2004-06 IUPUI Campus Bulletin

Therapeutic Outcomes Research

Master of Science in Therapeutic Outcomes Research at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis

Acting Program Director   Professor Joyce MacKinnon

Professors   Deborah Cullen, Neil Oldridge, Mark Sothmann

Associate Professor   William Quillen

This graduate program is offered through the University Graduate School. The program is designed to prepare credentialed health care professionals to conduct patient outcomes research in order to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions within their own disciplines. The chief feature of this program is the emphasis on original research to determine therapeutic benefit in terms of physiologic, symptomatic, functional, perceptional, and quality-of-life outcomes.

Description of the Outcomes Research

There have been three major eras in the evolution of the U.S. health care system since the late 1940s: expansion, cost containment, and now assessment and accountability. In the expansion era, health care underwent remarkable growth in technology, training, and delivery. Emphasis was on the perfection of health care, with no consideration of costs or resource demands. Spiraling costs and disenchantment with the curative power of technology brought on the cost-containment era. Emphasis was now placed on limiting spending and maximizing productivity, often at the expense of patient satisfaction. Today, there is a growing understanding of the balance between use of health care resources on one hand and patient benefits on the other, or between assessment and accountability. Based on a more sophisticated awareness of what actually constitutes the costs and benefits of treatment, emphasis is now placed on rational use of resources in light of a realistic appraisal of therapeutic benefits. Patient-centered outcomes research concentrates on the assessment of therapeutic interventions under conditions of real, not ideal, practice. Health and rehabilitation sciences professionals are particularly well positioned to conduct therapeutic outcomes research because their clinical work is oriented toward the holistic factors that outcomes research purports to measure: multidimensional assessment of health status and improvement of patient quality of life. Moreover, as demand for useful and valuable outcomes measurement continues to grow among health care institutions and organizations, health and rehabilitation sceinces professionals are increasingly being called upon to conduct outcomes assessment at their place of employment.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Admission Requirements

Students accepted into the program must meet all requirements of both the University Graduate School and the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Applicants must submit the following: (1) official undergraduate transcripts; (2) a 300- to 500-word personal statement of academic and professional goals; (3) three letters of recommendation from those familiar with applicants' academic and professional performance; (4) official scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); and (5) for international students, official TOEFL scores. The minimum admission requirements are:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
2. Eligibility for license or credential in a health profession.
3. Total undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
4. GRE scores of at least 500 each for the verbal and analytical sections.
5. If applicable, a TOEFL score of at least 600.

Course Requirements

A total of 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree, of which 12 credit hours are in health outcomes, 3 credit hours are in electives, and 15 credit hours are in research (including thesis work).

Thesis Requirement

The capstone experience is the writing and submission of a thesis based on original research conducted by the student and supervised by a thesis committee. Curricular electives are focused on developing expertise to articulate and research a testable hypothesis in a specific content area pertaining to patient-centered outcomes under the direction of a research advisor holding graduate faculty membership in University Graduate School. Theses must follow the Indiana University Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations .

 

CURRICULUM

Health Outcomes (12 cr.):

AHLT W510 Trends and Issues in the Health Sciences (3 cr.)

SPEA H517 Managerial Epidemiology (3 cr.)

INFO I530 Seminar in Health Informatics Applications (3 cr.)

AHLT W540 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3 cr.)

Electives (3 cr.):

[In consultation with graduate advisor] (3 cr.)

Research (15 cr.):

GRAD G651 Introduction to Biostatistics I (3 cr.)

AHLT W520 Evidence-Based Critical Inquiry in the Health Sciences (3 cr.)

AHLT W570 Research Communication in the Health Sciences (3 cr.)

AHLT Z599 Thesis in Health Sciences (6 cr.)

AHLT W799 Master's Thesis Continuation
(1 cr., can be repeated)

Total Minimum Credits: 30 cr.

Courses in Therapeutic Outcomes Research

Courses offered in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; courses in this program have the departmental code of AHLT.

“P” refers to a course prerequisite and “C” to a course that must be taken concurrently.

W510 Trends and Issues in the Health Sciences (3 cr.) A seminar course to review pertinent literature and other sources of information as a basis for discussing trends and issues affecting the therapeutic professions and the health-care delivery system.

W520 Evidence-Based Critical Inquiry in the Health Sciences (3 cr.) P: G651 or equivalent. Fundamental concepts of research, ranging from philosophical foundations to practical applications. Course provides the conceptual framework in which graduate students may develop their own research agenda. In keeping with the diversity of research, this course strives to introduce graduate students to the entire continuum of research paradigms, from qualitative, naturalistic inquiry to quantitative, experimental designs.

W540 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (3 cr.) Explorations of selected patient-centered outcomes assessment methodology and research evidence related to allied health science professions at an advanced level.

W570 Research Communication in the Health Sciences (3 cr.) P: W520 and consent of both instructor and research advisor. Instruction and consultation in the preparation of master's thesis proposals, including computer applications for conducting online literature searches, developing an individual bibliographic database, designing an original research project, and devising a sound methodology. Final outcome is a completed thesis proposal for submission to a graduate student's thesis committee. Course is open only to allied health graduate students pursuing the research/thesis track in their program of study. Students must begin the course with a specific research agenda already approved by their research advisor.

Z599 Thesis in Health Sciences (3 cr.) Individual investigation in the form of an organized scientific contribution or a comprehensive analysis in a specified area related to health sciences education.

Z799 Master's Thesis Continuation (1 cr., can be repeated) Used as continuation credits for completing the master's thesis in a format acceptable to the student's advisory committee, leading to successful defense of the final product. May be repeated for credit.

Courses offered in other IUPUI schools:

GRAD G651 Introduction to Biostatistics I (3 cr.)

SPEA H517 Managerial Epidemiology (3 cr.)

INFO I530 Seminar in Health Informatics Applications (3 cr.)

For further information, contact Joyce MacKinnon, Ed.D., Therapeutic Outcomes Research Program, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 1140 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202; phone: (317) 274-1029; e-mail: jmackinn@iupui.edu.