability and require any accommodations, please bring them to my attention prior to the second meeting of the class. If you have any questions about learning or other disabilities, contact Heller’s disabilities coordinator.

Two Good On-line Texts on Research Methods:

1. http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/contents.php

2. http://www.socialresearchmethods.net

Revised August 10, 2016

Books on Order at Bookstore. These books are required.

1. Umberto Eco. How to Write a Thesis. 2015. Cambridge: MIT Press

2. Anderson, Chris. Ted Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. 2016. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Revised August 10, 2016

SCHEDULE

August 29 I. Introduction to your seminar: Becoming a Researcher and Professor

a. How do we meet our expectations for this seminar?

b. Process and Requirements

Review Competencies: http://archive.ahrq.gov/funding/hsrcomp08/hsrcomp08.html

Read: Tushman, M. and O’Reilly, C. Research and Relevance: Implications of Pasteur’s Quadrant for Doctoral Programs and Faculty Development. Academy of Management Journal, 50(4): 769-774 (2007)

September 8 II. Conversation with Dr. Deborah Stone, Ph.D.Topics: Struggle for the Soul of Health InsuranceHow Market Ideology Guarantees Racial Inequality in Health Care

Read: Stone, D. How Market Ideology Guarantees Racial Inequality. In Healthy, Wealthy, and Fair: Health Care and the Good Society. Published in print: 2005 Published Online: October 2011 ISBN: 9780195170665 eISBN: 9780199850204

Read : Stone, D. Struggle for the Soul of Health Insurance. J Health Polit Policy Law. 1993 Summer;18(2):287-317.

Class Handouts: MBTI Questionnaire (Please fill out and bring to September 19 class).

September 13 III. Improving Children’s Health through Quality Improvement: From Policy to Practice.

Guest speaker: Scott D. Berns, MD, MPH, FAAP m

Dr. Berns is President and CEO, NICHQ (National Institute for Children's Health Quality); Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Clinical Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health

Revised August 10, 2016

September 19 IV. Varieties of Qualitative Methods

Guest Speaker: Dr. Laura Lorenz, Ph.D.

"Examples of Dr. Lorenz’s research with specific attention to methods and limitations, as well as problem solving around

those methods."

Optional Reading: *Ray Pawson, "Theorizing the Interview," British Journal of Sociology, Vol 47,Issue 2, 1996, pp. 295-314.*

September 26 V. Joint Ph.D. Speaker Series

October 10 VI. Professional Issues: A. Researcher Goals, Researcher Attitudes and Your Jungian Type

*Complete Myers Briggs Questionnaire and Self-Score

B. Pedagogy & Teaching: Case Method

We will talk about using the case method to teach HSR. Think about the case and how you would teach it. Also bring your ideas about teaching HSR today.

Read : Asst. Professor Graham and Ms. Macomber

October 25 VII. Professional Careers in HSR: Becoming a Researcher

Guest Speaker: Dr. Victoria Parker, Ed.M, DBA

Associate Professor and Chair of Health Law, Policy & Management, Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University School of Public

Read: Manze MG, McCloskey L, Bokhour, B, Paasche-Orlow M, & Parker V. The perceived role of clinicians in pregnancy prevention among young Black women. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare. 2016; 8:19-24.

October 31 VIII. Making Your Dissertation Happen

Guest Speaker: Dr. Kate Fillo, Ph.D.

Revised August 10, 2016

November 7 IX. Professional Careers in HSR: Becoming a Researcher

Guest Speaker: Dr. Lisa Leroy, MBA, Ph.D.

Principal Associate, ABT AssociatesCo-Director Qualitative Methods Center

Topic: Improving health for vulnerable populations, and working to advance person-driven health care services.

Read: TBD

November 14 X. Exploring Quantitative Data Sets

Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization that happens to professionals who do “people processing.” Burnout is a health policy issue that merits HSR attention for two reasons. First, there is a vast amount of research on it and these studies find serious consequences for both health professionals and health care organizations. How do we understand it and measure it? The Maslach instrument is the most widely used tool.

Today we will take a look at some data on 90 health professionals Analyze it and tell me what you find. We will have a good discussion and see if everyone has the same findings.

Assignment: Analyze Physician Burnout Data posted on latte using any statistical package. Write up your findings in one page and present it in a table. We will pair up and each one of us will read the other’s findings. Do we all see the same things? Why?

--Post your table and finding on latte

Read: Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2, 99-113.

AB Bakker, E Demerouti. The Job Demands-Resources Model: State of the Art 2006. Journal of managerial psychology 22 (3), 309-328.

Optional: Herbert Kritzer, “The Data Puzzle: The Nature of Interpretation In Quantitative Research,” American Journal

of Political Science, Vol 40/1, 1996, p. 1-32

Revised August 10, 2016

November 21 XI. Framing and Abstract and Presenting at Professional Meetings: Poster Sessions from 2015 & 2016

2nd & 3rd year Ph.D. students will do a short (10 minute) Ted Talk on their 2015 or 2016 poster or podium sessions.

Please use the Ted Talk (below) as a guide!! WE will discuss the issue of paper reviews.

Review the Abstracts and post your evaluation.

Read: Anderson, Chris. Ted Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. 2016. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Read: Christine Wenneras and Agnes Wold, “Nepotism and sexism in peer review” in Nature, Vol 387 (1997), p. 341- 343.*

November 28 XII. Getting Started with Your Dissertations:Moving Forward, Making Mistakes: Lessons Learned

Guest Panel: Second, Third, & Fourth year students

Read: How to Write a Thesis. By Umberto Eco. 2015. Cambridge: MIT Press

December 5 XIII. Presentation of Action Plans

See example of action plans on latte

Revised August 10, 2016

Resources:i

I. Some links to resources on databases, surveys, and data sources:

a. http://www.ahrq.gov/data/

b. http://www.hsrmethods.org/Home.aspxhttp://www.hsrmethods.org/DataSources.aspxhttp://www.hsrmethods.org/Links.aspx?mode=type&name=Data%20and%20Databases

c. http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/access/subject.jsp#IXhttp://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/HMCA/index.jsp http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/ssvd/series

d. http://www.rwjf.org/pr/datacollections.jsp

e. http://www.census.gov/acs/www/http://www.census.gov/cps/http://www.census.gov/sipp/

f. http://www.rand.org/health/surveys_tools.html

g. http://www.nber.org/data/

h. http://www.hrsa.gov/

II. Links to resources on policy issues:

a. http://www.hks.harvard.edu/library/research/guides/think-tanks-directory.htm

b. http://www.kff.org/

c. http://www.statehealthfacts.org/

d. http://www.urban.org/health/index.cfm http://www.urban.org/health_policy/

e. http://www.urban.org/researchareas/index.cfm#healthandhealthcare

f. http://www.brookings.edu/health.aspx

g. http://www.brookings.edu/health/Projects.aspx

h. http://www.healthaffairs.org/

Revised August 10, 2016

http://content.healthaffairs.org/collections/

i. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/j. http://www.rand.org/research_areas/health/

http://www.rand.org/health/http://www.rand.org/pubs/online/health/

l. http://www.epi.org/issues/category/health_care/

m. http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/health-biomedical-science-society

III. Interesting sites (potentially to identify “hot” topics or get the creative juices flowing):

a. http://www.ted.com/

c. http://people-press.org/

d. http://people-press.org/news-interest/

Revised August 10, 2016

i With thanks to Andrew Hart, Dr. Signe Peterson Flieger, and Dr. Lynn Garvin.