Health Services Policy and Management - Ph.D
Group 1: Cycle 1 - Fall 2017 - Summer 2019 		Currently status is: Report Accepted
Change Plan Status
ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR Group 1: Cycle 1 - Fall 2017 - Summer 2019
  Mission Statement
 

The Ph.D. program in Health Services Policy and Management is structured to prepare students to conduct health services research and/or teach at a university level.
 
  Goal 1.  
 

Upon completion of the degree program, students will:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the major approaches to health services research (survey research, qualitative research, experimental design research) and the appropriateness of various applications for problem solving;
  • Demonstrate the ability to statistically and cognitively analyze and interpret data, quantitative and qualitative;
  • Be knowledgeable about major issues in health services delivery and health services research through critical review of current literature;
  • Demonstrate the ability to conduct original research by completing a doctoral dissertation.
  • Demonstrate the ability to teach courses at the graduate and/or undergraduate level.
  Curriculum  
 

Curriculum is tied to learning outcomes, and is mentioned throughout the document. Students are also required to complete trainings on teaching and teaching assistantships from the Center for Teaching Excellence and offer lectures in courses at graduate and/or undergraduate level.
    Learning Outcome 1.  
   

Understand health care policy development and implementation and its relationship to management of health care organizations.
Curriculum: HSPM 845 – advanced topics I, HSPM 846 – advanced topics II
   
Measures and Criteria  
  • 70% of students attempting the exam pass qualifying examinations in each topic area on the first attempt.
  • 80% or more of students obtain a grade of B or better on technical papers in HSPM 845 that critique or evaluate health system components.
Methods  
  • The doctoral program coordinator will track the proportion of doctoral students who pass qualifying examinations in each of the areas of qualifying examination on their first attempt.
  • Doctoral program coordinator will collect evaluation of health system components prepared by students as part of HSPM 845 course.

    The program coordinator will review all of these data annually and make recommendations for program improvement.  These recommendations will be discussed by the faculty, which will approve any necessary changes to the curriculum or program procedures.
Results

Measure 1. Percent of students passing qualifying exam on first attempt.

AY2017-18: 75% (13/18)
AY2018-19: 63% (5/8)

Measure 2. Percent of students obtaining a B or better on technical papers in HPEB 845.

AY2017-18: 100%
AY2018-19: 100%

Criterion 1 was not met in AY2018-19. Criterion 2 was met.

The qualifying examination must be completed in the School computer with no internet connection and the students complained that two hours for each section was not enough to address the questions.
Use of Results

Based on the outcome of the measure, the department decided to reduce qualifying exams from four sections to two broad disciplinary sections. Rather than reevaluating student’s ability to perform the tasks they have completed in each of the core courses, new qualifying examination will become integrative, integrating HSPM 846 and 846 into one section and HSPM 717 and 719 in another. The new approach will not be implemented prior to fall 2020 cohort of PhD students. The new policy is now under review by the graduate school.
    Learning Outcome 2.  
   

Demonstrate skills in the application of statistical techniques to health services research data through creation and defense of the doctoral dissertation.
Curriculum: Required courses, HSPM 717 - research methods I, HSPM 719 – research methods II. Optional courses at the discretion of student and advisor, consistent with the student's educational plan.
   
Measures and Criteria  
  • 80% of students will have a grade of B or better on papers for HSPM 717 and/or HSPM 719 that use data from secondary data sources and apply regression or other modeling techniques.
  • Successful dissertation proposal. No more than one student per year will fail the HSPM comprehensive examination, which take the form of a dissertation proposal, on the first attempt. All students will pass on their second attempt.
Methods  
  • The doctoral coordinator will obtain copies of the papers prepared by students in the class HSPM 717 or 719 and calculate percent of students receiving a B or better on papers using statistical modeling applied to secondary data sets.
  • The doctoral coordinator will track the proportion of doctoral students who pass their comprehensive examination (dissertation proposal) on the first attempt

    The program coordinator will review all of these data annually and make recommendations for program improvement.  These recommendations will be discussed by the faculty, which will approve any necessary changes to the curriculum or program procedures.

Results

Measure 1: Percent of students achieving a B or better on papers for HSPM 717 and/or 719.

AY2017-18 HSPM 719: 100% (7/7)
AY2018-19 HSPM 719: 80% (8/10)
AY2018-19 HSPM 717: 100% (10/10)

Measure 2: Number of studnets passing comp exam on 1st and 2nd attemps:

Term

# students

# passing
1st attempt

# passing 2nd attempt

AY2017-18

7

7

 

AY2018-19

10

9

1

These criteria were met.
Use of Results

No changes to either the curriculum or the assessments are warranted at this time based on the assessment results.
    Learning Outcome 3.  
   

Demonstrate professional written communication and oral presentation skills through the doctoral dissertation proposal, submission of the dissertation, and the dissertation defense.
Curriculum: All courses
   
Measures and Criteria  
  • Dissertation defense. No more than one student per year will fail to successfully defend their proposal on the first try.
  • Student presentations in venues beyond the School: At least half of the doctoral students who have successfully completed qualifying examination present their research in professional conferences either as poster or oral presentations.
  • Student papers: every year at least two papers in print or in press in peer-reviewed journals authored or co-authored by doctoral students.
Methods  
  • Dissertation pass rates will be tracked by the doctoral program coordinator.
  • Student conference attendance will be tracked by the department financial program coordinator, who takes all requests for support for conference attendance.
  • Student paper submissions will be tracked via an annual request forwarded by the doctoral program coordinator

    The program coordinator will review all of these data annually and make recommendations for program improvement.  These recommendations will be discussed by the faculty, which will approve any necessary changes to the curriculum or program procedures.
Results

Measure 1. Number of students/year who fail dissertation defense on first try.

Term

# students

# passing
1st attempt

AY2017-18

7

7

AY2018-19

7

7

Measure 2. Percent of students presenting their research at a professional conference.

AY2017-18: 64% (28/44)
AY2018-19: 59% (24/41)

Measure 3. Number of student papers in print.

AY2017-18: 16 papers (11 students)
AY2018-19: 9 papers (6 students)

These criteria were met.
Use of Results

No changes to either the curriculum or the assessments are warranted at this time based on the assessment results.