For nurses and many other health professionals, objective performance data on past practice behaviours and outcomes are often not readily available. This can lead to the assumption that performance is adequate and there is no need for improvement. It is essential that we link the conduct and focus of outcomes research with opportunities for improvement in care. Feedback about the outcomes or results of care enables healthcare professionals to evaluate their practice and make changes to improve the quality of health care.

In this course students will examine the role of outcomes research for improving the quality of nursing care. They will develop an understanding of how to identify outcomes for nursing, learn about different approaches to measurement, and examine contemporary issues in outcomes assessment.

Elomakkeella https://elomake3.uta.fi/lomakkeet/20900/lomake.html 6.8.2018 mennessä.

Course leader: Professor Tarja Suominen

Teachers: Professor Sean Clarke, RN, PhD
Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA

Professor Tarja Suominen, RN, PhD
Faculty of Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Nursing Science, University of Tampere

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course it is expected that students will demonstrate:

1. Knowledge of how outcome research can be used to improve the quality of health care.

2. Knowledge of which outcomes are sensitive to nursing care.

3. An understanding of different approaches to outcomes measurement.

4. An understanding of how to enhance the quality of outcomes measurement.

5. An understanding of the relationship between quality work environments, nurse staffing, and patient outcomes.

COURSE MATERIAL

A reading list, including journal articles and recommended texts will be provided.

Specific Topics

1. Health outcomes research: Terminology and designs

2. The role of outcomes research in improving the quality of nursing/ health care—evidence-based practice and management.

3. Identifying outcomes sensitive to nursing care and nurse-related factors.

4. State of the science on nursing sensitive outcomes.

5. Patient safety indicators and research

6. What can be learned from administrative databases about the outcomes of health care?

7. Relationship between quality work environments, nurse staffing and patient outcomes.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

(1) A student seminar: Discuss how outcomes measurement is related to your own doctoral research study or could be.

(2) A student paper, exploring a specific outcome, its applicability to a practice or research issue, and measurement issues. (Could be the same topic as in (1).)

The Epidemiology Journal Club will be organized once a month to provide a platform where students can critically appraise and discuss recent and classical articles in epidemiological methods, and exchange expertise. A doodle poll will be taken 2 weeks prior to each meeting to arrange the most suitable meeting time. Please enroll to the course and the course organizer Penelope Gray, Penelope.Gray@uta.fi will send you the link to the poll.

The Epidemiology Journal Club will be organized once a month to provide a platform where students can critically appraise and discuss recent and classical articles in epidemiological methods, and exchange expertise. A doodle poll will be taken 2 weeks prior to each meeting to arrange the most suitable meeting time. Please enroll to the course and the course organizer Penelope Gray, Penelope.Gray@uta.fi will send you the link to the poll.

Kurssi johdattelee tilastolliseen ajatteluun sekä esittelee tavallisimmat tilastolliset testit ja analyysimenetelmät. Erityistä huomiota kiinnitetään käytännön aineistojen analysointiin sopivalla tietokoneohjelmistolla. 

Sisältö:                     
-          Havaintoaineisto ja sen kuvailu

-          Satunnaismuuttuja ja todennäköisyysjakauma

-          Yleisimmät koe- ja otanta-asetelmat

-          Tilastollinen riippuvuus ja korrelaatio

-          Tilastollisen päättelyn perusteet

-          Tilastolliset mallit ja testaus

-          Tilastollisen ohjelmiston käyttö: SPSS / R

Suoritustapa:   
Luennot, kotitehtävät, ohjatut tietokoneharjoitukset sekä harjoitustyö, jonka analyysit suoritetaan sopivaa tietokoneohjelmistoa käyttäen (esim. SPSS, R, jne.)

The Epidemiology Journal Club will be organized once a month to provide a platform where students can critically appraise and discuss recent and classical articles in epidemiological methods, and exchange expertise. A doodle poll will be taken 2 weeks prior to each meeting to arrange the most suitable meeting time. Please enroll to the course and the course organizer Penelope Gray, Penelope.Gray@uta.fi will send you the link to the poll.

Tällä opintojaksolla perehdytään logistiseen regression, menetelmään, jonka avulla voidaan tutkia muuttujien yhteyttä kaksiluokkaiseen vastemuuttujaan (esim. terve/sairastunut) sekä prospektiivisissa että tapaus-verrokki-asetelmissa. Kurssilla perehdytään sekä yhden että usean selittävän muuttujan malliin. Lisäksi käsitellään multinomiaalista logistista regressiota, jossa selitettävällä muuttujalla on enemmän kuin kaksi luokkaa, sekä ehdollista logistista regressiota kaltaistetulle tapaus-verrokki-aineistolle.

Sisältö

-          Logistisen regression  perusteet

-          Yhden ja usean selittävän muuttujan mallit

-          Selittäjien valinta

-          Multinomiaalinen logistinen regression

-          Logistinen regressio kaltaistetulle tapaus-verrokki-aineistolle

Analyysin tekeminen SPSS ohjelmistolla

Oheislukemista

Seuraavien kirjojen viimeisimmät painokset:

-          Hosmer, D.W., Lemeshow, S., Applied Logistic Regression, Wiley.

-          Dupont, W.D., Statistical Modeling for Biomedical Researchers, Cambridge University Press.

-          Vittinghoff, E., Glidden D.V.,  Shibosksi, S.C., McCulloch, C.E. Regression methods in Biostatistics: Linear, Logistic, Survival and Repeated measures Models, Springer.

The Epidemiology Journal Club will be organized once a month to provide a platform where students can critically appraise and discuss recent and classical articles in epidemiological methods, and exchange expertise. A doodle poll will be taken 2 weeks prior to each meeting to arrange the most suitable meeting time. Please enroll to the course and the course organizer Penelope Gray, Penelope.Gray@uta.fi will send you the link to the poll.

Within this two-day intensive course, the other day is devoted to topical theme in health sciences and the other day to general researchers skills. Provide possibility for networking with other doctoral students.

Registration By April 5th.

Preliminary programme

Thursday 25.4. Tohtorien urapolut – Future career paths for doctoral researchers

8.00                     Departure from Tampere

9.30                     Breakfast, restaurant

10.15                  Welcome and orientation, Kirsi Lumme-Sandt, Marja Jylhä, Pekka Nuorti

11.30                  Lecture ”Career planning for doctoral researchers”/ Mariska Roelofs, career coach &

psychologist   

12.30                  Lunch and check in

13.45                  Group work “What are my qualities and how to market them” / Mariska Roelofs, career coach &

psychologist

15.45                  Coffee and tea

16.45                  Getting ready for outdoor activities

17.00                  Outdoor activities, Visit to Villa Mairea, fishing by the river, nature walk  

18.30                  Getting ready for cocktail party and Dinner

19.00   

A joint buss ride to the venue will be organi

The course focuses on national and international policies affecting population health as well as theoretical-methodological approaches in doing health policy research.

Contents:

-          Healthcare politics and policy, such as options for financing and delivery, health system governance, organizational reforms, and institutional continuity. 

-          Policies and actions outside the healthcare sector crucial for population health, such as trade policy, intersectoral action, and Health in all Policies.

Different theoretical-methodological approaches for health policy research, such as using mixed methods and configurational approach.

Lecturers: Juha Mikkonen, Minna van Gerven-Haanpää, Meri Koivusalo, Ilmo Keskimäki, Minna Harjula, Katri Sieberg, Piia Jallinoja, Lauri Kokkinen

THEME 1: HEALTH CARE POLITICS AND POLICY

9.15- 9.55 HEALTHCARE – A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE – MINNA HARJULA

9.55-10.35 HEALTHCARE SYSTEM GOVERNANCE – FROM HIERARCHY TO MARKETS – KATRI SIEBERG

10.35-11.15 HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS – FRAMEWORKS AND PERFORMANCE – ILMO KESKIMÄKI

THEME 2: HEALTH IN ALL – ALL IN HEALTH

12.00-12.40 INTERSECTORAL ACTION FOR HEALTH  IN THE WHO EUROPEAN REGION – JUHA MIKKONEN

12.40-13.20 HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES IN A NEOLIBERAL CLIMATE: CRITICAL APPROACHES TO POLITICAL OBSTACLES – CHARLOTTE GODZIEWSKI

13.20-14.00 TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION AND HEALTH POLICY – MINNA VAN GERVEN

THEME 3: BEYOND QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE

14.30-15.10 TEXT ANALYSIS, INTERVIEWS AND QUESTIONNAIRES – ANALYZING POLICIES AND INTERVENTIONS PIIA JALLINOJA

15.10-15.50 CONFIGURATIONAL APPROACH IN STUDYING CAUSAL CONDITIONS FOR HEALTH – LAURI KOKKINEN